Comments: webmaster@therapistinabox.com

Copyright © 2000 The Reference Point All rights reserved

Forgiveness

Self-Blame

All of us to one degree or another blame ourselves for negative experiences in our past. We feel responsible for certain unhappy outcomes and the hurt we may have caused others. Those of us who have suffered significant abuse may also harbor harsh judgments toward ourselves for not being strong enough to do something to change the situation. All of these negative judgments create pain and suffering for our inner child. It is imperative to clear away these negative judgments and unchain our child from the prison of blame.

As you move through your emotional healing, it will become more and more clear that much of your behavior was directly tied to survival strategies. When you are little and overwhelmed, sometimes the strategies you come up with end up hurting you. If you visualize a frightened animal lashing out at anyone that come near it, you can begin to understand the logic behind some of your behaviors.

Let's start with your adult experiences and work backward. What negative events in you life do you blame yourself for?