Abuse, invalidation and lack of early warmth show distinct relationships with self-criticism, self-compassion and fear of self-compassion in personality disorder.

BACKGROUND: Cultivating self-compassion is increasingly recognized as a powerful method to regulate hyperactive threat-processes like shame and self-criticism, but fear of self-compassion (FSC) can inhibit this. These difficulties are under-explored in personality disorder (PD) despite their prevalence. Furthermore, little evidence exists regarding how these factors relate to adverse childhood events (ACEs) and attachment.

METHOD: 53 participants with a diagnosis of PD completed measures including childhood abuse/neglect, invalidation, early warmth, self-compassion, shame, self-criticism, FSC, and anxious/avoidant attachment.

RESULTS: Self-compassion was predicted uniquely by low early warmth; self-inadequacy by invalidation and abuse; whereas FSC was predicted by multiple ACEs. FSC and self-compassion were significantly correlated with self-criticism and shame, but not with one another.

CONCLUSIONS: Low self-compassion and high FSC appear to be distinct problems, substantiating physiological models proposing distinct threat and soothing systems. Results are consistent with theories positing that low self-compassion has distinct origins to shame, self-criticism and FSC.