What Does Your Inner Voice Sound like?

If you are prone to anxiety it’s helpful to look at what type of inner voice you most identify with. There are 4 types of negative self talk we learn about in cognitive behavioral therapy.

The Worrier which usually imagines the worst possible scenario, looking for any possible sign of danger and often starts with the favorite question “What if …..?”.

The Critic attacks self-esteem by always looking at your performance pointing out mistakes whenever it can. The critic may represent a voice from your past that was highly critical of you such as a parent, grandparent or some other authority figure. The critic can sound like “Can’t you ever get it right.” “Why are you always this way.”

The Victim promotes depression and wants you to believe that things are helpless and hopeless because there is something defective in you and that you do not measure up. Common phrases might sound like “I can’t.” “I’ll never be able to.”

The Perfectionist brings on exhaustion and long term stress. It wants you to believe that your importance is dependent on approval of others. You can feel that your efforts are never good enough. The perfectionist can say things like “I should” or “I need to.”

Getting to know your inner voice is half the battle. The good news is you don’t have to allow these thought patterns to continue. Therapy can help you design out a plan to have positive, supportive self talk that can improve your overall well-being.

If you feel that you could use support in this area or have more questions about this topic feel free to contact me.