Dear toddinrochester:

Thank you so much for your share: what an unusual to read account! It is amazingly interesting. You wrote in the last pragraph: “I silenced my persecuting critics.” I know mine very well and it is getting much quieter these very days. I am not and never have been psychotic but the “internal critic” or the Freudian “superego” is part of the psyche everyone has. Brian was the worst of your voices, the “toxic internal critic.” I recently created a “chosen mother” maybe one similar a bit to Kelly, the calming voice and I call her when I sense the presence of my toxic internal critic. I suppose psychosis, yours was your brain trying to help itself. Only Kelly’s promises didn’t come true. My created “chosen mother”- she doesn’t promise.

Can you tell me more about how you silenced your “persecuting critics”???

(And who was in your childhood your real persecuting critic? father? Mother? An older sibling? Are you in relationship with him or her? How do you deal with critical people?)

Thank you again for your share. I hope my questions do not trigger anything negative- if they do, I am fine with you not answering my questions.