Reenactment
One of the impacts of childhood trauma is a negative self-image coupled with a view of the world as unpredictable and dangerous. Social workers have developed a helpful concept for understanding the influence of these negative beliefs. They call it the Invisible Suitcase and describe it as being “about not trusting in, not believing in, and not giving relationships a chance.&rdquol
The Invisible Suitcase is packed with negative beliefs about:
- The child: “I am worthless. I am unsafe. I am powerless.”, and
- The adult: “You are unresponsive. You are unreliable. You are or will be threatening, dangerous, rejecting.”
These beliefs have become the child’s relational template, and they drive the child’s interactions with others. When traumatized children compulsively and unconsciously recreate the negative relationships from their past with new people, it is called reenactment.
“Children engage in reenactments for a number of reasons: the interactions are familiar and have helped them survive in other relationships; reenactments test the beliefs inside the invisible suitcase for “proof” that they’re right; reenactments may help to vent frustration, anger, and anxiety; and, lastly, reenactments may give the child a sense of mastery over the old traumas.”
The Invisible Suitcase
The reenactment process is a powerful interaction, directly challenging the resolve and good intentions of adults who are trying to model safe, nurturing and trusting relationships. Even adults who understand that the behavior originates in trauma can find it difficult to not react in the ways cued by the child. The child and adult can become entangled in an escalating feedback loop of negative interactions. When this happens, it confirms the child’s negative beliefs about himself and his world. “The suitcase gets heavier.”
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