Inner Critic

I am a failure. I am never going to learn this. I am not good enough. 😔

Do these phrases sound familiar? Most, if not all of us, have criticised ourselves harshly before. Pathological self-criticism is defined as a relationship with oneself where exceptionally high standards are set. When they are not met, hostility is expressed towards oneself [1]. In fact, setting high standards can motivate us to improve, but when failing to reach the target results in derogation, it becomes pathological. There are two types of self-criticism, namely self-harming and self-improving [2]. The former focuses on hurting oneself for past failures and mistakes, while the latter draws attention to character flaws in a bid to improve. Although the self-harming form of self criticism is more likely to be associated with mental health disorders, both forms are detrimental to our mental wellbeing. They are more prone to developing mental illnesses such as depression, social anxiety and eating disorders [3]. Believe it or not, it also affects our physical health by increasing our sensory pain (the actual amount of pain felt) and affective pain (negative cognition towards pain) [1]!

In addition, self-criticism influences the way we relate to others. For instance, it is correlated with compassion fatigue among helping professions, including doctors, nurses and social workers [4]. You can imagine the effects on the care doctors provide to their patients.

Fortunately, things are not all gloom and doom. Constructive self-criticism is beneficial and provides feedback to help us self-regulate, guiding us to live fulfilling and meaningful lives [5]. To our dear readers who have related to our posts dissecting self-criticism, we’d like to send you a faraway hug… 🫂 It probably hasn’t been easy comparing yourself to others and facing the darkest, harshest side of yourself~ Here are two tips on how we can cultivate constructive (non-malicious) self-criticism! 🦔

1. Identify negative core beliefs 👺

   Sometimes, we tend to assume the worst of ourselves and predict negative outcomes. These beliefs originate from our core negative views of self, and at times our body uses this to protect us from physical or psychological harm [6]. For instance, we may assume that we will fail a class because we underperformed on an essay - possibly based on our core self-perception believing that “I am an underachiever” and “I am never going to be able to improve.” But then, this could be the first of many essays to come, and are opportunities to improve! When we have self-critical thoughts, we can try to identify any negative core beliefs that may have fueled avoidance or discouragement. While it is valid to feel, we should understand that not all of our emotions are reflected proportionately to our performance and achievements.

   

2. Celebrate small wins 🏅

   Instead of using one huge goal as a determination of success, we can recognise small achievements to remind ourselves that we are indeed moving forward in face of adversity. By valuing and identifying small wins, we can visualise positive accomplishment that ultimately motivates us to cope with greater challenges [7]. We may not have studied an entire chapter as planned, but we did memorise some key terms that will help us in strengthening our memory when we revisit the topic tomorrow! By introducing positive reinforcement, we not only feel encouraged by pleasant emotions; we also develop resilience and motivation that ultimately help us achieve greater goals in the long run [8]!

   

Remember that when we hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up! With a healthy mindset and evaluation, we’ll soon look back and be proud of how far we’ve come! 🌵

References

[1]: Shahar, Golan. Erosion : The Psychopathology of Self-Criticism, Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3564693.

[2]: Gilbert, P., Clarke, M., Hempel, S., Miles, J.N.V. and Irons, C. (2004), Criticizing and reassuring oneself: An exploration of forms, styles and reasons in female students. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43: 31-50. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466504772812959

[3]: Wakelin, K. E., Perman, G., & Simonds, L. M. (2022). Effectiveness of self-compassion-related interventions for reducing self-criticism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 29(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2586

[4]: Ondrejková N, Halamová J. Prevalence of compassion fatigue among helping professions and relationship to compassion for others, self-compassion and self-criticism. Health Soc Care Community. 2022 Sep;30(5):1680-1694. doi: 10.1111/hsc.13741. Epub 2022 Feb 8. PMID: 35133041.

[5]: Bergner, Raymond M.. Pathological Self-Criticism : Assessment and Treatment, Springer, 1995. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3083952.

[6] Beck J.S. (2010) Cognitive Therapy, The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0198

[7] Berkman E.T. (2018) The Neuroscience of Goals and Behavior Change (2018) Consult Psychol J. March, 2018

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5854216/

[8] Frederickson B.L. (2001) The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology, The American Psychological Association

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-00465-003