Comments on: Combating Your Inner Critic

By: What Happened When I Actually Started Using My Gratitude Journal - Wit & Delight

Sun, 12 Nov 2017 21:17:30 +0000

[…] thoughts would creep into my mind at all times of the day? Well, I was able to zap that nasty inner critic by keeping my journal by my side and focusing on the good, rather than the […]

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 22:05:50 +0000

In reply to at.

It’s not too late! The demon is the one saying it’s too late! My self criticism cycle takes this route too. I’ll feel so bad for not doing or being all the things I want to and then I move on to feeling bad for feeling bad! “Ugh why can’t I just ignore the negative thoughts?! I’m not a strong woman” but sometimes when I’m there I can see how that is also a negative thought and I tell myself to snap out of it and stop thinking and I do something else. And some days I have to do this every few hours. Reading things like this and seeing all these comments really helps me by making me realize that I’m not a freak for dealing with depression or self criticism and that if most people deal with it people who I think are perfect it makes me see how silly that demon that is.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 13:24:04 +0000

I love that you end with ask for help. We really have to work to normalize the fact that it is okay to need help and it is even more okay to advocate for yourself when you do. No one has to flight their battle alone.

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 23:55:18 +0000

Wow, this was a really good read! I’m glad this wasn’t something like most posts I read on blogs that repeat the same things and try to give steps to being happy when it’s not that simple.

By: Roland Legge

Roland Legge — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 20:58:53 +0000

What a great article! I just came back from a course on the Inner Critic at the Enneagram Institute. The Enneagram personality system can help you to become aware of our inner critic so we then have the choice as to whether or not we want to accept what it is trying to say to us. We all have an inner critic, but the good news is that we don’t need to let it control our lives. Thanks for this awesome article.

By: Natalie Redman

Natalie Redman — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:14:44 +0000

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 15:36:03 +0000

In reply to at.

Oh, AT, if you are still breathing, it’s not too late! See Allie’s comment above: “part of what links self-criticism to depression is a belief that every negative thought you have is a depiction of reality.” The truth is you have something special to bless our world with – and only you can do it! Hang in there and DO get some help!

By: JEFF WATT

JEFF WATT — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 06:45:42 +0000

This is of much interest to me because of my own work as a Mental and Life Healer. There is a lot in here for sure. Socrates, as you maybe know, taught that “The unexamined life is not worth living” and he even accepted the judgment of the Athenian city state which put him on trial, and condemned him to a suicidal death on charges that he was ‘corrupting the minds of the young’. In fact, all Socrates was doing was counselling that no-one should believe in anything of which they had no some kind of definitive proof, and he insisted to the Athenian Assembly that out him on trial that he was not going to change his teachings. He left them very little choice, really. Socrates had friends and followers certainly – including his most famous pupil Plato – who records much of his friend and tutor’s work, including Socrates’ own defence at the trial, and this has come down to us (fortunately). Socrates even explained to his friends (some of whom wanted to get him away to a place of safety where no-one would ever bother him again) – but no, Socrates explained why he believed he, who had live all his life in Athens, and had had enjoyed all the benefits of Athenian citizenship, must now accept its justice – whether he happened to like it or not.
“If, as men say” argued Socrates “the soul is immortal” (and I too believe that it is, actually) “Then reason there is for a man” (or, of course, a woman) “to obtain as much knowledge as possible within a lifetime”.
This, undoubtedly would have included Self-knowledge. Socrates too, in fact, often admitted that he had what he called an ‘inner demon’ … but this did not so much tell him what to do (or what was wrong with him) as whether he had made the right decision or not. He used, we might say, his ‘inner demon’, in his case CONSTRUCTIVELY.
What you have done is a good example; keeping journals and so on – if that worked for you. For others, different methods of their own ‘life examination’ may work. But, like Socrates, I would also counsel taking nothing at simple face value. And that includes the judgments upon you offered by others. It also includes anything and everything which you own ‘inner demon’ may seem to be telling you about yourself. Actually, you know yourself far, far better than this ‘demon’ (and yes, we all have one!) ever can. Socrates knew that. That’s why he was prepared to accept both the superior to this immortality of the human soul – and that this can best, in his view, rise about such negativity only by an unending question for knowledge and truth. Not necessarily, or only, academic knowledge – but above all SELF and LIFE knowledge. You are already doing this, and encouraging others, in their ways, to do so also. CONGRATS! I wish you well.
JEFF WATT, Mental and Life Healer.

By: at

at — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 17:40:37 +0000

This is me, but I think its too late.

By: Hedy

Hedy — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 14:09:26 +0000

I am an adult child of alcoholics and my brothers, aunts and children are/were alcoholics too. I know self hatred well. But I can honestly say that going to Al Anon meetings helped me get rid of those demons. I can recognize now my inner fears and banish them quickly with prayer. We have a saying ‘it’s hard being hateful when you are grateful ‘ and when I can say I’m grateful for little things in my life, the demon leaves.

By: wendy lawrence

wendy lawrence — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 12:21:22 +0000

Thankyou for writing this, my inner critic is more like a narcissistic husband whos has me in a tight embrace. I too use humour on a daily basis.

By: Haley

Haley — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 11:54:33 +0000

Beautiful— Thank you for taking the time to write and share this!

By: Erica

Erica — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 23:17:23 +0000

Tara Mohr talks about the inner critic in her book Playing Big, and gives her a counterpoint: your inner mentor. Maybe her descriptions would give you some perspective on separating the two–if you haven’t already read it! I struggle with these things as well, and her perspective helped a lot. Thank you for sharing!

By: Claire K

Claire K — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 19:10:56 +0000

Thank you for writing this (I type this with tears in my eyes.) That demon is so strong and one I struggle with even when I can logically tell myself she is a liar. To be vulnerable about this is so brave and helped me with some new things to try to beat her back (and reminded me to get back into therapy.) So there is today’s good thing – helped a in Illinois beat back the voices. Thank you.

By: Sam H.

Sam H. — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:37:03 +0000

Allie! This article is perfect — it’s exactly what I needed to get out of my own self-critic-induced funk on this dreary Monday morning. I really appreciate your candor and honesty, it means a lot. And I totally agree on the Amy P. book — comic relief is essential!

Thank you.

Sam

By: Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:28:24 +0000

I totally feel you on the inner critic. I’m still battling with that voice inside me that tells me I’m not good enough, daily…
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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com