…You start doubting yourself and become self-limiting. You give in to your critical inner voice, the self-destructive thought process that creates nagging thoughts and doubts. This can eventually coax you out of taking on challenges and going after your goals. So it is very important for graduating students to remain calm during this transition. By staying calm, you can take power over your critical inner voice and be free to follow your personal…
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…has a noticable impact on family functioning. In addition, families play a critical role in the patient’s treatment readiness, compliance, recovery rate, and relapse. Thus, consideration of the familial context, developing healthy collaborative relationships among the patient, his/her family, and the therapist, and integrating the family into treatment is vital to treatment outcome. The level of involvement of families in patient’s OCD varies. How…
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…better listener,” begins Melva. “There were times Jesse experienced me as critical, and I would say, ‘I’m not critical.’ But I needed to pay attention to my impact on him.” Melva says her reaction was rooted in frustration at not feeling heard, and realized that she wasn’t even listening to her husband. “I wanted him to hurry up,” she says, “so I could have my turn.” So, how have they managed to flourish for 30 years of marriage? For starters, tw…
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…he same way as adults. Often, we select partners who reinforce deep-seated critical views we have of ourselves. For example, a person who had a parent who was emotionally unavailable or who was inconsistent in offering them warmth and affection, they may think of themselves as unlovable on a basic level. As an adult, they may be initially attracted to someone whose attention makes them feel good about themselves, but eventually, they start to noti…
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…hurt your interpersonal relationships? Do you have the tendency to be too critical? Do you try and control the course of the relationship? Do you have a tendency to defer to your partner? By identifying your own defenses and critical inner voices, you can separate the real you from those unhealthy adaptations you’ve formed from hurtful past experiences. Do you think astrology or numerology affects relationship compatibility? I don’t know very muc…
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…treatment. It is manifested as a destructive internal thought process, the critical inner voice. Later, the fantasy bond is extended to family members, intimate partners, and social groups. In Challenging the Fantasy Bond, Dr. Firestone presents his latest thoughts and observations about the self-defeating aspects of this process and places the original concepts in the broader context of his overall theoretical approach, Separation Theory. Compell…
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…t? End it. Just end it.” These words provide a window into the thoughts or critical inner voices that drive self-destructive behavior. We can all learn from people who survive their suicide attempts. We can come to identify specific self-destructive behaviors that the person is engaging in, which we know from our research are dictated by a critical inner voice. In an effort to increase awareness, I’ve highlighted the following warning signs and ex…
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…you over the other? How does your child feel about him/herself? Is he/she critical of him/her self in anyway? Does he/she feel self-conscious in any situation? Does he/she ever feel shy? Does he/she ever feel afraid? When he/she has nightmares, what are they about? What are his/her thoughts about death? Write a description of your child. When describing this young child, think about the traits that you are enjoying seeing emerge in his/her person…
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…, we often turn it against ourselves, feeling more down, drained, and self-critical. Letting out our sadness can be like letting a wave pass over us. Yes, it will rise and peak, but it will also pass. And although, the feeling may return, each time it will leave us more in touch with ourselves and stronger in the moments we wish to carry on and be there for others. Accepting our pain in this way can also make the joyful moments more precious. 2. H…
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…individuals may force us to face our own insecurities, jealousy, and self-critical thoughts, but it will help us grow stronger, which in turn leads to a more real, more solid connection with our partner. Love is never submission or dominance, emotional coercion or manipulation. Emotional game playing is a defense mechanism formed to protect ourselves from the hurts, rejections, and uncertainties that come with feeling vulnerable to, invested in,…
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