In a thought-provoking Instagram post, therapist Dr. Raquel Hopkins introduces a fresh concept that challenges individuals to look inward and confront their personal narratives: self-caging.
According to Dr. Hopkins, this idea revolves around how we sometimes unknowingly trap ourselves in a story of limitation, which feels like protection but ultimately prevents growth.
“Self-caging isn’t a diagnosis. It won’t trend, but it will make you confront your patterns,” Dr. Hopkins explained in the video accompanying her post.
She states that self-caging occurs when we create an intricately designed personal narrative that disguises a lack of growth as a form of self-protection.
“Sometimes, it’s not the trauma, the people, or the situation holding you back. It’s the way you’ve crafted a story to keep yourself safe from real accountability. You’ve convinced yourself that staying small is the best option,” Dr. Hopkins says.
She describes self-caging as a tool many of us unknowingly use to avoid facing our power. By making our struggles sound like wisdom, we justify remaining stagnant, using pain as a shield to avoid the discomfort of growth.
Dr. Hopkins goes further to highlight that self-caging isn’t a passive process—it’s a deliberate choice. While it’s often rooted in pain, it’s also a way of holding onto comfort. Even though individuals might be emotionally intelligent and aware, they may still reject opportunities that require them to step out of their comfort zones.
The therapist challenges her followers to ask themselves a powerful question: “Am I rejecting anything that forces me to face the reality that I could actually be stronger than I’m letting myself be?”
Her message resonates as a call for emotional liberation, urging those who may have fallen into this self-imposed trap to acknowledge their own potential for power and transformation.
As mental health awareness continues to grow, Dr. Hopkins’ new concept of self-caging offers a new lens through which people can examine the ways they limit themselves—often unknowingly—by clinging to outdated, comfortable narratives.
In her words, breaking free from self-caging is about choosing to “do better” when you know better.
