Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice

Three psychologists provide readers with all the tools they need to overcome the kinds of nagging, judgmental, or abusively self-critical thinking that contribute to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. The inner critic is the voice in our heads that whispers, whines, and needles us into place. It edits our thoughts, controls our behaviour, and inhibits our actions. It thinks it is protecting us from being hurt or abandoned - but all it really does is reinforce feelings of shame and guilt, sabotage our intimate relationships, and contribute to drug and alcohol abuse. Conquer Your Inner Critic presents a revolutionary new strategy for dealing with the inner critic: externalising it. This subtle yet powerful reframing technique turns internal self-criticisms into "you" statements, that when written or said aloud can finally be subjected to a reality-test and seen to be the gross exaggerations, unfair comparisons, or flat-out lies that they really are. Step-by-step, readers learn to keep track of their negative thoughts, analyse their reality, and recognize how negative thinking impacts their lives. They then learn to use a variety of techniques to help them release the inner critic's stranglehold on their lives and combat its subversive effect on career achievement, intimate relationships, and sexuality. A final chapter offers parents simple ways to help their children avoid forming a tyrannical inner critic.