Comments on: What I Needed to Hear to Begin Healing My Inner Critic https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/ The Foundation for Post-Traumatic Healing and Complex Trauma Research Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:11:49 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: M Doughty https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-48252 Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:11:49 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-48252 I know this is an old post but I have to comment as it has been very helpful, I’ve been trying to figure out where this inner critic came from and was thinking along the same lines as you and then reading this has started me on what I believe is the right path, going through childhood and a good amount of adulthood undiagnosed with a few things I can now start to see there is a little boy who is thinking ahead to try and spot all the problems that could come up and preparing me for them, basically autism and missing the queues that are the start of bullying ect, now I’m so good at it I very quickly get the most extreme voice that is then also images that are so vivid, nothing factual but so clear, an accident I’m going to cause has movie style slow motion of the injury’s with sound and pain, it’s fully immersive and it’s got more extreme as I’ve tried all the ways to stop it, he has a name now and it’s little boy and he try’s so very hard and I’m so proud of him he just needs this adult me to gently take his hand and show him he can let me take over now and I thank him for all the hard work he really did his best to keep me safe

]]> By: Heidi Fischer https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-18166 Sat, 04 Mar 2023 02:47:46 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-18166 In reply to Natalie.

Thank you for your comment and for sharing this was helpful, that’s always what I like to hear! I hope it will be helpful to you on your journey and I wish you all the best.

]]> By: Natalie https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-18135 Tue, 28 Feb 2023 04:10:50 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-18135 This was so helpful! I had felt like my shame voice (the inner critic) was trying to keep me safe, but I didn’t know the next steps towards healing. Your explanation made so much sense! Having compassion for the critic and having a mental dialogue where I tell her how adult-me will keep her safe feels right.

]]> By: Heidi Fischer https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-17138 Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:25:14 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-17138 In reply to Kayla.

Yep that’s exactly how I feel, so happy to read this is helpful to you. 💕

]]> By: Heidi Fischer https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-17137 Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:24:16 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-17137 In reply to Rachel K..

I love how well this works for myself and now hearing that it does die others gives me a good smile. Congrats on the car wash too! Woo hoo! 💜

]]> By: Heidi Fischer https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-17136 Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:22:48 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-17136 In reply to Noemi.

I love that description and way you talk with your critic, thanks for taking the time to comment!! 💙

]]> By: Heidi Fischer https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-17135 Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:21:41 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-17135 In reply to mas.

Thanks for sharing your experience. ❤️

]]> By: Kayla https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-17119 Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:18:19 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-17119 In reply to Kayla.

what is* Geez… Typos. Lol

]]> By: Kayla https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-17118 Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:17:20 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-17118 Omg… So many problems have stemmed from fighting against my inner critic. Berating was is essentially a child part of me that is scared, hurting, and trying to protect me from more damage/trauma will just further traumatize that part of me and cause them to lash out more, like little kids do when they’re hurt/angry/upset/overwhelmed.

I find that being kind and gentle, while not being patronizing or dismissive of the inner critic’s concerns, genuinely produces SO much more and rapid healing than does berating and shaming the critic for doing its job to protect.

]]> By: Rachel K. https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/10/05/what-i-needed-to-hear-to-begin-healing-my-inner-critic/#comment-17091 Fri, 07 Oct 2022 21:15:05 +0000 https://cptsdfoundation.org/?p=243934#comment-17091 Thanks for this reframe. I was never able to get any benefit from the talking back to the inner critic technique, but using the one you suggested did the trick!

For me, the issue is almost always fear of the unkown and that I will fail somehow at something – anything. I can talk myself out of so many things that way.

The most recent was going to the car wash in my (new to me) car. Not having done it before, I put it off for a really long time. After reading your technique, I figured out it was the “I’ve never done this before, everything could go wrong” fear that rules most every situation like this.

I told myself that it would be ok, that this car could make it through the car wash just as my old car had. Of course, the car (and I) were fine.

Much appreciated!

]]>