With the dawn of a new year, people around the world begin making New Year’s resolutions. We evaluate ourselves and identify things we wish we had more—or less—of in our lives. These resolutions can range from the seemingly trivial to changes that touch deep parts of who we are. Often, those deeper parts trace back to childhood and reflect survival strategies that once helped us navigate difficult situations.
One helpful lens for understanding where these parts come from is Adaptive Information Processing (AIP).
Understanding Adaptive Information Processing (AIP)
Adaptive Information Processing is the theoretical backbone of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) describes the AIP model this way:
The AIP model helps us understand EMDR therapy. It recognizes that both positive and negative experiences influence a person’s current perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors: “The past is present.” Experiences from the past become the “glasses” that we wear when we see the present.
— EMDRIA, What Is AIP
This idea—that the past is present—offers a compassionate explanation for why we react the way we do, even when we logically know we are no longer in danger.
Why the AIP Model Makes Sense
The genius of the AIP model is twofold.
First, it recognizes that your brain and body are always working in your best interest. At some point in your life, you encountered a situation where you didn’t know what to do. In response, your nervous system scrambled to develop a strategy to help you survive. Whether it was witnessing parents in a screaming match, experiencing public embarrassment at school, or getting lost on vacation, these moments created internal blueprints—strategies designed to keep you safe.
Those strategies didn’t disappear once the moment passed. They became familiar, reliable responses that your brain learned to reuse.
Second, EMDR therapy works directly with this Adaptive Information Processing system. Just as your brain and body once knew what you needed to survive, EMDR trusts that they already hold what you need to heal. The therapist isn’t positioned as the expert with answers, but as a guide who helps unlock what your system already knows. EMDR is a collaborative process, following the lead of the client’s brain and body to heal what needs healing.
Triggers: When the Past Becomes Present
A trigger is any reminder that causes the past to feel like it’s happening now. A word, smell, sound, color, or facial expression can set off internal alarm bells that signal danger—even when no real threat exists.
Once those alarms ring, old survival strategies rush back into place. You might feel an urge to run and hide, lash out, numb yourself with substances, or shut down entirely. Even when your logical mind knows this reaction isn’t ideal, the familiar strategy feels safer than doing nothing at all. After all, it worked once before.
Rethinking Change Through the AIP Lens
As a new year begins and we consider the parts of ourselves we’d like to change, the most important questions often come after identifying the behavior:
- When did I first start doing this?
- Why did it make sense at the time?
- How did it help me survive?
If a strategy no longer works the way you want it to, that doesn’t mean it was wrong. It means it may be outdated.
As you reflect, remember this: the needs behind your behaviors were—and still are—good ones. Whether you were seeking love, attention, relief from pain, or protection from harm, there is no shame in what you did to survive. The mismatch happens when alarm bells keep ringing long after the danger has passed.
(And for those still living in circumstances similar to past trauma, it makes complete sense that those alarms remain active.)
Moving Forward With Compassion
If the danger has passed, the question becomes: What are new, more fitting ways to meet the same needs we still deserve?
As you make New Year’s resolutions and attempt to change yourself, take a moment first to thank your brain and body for how they preserved you. When you notice your alarm bells going off despite safety in the present, that awareness alone can help you pause, respond differently, and move forward with greater compassion.
Reference
