Dear amde20:

You are welcome and I appreciate your kindness.

Here is how the Inner Critic works in your case, according to your own posts:

“My parents have held high standards (for you)” – your Inner Critic is holding high standards for you.

Your parents were watching you and too often and maybe too severely disapproved of you- your Inner Critic is watching you and too often and too severely disapproves of you.

You are “trying to rise above what (your parents) want, to try and ensure they won’t be disappointed in (you”- you are trying to rise above what your Inner Critic wants, to try to ensure it will not be disappointed in you.

Of course, if you are still living with your parents- are you?- there is their disapproval you fear as well as your Inner Critic’s disapproval (it is your parents, internalized)

Can you share: how, in what ways, did your parents express their disapproval of you?

And what kinds of things did they disapprove of in your younger years?

And again… are you still living with them? If so, or otherwise, when in contact with them: what do they disapprove of currently? How do they express their disapproval currently?

anita