We’ve all experienced the inner critic to some extent. You know, that voice inside of your head saying you’re not good enough, or that you’re a bad person. Where does this voice come from and why is it so vicious? Well, for people dealing with CPTS, this voice is even louder, and even more critical. The volume gets turned up ten notches, and turning it off feels like a game of tug of war. Understanding where this voice comes from and how it manifests is a crucial part to replacing the inner critic with self compassion. On this episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth and Jennifer sit down to discuss the inner critic, specifically the severity of it when it comes to people with CPTS, what activates the inner critic loop cycle, what part of the brain the inner critic activates, the reflexive responses associated with the inner critic, and finally, how NSI training can help with quieting the inner critic. This type of reflexive response is created as a means of survival, the brain always wants to protect itself. However, the constant cycle of judgment, criticism, demeaning thoughts about the self becomes maladaptive when it stops serving its original purpose. There is a way to quiet the inner critic, which we want to share with you today. Tune in to find out how to turn down the volume on the inner critic, and the volume up on self compassion. Topics discussed in this episode: Characteristics of the inner critic for those experiencing CPTS Where the inner critic lives in the brain The fawn response and how it’s related to the inner critic What activates the inner critic loop? The root cause of the inner critic How authenticity is affected by attachment style Freeze trauma response The opposite of the inner critic How NSI training can move you out of the inner critic loop cycle The importance of creating an internal environment of safety Being exposed to other people’s inner critic Gossip as an external critic Combating the external critic with self compassion If you would like to WATCH the episode and/or have closed captions, check out our Trauma Rewired YOUTUBE channel! If you would like transcripts of this episode, you can find them HERE on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about the Neuro-Somatic Intelligence Coaching program and sign up for the spring cohort now! https://www.neurosomaticintelligence.com Get started training your nervous system with our FREE 2-week offer on the Brain Based Membership site: https://www.rewiretrial.com Connect with us on social media: @trauma.rewired Join the Trauma Rewired Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/761101225132846 FREE 1 Year Supply of Vitamin D + 5 Travel Packs from Athletic Greens when you use my exclusive offer: https://www.drinkag1.com/rewired This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone’s life is in danger, immediately call 911. We do our best to stay current in research, but older episodes are always available. We don’t warrant or guarantee that this podcast contains complete, accurate or up-to-date information. It’s very important to talk to a medical professional about your individual needs, a
Do you have a really mean person living in your head, criticizing you, putting you down, saying the cruelest things on a daily basis?
A voice that you can't seem to shut down no matter what you do?
It's just always there.
Today, we're going to spend time understanding that voice, the reflexive, protective voice of the inner critic.
Welcome.
I'm your co host, Jennifer Wallace, and this is trauma rewired, the podcast that teaches you about your nervous system, how trauma lives in the body, and what you can do to heal.
I'm a neurosomatic intelligence educator and a practitioner that bridges the intelligence of your nervous system and your sacred spaces.
And I'm Elizabeth Christoph.
I'm the founder of Brainbase.com comma, an online community where we train the nervous system for resilience, trauma resolution and behavior change.
And I'm also the founder of neurosomatic intelligence coaching certification.
So we are diving into the distinguishing characteristics of CPts, and today we're exploring the inner critic big picture.
When we talk about the inner critic, we're really just talking about that voice inside of our head that judges us, that criticizes us, that demeans us.
And it doesn't matter if that criticism is objectively justified or just out of the blue about everything that we do about our body, about the way we talk, about all of the ways that we interact in the world.
And having a highly active inner critic voice can really take a toll on our emotional wellbeing, on our self esteem over time.
But what I really want us to explore today is we're going to look at this as not really the deep beliefs we have about ourselves, but reframing it to understand that this is part of a trauma response.
This is a reflexive response when we're triggered, and that it serves a protective purpose.
And that's what makes it part of complex trauma.
It's really harsh.
I mean, we're not talking about the slap on the wrist that you might give yourself or that we get given by society, right?
Because we all have an inner critic that is normal, that is tribal.