Monsters of the Id – How Scam Victims’ Own Emotions Can Sabotage Their Recovery – 2025
Monsters of the ‘ID’: How Scam Victims’ Own Emotions Can Sabotage Their Recovery
Overcoming Anger, Shame, and Desperation to Take Back Control After Being Scammed
Primary Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology
Intended Audience: Scam Victims-Survivors / Family & Friends
Authors:
• Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
About This Article
Scam victims often face not just financial and emotional loss but also internal psychological battles that can hinder their recovery. The concept of Monsters of the Id, originating from Freudian psychology, represents the primal, unfiltered impulses that can drive victims to act irrationally. Modern psychology identifies these impulses as emotional dysregulation, cognitive distortions, and trauma responses—each of which can lead to impulsive decisions, self-blame, or paranoia that isolates victims from the support they need.
Uncontrolled anger, shame, and desperation can turn victims into their own worst enemies, leading them to lash out, withdraw, or make reckless choices in an attempt to regain control. Recognizing when these psychological forces are at play is essential to preventing self-sabotage. Victims must ask themselves whether their decisions are being driven by raw emotion rather than rational thought.
