self-loathing
11 Aug 2025 - 11 Aug 2025
- as a mental autoimmune disorder. That is, critical thinking is obviously a useful and necessary part of mentation, but it can easily get out of control.
- See hypercritic and should merge these pages probably.
- Claude | Claude
Just as we can identify with trauma adaptations such that they seem like they are truly “us,” so too can we turn against them and make them the enemy. This can take shape in the form of resisting emotions/behaviors that we consider bad, criticizing ourselves, or blaming ourselves for our past (or its resultant coping mechanisms). This creates what might be considered a psychological autoimmune condition. In medicine, the term autoimmune condition refers to the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues. Over time, this causes immense damage and can lead to death. The mind’s version of this is no less severe: negative self-talk is a chronic condition for many of us, despite how “normal” it may seem.
