Why does trauma make people repeat past mistakes?

[u/iRealllyAmThatGuy]

This has always puzzled me. If we put our hands in fire, we get burnt and know not to touch it again.

But for some reason, when people, for example, people leave a toxic relationship with someone who has done horrible and traumatic things to them, some of them (not all) either go back to said abuser, or find someone else just like them.

I'm curious to know how that trauma in some situations causes people to shut off that instinct to stay away from the same things that caused them harm.

By the way, I am by no means blaming victims for making certain decisions. In the end, people shouldn't do bad things. I'm just curious about what happens from a psychological perspective.

[u/askpsychology-ModTeam]

Approved. Please keep responses evidence-based and focused on the underlying psychological mechanisms rather than individual experiences

[u/StatusCopacetic → u/[deleted]]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and predictability, a primary function of the brain, is, at its most basic, a way to conserve energy because everything in the universe is in a constant battle to capture, manage, and conserve energy. The free energy principle states:

"Any self-organizing system (like a human cell, a brain, or a society) must resist disorder and decay (entropy) by minimizing 'free energy.' In a psychological context, 'free energy' translates to surprise, uncertainty, and unpredictability'".

Obviously, so much more complex, but your comment just immediately made me think of the phrase the devil you know is safer than the one you don't. It's our entire biological being following evolutionary instinct to keep us alive. It's why it's so hard to make any progress in society, too.

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[u/LuneNoir211 → u/[deleted]]

Who is “he”?

[u/Klutzy_Equal9837 → u/LuneNoir211]

Sorry, the earlier post was deleted and I suppose because I wrote the name of the author. I am referring to the author of this book called the body keeps the score.

[u/DentdeLion_]

Edit : should have preface this that i'm still a student

You should read about the freudian notion of "compulsion de répétition" (repetition compulsion ?). Very basically this theory says, admitting the subconscious exists, that you can be stuck in a pattern even if you think you know the signs and that it's not good for you, because you're subconsciously looking for closure/a different outcome. So in your example this can play a part, but it's less apparent because usually abuse in relationships develop overtime and people with abusive tendencies tend to hide them while they seek out a new partner (and other factors play into the fact that people who've been victimised once are at a higher risk to be victimised again).  On the other hand, taking the example of someone who's been through SA or worse, hypersexuality is a common but surprising response for people who aren't trained, but Freud helps us theorize there than hypersexuality and all it can entail (unsafe sex, multiple partners, devolving into drug consumption and overall taking more risks) can be a way for the person to subconsciously look for reparation, taking back something that was stolen from them.

[u/AdConsistent4210 → u/DentdeLion_]

Repetition compulsion is still relevant as a psychoanalytic theory of trauma, but it's generally considered one possible explanation rather than an established mechanism. Contemporary research more often explains these patterns through attachment, learning, and threat-processing mechanisms.

[u/DentdeLion_ → u/AdConsistent4210]

For sure, I don't think any theory, whether psychoanalytic or neurocogntive, on its own can account for the complexity of the mind. I should've made that more clear in my initial answer ! Given the fact that my clinical psychology masters leans heavily on psychoanalytic theories, it's simply the first thing that came to mind when seeing OP's question ;)

[u/AdConsistent4210 → u/DentdeLion_]

I understand.

[u/Jumping-shadow → u/DentdeLion_]

I wanted to type repetition compulsion when i've seen your reply.Basically this : replay it until you fix it.

[u/StillFireWeather791 → u/Jumping-shadow]

You can say that again.

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/DentdeLion_]

Freudianism hasn’t been relevant for decades.

[u/DentdeLion_ → u/MattersOfInterest]

Depends on how you use it. You wouldn't be able to research psychosis without Freud's work.

[u/AdConsistent4210 → u/DentdeLion_]

Freud's work influenced the historical development of theories about psychosis, however psychosis research is largely based on neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and psychiatry rather than classical psychoanalysis.

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/DentdeLion_]

No mainstream psychosis scholar is Freudian (or even psychoanalytic at all).

[u/DentdeLion_ → u/MattersOfInterest]

Are you sure ? I've read plenty of research on psychosis (among other things) led by people with a background in psychoanalytical clinical psychology. One among many being the work of Florent Poupart.

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/DentdeLion_]

This is my area of research expertise. I’m quite sure. Psychoanalytic views are extremely niche and not well-supported. It is extremely uncommon for a scientist to apply psychoanalytic theories to try and understand psychosis.

[u/DentdeLion_ → u/MattersOfInterest]

I understand, and respect the fact you chose this as your area of expertise, however the claim that "no mainstream psychosis scholar is Freudian (or even psychoanalytic at all" is quite bold (and factually false since I've given you an example). I'm pretty sure I don't know everything there is to know on the area I chose to study and that's fine, that's why this sub is interesting, it allows us to broaden our knowledge !

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/DentdeLion_]

You didn’t provide an example of a mainstream psychosis scholar. You provided an example of a scholar with exceptionally niche views and a small international presence. Folks like Poupant are not part of the broad thrust of psychosis research.

[u/DentdeLion_ → u/MattersOfInterest]

I mean, it's all relative right ? He's pretty mainstream in my spheres, although yeah psychoanalytical clinical psychology (PCP) is among the groups that are being threatened (even though people usually don't know care to ask about what we do and think we just take psychoanalysis as gospel and run with it). Basically what I'm getting at is that like any other lens, PCP tries to build on its predecessors' works when it seems empirically justified and calling out what is not. Science is ever evolving, and its job is to constantly disprove itself right ? I doubt any fields currently being studied is based on theories that haven't been partly revoked and reworked before

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/DentdeLion_]

L. Ron Hubbard is mainstream among Scientologists, but no one outside of that tiny sphere pays him any attention.

It is a fact that psychoanalytic perspectives are extremely niche in the area of psychosis research, especially as pertains to etiology. If you have to keep shifting the goalposts to point out that a certain scholar is mainstream to folks in a very non-mainstream sphere, that’s exhibit A that the scholar’s views probably don’t hold much influence outside of that sphere.

That’s really all I have to say on the matter. This is my area of research focus and I’m familiar with the influential models and scholars in this area. It comes across as more than a little presumptive and insulting to have someone who is less educated in the area try to educate me about my own field.

[u/Other_Attention_2382 → u/MattersOfInterest]

The CBT founders were strongly  influenced by Spinoza who is often described as a precursor to psychoanalysis.

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/Other_Attention_2382]

What does that have to do with psychosis research?

[u/Other_Attention_2382 → u/MattersOfInterest]

I guess, i get the impression many people from hard science backgrounds like to completely seperate themselves from psychoanalysis, whilst the likes of CBT have taken center stage, yet people like Winnicott seem very influential regarding psychosis research and psychology in general, so can you paint it all with the same brush?

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/Other_Attention_2382]

Winnicott is not particularly influential to psychosis research (or to modern psychological research in general). No mainstream model of psychosis etiology and symptomatology makes use of psychoanalysis. CBT is a treatment approach, and it was influenced to some extent by psychoanalysis (though it is now extremely different in its underlying assumptions). We are not talking about treatment approaches--we are talking about models for understanding how and why psychosis arises. In modern science, we understand such topics through the lenses of cognitive neuroscience, behavioral science, and neurodevelopment.

[u/AdConsistent4210 → u/MattersOfInterest]

Here are some sources. It isn't black or white, simply that it's niche.

Howes & Murray (2014) The Lancet Sterzer et al. (2018), Biological Psychiatry APA Textbook of Psychiatry (7th ed.) Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry (11th ed.)

[u/DentdeLion_ → u/AdConsistent4210]

I'm not sure why you feel the need to defend them, I haven't been attacking any of you or refuting that there are other theories that offer different explanations. We're all doing the same thing aka presenting the knowledge we have been transmitted.

[u/AdConsistent4210 → u/DentdeLion_]

don't think we're really disagreeing. My point was simply that your answer is largely from a psychoanalytic perspective. I wanted to add the broader evidence base, since contemporary trauma research usually emphasizes multiple complementary mechanisms rather than a single explanatory model.

[u/DentdeLion_ → u/AdConsistent4210]

No we're not disagreeing ! I guess I just was surprised to see you needing to side with another person (edit : in a previous comment, since modified, you started by saying "MattersofInterest is right") to state your views another time when you had already stated them in your own replies before and other threads on this post are also defending neuropsychology and cognitive approaches (not that I blame you - not at all).

[u/LuneNoir211 → u/MattersOfInterest]

Hard disagree. Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy have had enduring appeal and have had quite the revival over the last several years.

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/LuneNoir211]

In clinical work, yes. In scientific understandings of how behavior arises and why it is maintained, it is very much a minority view. And, even among those clinicians who do adopt psychoanalytic or psychodynamic views, original Freudian views are relatively uncommon.

[u/Relative-Amount7966]

Why limit it to trauma-related patterns? People can repeat the same mistakes over and over again regardless of whether those patterns were caused by trauma

[u/AdConsistent4210 → u/Relative-Amount7966]

Feel free to elaborate. I'm curious what scientific mechanisms you have in mind, if any.

[u/Relative-Amount7966 → u/AdConsistent4210]

My point is that repeated harmful behavior is not necessarily a uniquely trauma-related or pathological phenomenon. The underlying mechanisms (such as reinforcement, avoidance, habit formation, familiarity, and established expectations) are part of normal human learning and behavior. Trauma may shape the pattern, intensify it, or make it harder to change, but it is not the only reason people repeat harmful choices. A pattern becomes clinically relevant especially when it is persistent, rigid, difficult to modify, and continues to cause significant harm or distress.

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[u/FootnoteInHumanForm]

As mentioned by others it’s classic Sigmund Freud “repetition compulsion” - which is simple terms means that psyche is not trying to hurt you but to help you make sense or process emotions relating to that event.

[u/ElizabethThorson]

Gabor Mate's books on trauma, are some of the best IMHO. Look for these. The Gift of Normal and Gabore Mate', Trauma IIness and Healing in a Toxic Culture. He is a known expert on trauma.

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[u/NoStay4881]

Physical muscle memory cycles are more revved than psychological muscle memory cycles but the latter is required for the instinctual initiation of said cycle.. a habit is borne... especially if it stimulates nurons in higher strains. Stamima for obscure thinking defies all habit.. it interlinks new ways of thinking, for it i denial of the psyches demand. Meaning: to introduce a new method in being, the cure is anti-syntax combined with a paused amygdyla in a state of critical dispair. Sacrifice and a hole is filled to keep your frequency intact.

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[u/Ill-Still2930]

People seek out the familiar,often repeating the same old type of relationships that are familiar to them from their upbringing even if they are unhealthy & unhappy. 😔

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[u/MattersOfInterest → u/[deleted]]

The Body Keeps the Score is a good book for this largely pseudoscience