6 Signs You’re Not Trauma “Independent”, It’s Your Trauma

Sometimes what looks like independence is actually self-protection in disguise. You might call yourself low-maintenance, detached, or a “lone wolf”… but underneath, there could be unresolved trauma shaping those patterns. This video explores six subtle signs that your fierce independence may actually be trauma-based — not a personality trait, but a survival instinct. It’s not about blaming yourself, but gently noticing the ways your past might be writing your present. Are your boundaries helping you grow — or just keeping people out?

Credits:
Script Writer:
Voice Over: @amandasilvera
Animator: Faheyhey
Youtube Manager: Cindy Cheong
Assisted: Brisky Quach

Further readings:
Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books.

Lopez, F. G., & Brennan, K. A. (2000). Dynamic processes underlying adult attachment organization: Toward an attachment-theoretical perspective on the healthy and effective self. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(3), 283–300. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.47.3.283

Westphal, M., Seivert, N. H., & Bonanno, G. A. (2010). Expressive flexibility. Emotion, 10(1), 92–100. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018420