Schemas

1. Abandonment / Instability

The perception that others, particularly those from whom we expect support and connection, are unstable and/or unreliable in providing these, and will not be able to continue providing emotional support, connection, strength, or practical protection. Family environments involving frequent angry outbursts, caregivers who were only erratically present, or parental figures who left or died an untimely death are common precursors to this schema.

2. Mistrust / Abuse

The expectation that others will hurt, abuse, humiliate, cheat, lie, manipulate, or take advantage of you. It usually involves the perception that the harm is intentional or the result of unjustified and extreme negligence. It may include the sense that one always ends up being cheated relative to others or “getting the short end of the stick.''

3. Emotional Deprivation

The expectation that one's desire for a normal degree of emotional support will not be adequately met by others.

(i) Deprivation of Nurturance: Absence of attention, affection, warmth, or companionship

(ii) Deprivation of Empathy: Absence of understanding, listening, self-disclosure, or mutual sharing of feelings from others

(iii) Deprivation of Protection: Absence of strength, direction, or guidance from others.

4. Defectiveness / Shame

The feeling that one is fundamentally defective, bad, unwanted, inferior, or invalid in important respects, or that one would be unlovable to significant others if they could see the real self. It may involve hypersensitivity to criticism, rejection, and blame; self-consciousness, comparisons, and insecurity around others; or a sense of shame regarding one's perceived flaws. These flaws may be private (e.g., selfishness, angry impulses, unacceptable sexual desires) or public (e.g., undesirable physical appearance, social awkwardness).

5. Social Isolation / Alienation

The feeling that one is isolated from the rest of the world, especially the social world outside the family. Individuals with this schema feel different from others and/or not part of any group or community. Though this schema reflects the same unmet needs (for safety, stability, and acceptance) as the other four in this domain, it typically comes about as a result of social exclusion outside the home environment (though at times, this social exclusion can be traced back to parental influences: a lack of encouragement for socializing, intense shame about one's home and background, or a sense of defectiveness and unlovability that emerges within the family of origin but is generalized to other situations).

6. Dependence / Incompetence

This schema involves the belief that one is unable to handle one's everyday responsibilities in a competent manner, without considerable help from others. In extreme cases, individuals might feel unable to take care of themselves, solve daily problems, exercise good judgment, tackle new tasks, or make good decisions. In other cases, this sense of helplessness may be more circumscribed and be activated in particular situations or settings (e.g., in making important professional decisions or in choosing a partner).

7. Vulnerability to Harm or Illness

This schema involves an exaggerated fear that catastrophe is imminent, that it will strike at any time, and that one will be unable to prevent it. The catastrophes that are anticipated are external in nature and may focus on one or more of the following:

(i) medical catastrophes: e.g., heart attacks, AIDS

(ii) emotional catastrophes: e.g., going crazy

(ii) external catastrophes: e.g., elevators collapsing, victimized by criminals, airplane crashes, earthquakes.

8. Enmeshment / Undeveloped Self

This schema involves excessive emotional involvement and closeness with one or more significant others (often parents), at the expense of full individuation or normal social development. It often involves the belief that at least one of the enmeshed individuals cannot survive or be happy without the constant support of the other. It may also include feelings of being smothered by, or fused with, others or of insufficient individual identity. This schema is often experienced as feelings of emptiness and floundering, having no direction, or in extreme cases questioning one's existence.

9. Failure

This schema involves the belief that one has failed, will inevitably fail, or is fundamentally inadequate relative to one's peers, in areas of achievement (school, career, sports, etc.). It often involves beliefs that one is stupid, inept, untalented, ignorant, lower in status, less successful than others, etc.

10. Entitlement / Grandiosity

This schema involves the belief that one is superior to other people, entitled to special rights and privileges, or not bound by the rules of reciprocity that guide normal social interaction. The schema often involves insistence that one should be able to do or have whatever one wants, regardless of what is realistic, what others consider reasonable, or what costs others may bear. In some cases, the schema involves an exaggerated focus on superiority (e.g., being among the most successful, famous, or wealthy) - in order to achieve power or control (not primarily for attention or approval). At times, it includes excessive competitiveness toward, or domination of, others, in one of several ways - asserting one's power, forcing one's point of view, or controlling the behavior of others in line with one's own desires - without empathy or concern for others' needs or feelings.

11. Insufficient Self-Control / Self-Discipline

This schema involves a pervasive difficulty or refusal to exercise sufficient self-control and frustration tolerance to achieve one's personal goals, or to restrain the excessive expression of one's emotions and impulses. In its milder form, patients present with an exaggerated emphasis on avoiding discomfort: avoiding pain, conflict, confrontation, responsibility, or overexertion - at the expense of personal fulfillment, commitment, or integrity.

12. Subjugation

This schema involves an excessive degree of relinquishing control to others because one feels coerced to do so to avoid anger, retaliation, or abandonment.

(i) Subjugation of Needs: Suppression of one's preferences, decisions, and desires

(ii) Subjugation of Emotions: Suppression of emotional expression, especially anger.

13. Self-Sacrifice

This schema involves an excessive focus on voluntarily meeting the needs of others, at the expense of one's own gratification. Some common motivations for behavior that is consistent with this schema are avoiding actions that may cause pain to others, avoiding guilt from feeling selfish, or maintaining a connection with others who are perceived as needy. This schema often results from an acute sensitivity to the pain of others, and at times, leads to a sense that one's own needs are not being adequately met and to resentment of those receiving one's care.

14. Approval-Seeking / Recognition-Seeking

This schema involves an excessive emphasis on gaining approval, recognition, or attention from other people, or on fitting in, at the expense of developing a secure and true sense of self. For individuals with this schema, one's sense of esteem is dependent primarily on the reactions of others rather than on one's own natural inclinations. The schema sometimes includes an overemphasis on status, appearance, social acceptance, money, or achievement - as means of gaining approval, admiration, or attention (but not primarily for power or control). It often results in major life decisions that are inauthentic or unsatisfying, or in hypersensitivity to rejection.

15. Negativity / Pessimism

This schema involves a pervasive, lifelong focus on the negative aspects of life (pain, death, loss, disappointment, conflict, guilt, resentment, unsolved problems, potential mistakes, betrayal, things that could go wrong, etc.) while minimizing or neglecting the positive or optimistic aspects. It usually includes an exaggerated expectation that things will eventually go seriously wrong in a wide range of work, financial, or interpersonal situations, or that aspects of one's life that seem to be going well will ultimately fall apart. Usually, it involves an inordinate fear of making mistakes that might lead to financial collapse, loss, humiliation, or being trapped in a bad situation. Because potential negative outcomes are exaggerated, individuals with this schema are frequently characterized by chronic worry, vigilance, complaining, or indecision.

16. Emotional Inhibition

This schema involves the excessive inhibition of spontaneous action, feeling, or communication - usually to avoid disapproval by others, feelings of shame, or losing control of one's impulses. The most common areas of inhibition involve:

(i) inhibition of anger and aggression

(ii) inhibition of positive impulses (e.g., joy, affection, sexual excitement, play)

(iii) difficulty expressing vulnerability or communicating freely about one's feelings, needs, etc.

(iv) excessive emphasis on rationality while disregarding emotions.

17. Unrelenting Standards / Hypercriticalness

This schema involves the underlying belief that one must strive to meet very high internalized standards of behavior and performance, usually to avoid criticism. It typically results in feelings of pressure or difficulty slowing down, and in hypercriticalness toward oneself and others. It invariably involves significant impairment in pleasure, relaxation, health, self-esteem, sense of accomplishment, or satisfying relationships. Unrelenting standards typically present as:

(i) perfectionism, inordinate attention to detail, or an underestimate of how good one's own performance is relative to the norm

(ii) rigid rules and “shoulds” in many areas of life, including unrealistically high moral, ethical, cultural, or religious precepts

(iii) preoccupation with time and efficiency, so that more can be accomplished.

18. Punitiveness

This schema involves the belief that people (including oneself) should be harshly punished for making mistakes. It involves the tendency to be angry, intolerant, punitive, and impatient with any person who does not meet one's expectations or standards. The schema usually includes difficulty forgiving mistakes committed by oneself or others because of a reluctance to consider extenuating circumstances, allow for human imperfection, or empathize with feelings.