Understanding Invalidation and Its Impact

Introduction

• Host: Angie, therapist
• Topic: Invalidation and recovery
• Source: DBT therapy by Marsha Linehan

What is Invalidation?

• Definition: Disregarding someone's point of view or experience
• When it can be helpful:
  • Correcting mistakes
  • Stimulating personal and intellectual growth

Negative Effects of Invalidation

• Experiences of being ignored or misunderstood
• Important facts being ignored or denied
• Unequal treatment
• Truths not being believed
• Private experiences trivialized or denied

Traumatic Invalidation

• Extreme or repetitive invalidation
• Comes from important persons, groups, or authorities
• Can happen once or be a buildup of oversights
• Leads to exclusion and feeling like an outsider

Emotional Impact

• Insecurity
• Intrusive thoughts or memories
• Re-experiencing invalidation
• Feelings of shame, confusion, anger, defensiveness
• Increased sensitivity to invalidation
• Seeking or avoiding validation

Recovery from Invalidation

• Non-defensive and Fact-checking
  • Check all facts in a situation
  • Ask a trusted person to validate valid responses
• Acknowledgement and Change
  • Admit wrong responses
  • Change behaviors and stop blaming
• Self-compassion
  • Drop judgmental self-statements
  • Understand behaviors are caused
  • Self-soothing practices
  • Acknowledge the pain of invalidation
  • Validate personal experiences

Summary

• Grieve the harm caused by traumatic invalidation
• Practice self-validation
• Encourage self-validation as one would for others

Conclusion

• Encouragement to recover from invalidation
• Call to action: Like, comment, subscribe, and share
• Closing: Stay safe and healthy

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Notes captured from Angie’s video on invalidation and how to address it.