Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson Trauma or Personality, When to Walk Away, and Burnout: October Mailbag
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Oct 13, 2025 Dr. Rick and Forrest delve into the complex interplay between trauma and personality, providing insights on distinguishing learned behaviors from one’s authentic self. They tackle the challenge of establishing boundaries with loved ones facing depression, balancing duty with personal needs. Explosive anger is addressed through emotional processing techniques that encourage joining with the feeling. Finally, they discuss transitioning from empathic distress to compassion to combat caregiver burnout, offering practical strategies for self-care.
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Bird's-Eye Test For Learned Behaviors
- Traumatic learning can produce valuable gains even if the path was painful.
- Use a bird's-eye view to judge whether a behavior is wise to keep or release.
Choose Change Based On Outcomes
- If a behavior yields good outcomes and feels authentic, there's no need to change it.
- If it causes problems or is avoidance-driven, assess whether it blocks expression or fulfillment.
Nature Plus Nurture Shapes Values
- Personality reflects both nature and nurture interacting over time.
- It's unlikely that adaptive behaviors are entirely inauthentic because temperament also shapes them.