The Internal Critic

We all have a voice inside our heads that criticises us.  For some of us, this internal critical voice is loud and punishing, telling us we are not good enough.  It can be difficult to manage this critic and its negative effects on our sense of self-worth.

Fortunately, psychotherapy can provide us with tools to help us manage this internal dialogue and restore our sense of self-efficacy.  Research has shown that our internal critical voice often arises from our early experiences of being judged or shamed by our caregivers, leading us to internalize those judgments and start to criticise ourselves.  This internal critic may even be a manifestation of perfectionism, as we strive to be perfect in order to avoid criticism.  This can lead to a debilitating cycle of low self-esteem and even depression and anxiety. 

"The most dangerous enemy lies within our own hearts and minds" - Friedrich Nietzsche (1889).

Fortunately, psychotherapy can provide us with the tools to manage this critical inner voice. Psychotherapy can help us identify and challenge the negative thought patterns that perpetuate our self-criticism.  We can learn to recognize our irrational thoughts and replace them with more positive, realistic thoughts.  By recognizing our own self-criticism, we can learn to challenge it and cultivate a healthier sense of self-worth by being more self-compassionate.  It is important to recognize that not all criticism is bad.  We can use constructive criticism to identify areas of improvement and help ourselves to become better.  However, it is crucial that we learn to challenge our internal critic in order to prevent it from becoming oppressive and damaging to our self-esteem.

References

Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2002). Perfectionism: Theory, research, and treatment. American Psychological Association.

Martin, L. E., & Dahlen, E. R. (2005). Cognitive–behavioral treatment of the internal critic: Rational emotive behavior therapy. The Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 23(2), 91-99.

Neff, K. D. (2003). Development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223-250.

Reference Nietzsche, F. (1889). Twilight of the Idols. In The Antichrist, Ecce Homo, Twilight of the Idols, and Other Writings (pp. 3-80). Cambridge University Press.

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