106. The Drama Triangle | Rewriting the script for conflict and broken communication

Stimulus | Helping Doctors overcome burnout, excel in leadership, and unlock their most fulfilling careers

Jul 24 2023 • 25 mins

The Drama Triangle identifies our roles in dysfunctional interpersonal dynamics. It can be a potent tool for understanding conflict and miscommunication within personal and professional relationships. In this episode, we break down the core components of the Drama Triangle, strategies to disentangle ourselves from ‘drama’, and explore practical tools to identify and navigate the dynamics of our own interactions.

Conceived by Stephen Karpman, the Drama Triangle highlights a particular type of destructive interaction that can occur between individuals in a conflict.

The model delineates three distinct roles: the Victim, who experiences a sense of oppression, incapacity, and externalizes responsibility for their predicament; the Hero, who embodies an overly helpful persona and frequently fosters dependency, thus indirectly sustaining the Victim’s sense of helplessness; and the Villain, characterized by blaming, controlling, and authoritative behavior, fostering a power dynamic that aggravates the Victim’s sense of oppression.

These roles are not fixed, and participants in the drama often rotate through them, perpetuating a cycle of destructive, non-productive interactions. Understanding this model provides insight into dysfunctional communication patterns, offering a starting point for transformation and healthier relationship dynamics

Awake and Aware | Our 2024 Live Event

Join us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Mitigate stress and stay cool under pressure. Create the mindset you want and lock it in. Limited slots.

Website: Awakeandawarebend.com

16.25 Hours Category 1 AMA CME

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We discuss:

  • What is the Drama Triangle?
  • The Empowerment Dynamic
  • Recalibrating from drama to neutrality

You Might Like

8 Hour Sleep Music
8 Hour Sleep Music
8 Hour Sleep Music
Huberman Lab
Huberman Lab
Scicomm Media
Relaxing White Noise
Relaxing White Noise
Relaxing White Noise, LLC
White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours)
White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours)
White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours) to Sleep | Study | Relax | Soothe a Baby
Meditation Sounds
Meditation Sounds
Meditation Sounds
Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove
Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove
Sleep Hypnosis, Meditations and Bedtime Stories
Sleep With Me
Sleep With Me
Silver Sleeper Productions LLC
Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews, Doug Egge
Sex With Emily
Sex With Emily
Dr. Emily Morse