Strong Inner Critic

• Strong Inner Critic refers to having a persistent, overly harsh internal voice that undermines self-esteem, increases self-doubt, and magnifies perceived flaws.
• This critical voice often exaggerates mistakes or failures, making them seem larger or more impactful than they are.
• It can stem from perfectionism, fear of judgment, or difficulty recognizing one’s accomplishments.
• This expression is particularly common in individuals with ADHD, who may internalize societal or personal expectations they struggle to meet.

Examples

• Work Scenario: Criticizing yourself harshly for making a minor mistake on a project, even if it didn’t affect the outcome.
• Social Interactions: Replaying a conversation repeatedly in your mind, convincing yourself you said something wrong or embarrassing.
• Academic Performance: Feeling like a failure for not achieving a perfect grade, despite doing well overall.
• Creative Work: Constantly doubting your abilities and redoing tasks because your work "isn’t good enough."
• Everyday Decisions: Overthinking and second-guessing even small choices, such as what to wear or how to phrase an email.

Discussion

The Strong Inner Critic often feeds into other expressions, such as anxiety or external validation, by amplifying feelings of inadequacy or failure. Mitigations like self-compassion and label and reject inner critic aim to challenge and reframe these thoughts, promoting a more balanced perspective. Practices like journaling help externalize the critic, making it easier to evaluate its validity objectively. Addressing this expression is essential for improving self-esteem, emotional regulation, and overall well-being.

Sub- and Co-Expressions

Mitigations

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