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This common Guardian subself protects the host person by creating vivid, terrifying thoughts and images about the worst possible outcomes of current or possible situations. The well-meant rationale for tormenting its host person is something like "If I don't scare you well enough to act, you won't be prepared for the worst, and we all will suffer great pain!" The thoughts and images this protective subself generates are often extreme, illogical and/or very unlikely. They can graphically predict poverty, homelessness, murder, suicide, "going crazy," getting "locked up," bankruptcy, having children harmed or taken away, jail, dying alone, or discovering a terminal disease or compulsion like addiction, or simply "Something really bad will surely happen if..." Logical explanations will not stop the Catastrophizer from trying to protect one or more inner kids. This tireless subself may work alone or with other Guardian subselves like the Perfectionist, the Worrier, the Inner Critic, and/or the Magician. Their common goal is to protect and soothe upset Inner Kids now. Patiently doing some form of inner-family therapy can convince the Catastrophizer to relax and trust that the resident true Self and other Managers will reliably keep the young subselves and the host person safe enough. Symptoms of this are fewer dire thoughts and images, and more of these true-Self traits. As wound-recovery progresses (Lesson 1), this devoted subself will typically agree to focus its valuable energy on more useful goals. Do you have an active Catastrophizer subself? |
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