Transactional Analysis : Injunctions

Imagine for a minute that when you were a young child, you asked yourself the question "What will my life be like"? And because, like all children, you had a zesty creative imagination, you proceeded to invent a story about how a person such as you actually lived. A kind of mini fairy story, adventure novel, tragic drama, happy musical, or dark horror mystery. TA theory says you actually did this over a period of years and calls this your life script. Untold hours of clinical observation by TA therapists tend to support the theory, and conversly the theory has been a helpful foundation for personal growth, problem solving, and therapeutic change. Have you ever said or heard someone say "Oh yea, well it's the story of my life?"

Of course your script would be influenced by your life experience up to that point, such as life position (see that lesson), countless other decisions, and various parental influences. Of these, TA has identified 12 detrimental messages that seem to be foundational. They're called the Injunctions. They are usually non verbal transactions from the parent's Child ego state to the child. If a child decides to accept a transaction that is an injunction, it becomes a formative part of the script residing in the person's Child. In this lesson I'll provide only the list and leave further exploration to you from the reading list.

Don't Be (Exist)	Don't Be You	Don't Be a Child
Don't Grow Up	Don't Make It	Don't Be Important
Don't Belong	Don't Be Close	Don't Be Well
Don't Think	Don't Feel	Don't!

 

Living a life according to a script developed in childhood might not appeal to most people; but unless a person has read some TA, and done script psychotherapy, the odds are that's what's happening.