Episode 37: Addressing Over-functioning

This episode is part of the series From Survivor to Leader, where the LTS staff have discussions about all things LTS and what it means to be leading the work in long-term care for survivors of sexual violence. It’s a mix of our own personal experiences, the work our team does, and how those two things impact each other. Our hope is that survivors feel seen and validated and supporters gain a deeper understanding of what this healing process looks like. Our episode today is Addressing Over-functioning.For those of you who have never heard the term over-functioning, it means when we take on responsibilities for or on behalf of another person who is able to do it for themselves. Over-functioning often manifests with survivors of sexual violence because it can be a form of coping mechanism based on the idea that managing everything perfectly will help us feel safe and stable. Or, it can be a learned behavior from a controlling and abusive relationship that teaches us that we are responsible for another person’s wellbeing. So, this is the root concept of what we are discussing today–how we have over-functioned in the past and what we are doing to undo that automatic behavior in our lives.If you want to find more information or support our work, visit us at ⁠https://www.louderthansilence.org/