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Problems With Authority

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PerfectEmpire

MyPTSD Pro
I was just reading an article about how our childhood authority figures can shape how we deal with authority as adults. I think this is extremely relevant to complex trauma.

The article is written by Joseph Burgo, Ph.D. on his blog After Psychotherapy.
http://www.afterpsychotherapy.com/the-hatred-of-authority/?more=all

Over the years, I’ve seen many clients who came from such families: rebellion saved their lives because they rejected the values and rules that regulated their childhoods and came into treatment, looking for a better way. With some of these people, they unfortunately developed such a hatred of established authority that they had a very difficult time accepting it in any of its guises, even when informed by experience and genuine concern.

An extreme unwillingness to submit to authority can result in lack of education, joblessness, and overall delinquency (total self-sabotage).

While my own rejection of authority is not as extreme as described above, I still have a very strong aversion towards it. Looking at my upbringing, it is pretty obvious why this would be!

Do you have an aversion towards authority? If so, how has it affected your adult life? Do you think that it is possible to 'recover' from a state of total rejection of all authority? Has this affected your willingness or ability to take a position of authority? And finally, how has your upbringing shaped the way you deal with authority?
 
Haha, yeah, my poor teachers. Especially the male ones. When I was a teen, I ate males' brains for breakfast. Then I realised that that made me as stupid a b*tch as all the other teens around me and started to hate myself instead.

By now I do accept the authority of experts in their field of expertise, but other than that... no. Especially not if someone behaves as if they are an authority while they actually don't fill the shoes they're wearing. Little makes me more angry than imposters. To earn my respect, an authority figure must be humble, admit mistakes when they happen, as well as stay within the boundaries of their expertise.

EDIT: I like to be respected for what I actually know, but when I don't know jack, I say it, and I ask, no matter if the person I ask is half my age and retarded; when someone knows more than me about a subject, they know more than me. Maybe one of the reasons for this is that I know that so called 'intelligence' and the amount of knowledge a person has have nothing to do with each other. I actually get angry when someone mixes up those two things -.-

Disrespecting males might be a coping mechanism as well as a result of my upbringing. My dad saw me as worthless and stupid; I knew I wasn't. I tried to show him I'm not, he ignored it, so I stopped trying and instead hated his meanness.
 
Yeah, I definitely have a huge problem with anyone telling me what I can and cannot do and I'm very sensitive to what I feel is someone attempting to control me. I don't think my problem is necessarily with positions of actual authority until it comes down to whether or not I feel like this person is controlling me or telling me to do something that I don't want to do. When it came to teachers, I was pretty dismissive and would basically just do whatever I wanted. It's not like I would be necessarily disrespectful toward them or disruptive in class, but if they said that we had to do some assignment and I had absolutely no interest in that assignment, I'd do something else and would fight with them if they tried to make me do the assignment I didn't like or punish me for not doing what I was instructed to do.

For the most part, if someone tries to "put me in my place", or is very insistent on knowing where I am, what I'm doing, or tries to get me to do something that I have no interest/desire for. I absolutely hate it and go into full-out war mode against the person until they back down. I think I agree with Freakofnuture on this one - if they don't have a real position of authority like expertise on a subject, I don't care what they have to say. I'm fine being nice and friendly, but if you try to intimidate me or tell me what to do, it's time for the gloves to come off.
 
I have problems with authority.

I have problems being an authority figure, but I am getting used to it. I learned that to be 'in charge' is to be mean, nasty and controlling- I'm trying to change those thoughts.

I still have issues with wanting to get into physical altercations with older males. I also try to gain approval from older females.

I hate this.
 
I have no problem with authority. But I do have a big issue about abusive authority.
I just wanna be left alone.
 
I also am extra sensitive about being talked down to, patronized and controlled. I am upset about the government not releasing the Bin Ladin death photos not because I want to see them, but feel that should be MY choice. I had a boss who had the "my way or the highway" approach and I quit rather than work with him.
 
Thanks for posting the article! I found it really relevant. I realised that I am able to submit to authority but not if it is demanded. Control. Domination. Injustice is part of my PTSD.

This has caused me a lot of problems. The psych at the local hospital is a control freak. Everytime same thing - he tries to control me - I rebel - he tries to control me more (i.e. schedules me!). Reality is he can.

Need to do some work on this with my psych. Thanks!
 
I was raised in a VERY educated environment and on the job-pack up-etc. My older brother had a lot riding on him to be the best, though it was a silent expectation. I was expected to be psychically MUCH more than what I was as far as height and the type of girl I would be. However I tended towards my father's side of my fathers side of the family in ways my mother gave up on me after upteen times trying to squeeze my ass into pants that were made for models. I rebelled and took it from there. My father's sense of authority was wishy washy so I walked away from it. He played at being a professor at the Universities he worked at. I chose to be the working man rather than the educated. I would give these people nothing!!! I chose to let them try to explain that in their silly little university prof dinners as I stumbled by high as kite, knowing all their secrets ;)

Though I have to say once I was arrested as a teen a couple of times I chose to look at authority in different terms..."play the game but know you are playing it". I went where ever I wanted to in corporations. Never went to jail again and cleaned up my act.But I do find that anyone telling me what I have to do will find me first saying, " EXCUSE me??? I don't have to do anything!" and then I will be on the research for every angle of it until I am absolutely sure of what they are suggesting.I try to watch my step, I assure you, for this very reason.

(nothing like being paranoid-ha!)

Rain
 
All comes back to why its so hard to treat people with complex trauma... and why very few actually persist with their treatment assistance... because when it becomes hard, they fall apart and all their protective coping measures come out to play... and if fear of authority figures is one of them, then a therapist can be right at the top of that list, as any type of helper is seen usually in an authoritative position.

My advice is to always see any helper as an equal. They might have knowledge to help you for your situation, but you also have knowledge that could help them in your specialty.
 
AAhhhhhh great advice and the very reason I am REALLY liking my tdoc and pdoc at this stage. The are great listeners, extremely smart, excellent with documentation (the one with the most documentation wins!!), and they pull the line to any BS I have attempts ;)....nothing but respect from this gurl!!!

Rain
 
I hate being controlled, I really resent being told what to do. I had my mother tell me to do something when I was visiting recently and I snapped at her over it. I always had issues at school. My T understands that I left T last time because of being told what to do, and never tells me what to do, but rather discusses things with me. I see my doctors as an authority figure, have changed doctors many times because I feel like I'm being controlled and interrogated.
 
It's funny I should find this thread now. My T mentioned that he suspects I have a problem with authority. I've only seen him 3 times so far so we're still getting to know each other.

Fantastic article btw PE.

I don't feel I have a problem with authority but I do hate being patronized and talked to in a condescending tone of voice!! I'll lose it every time!!! Gets my back up real fast.
 
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