Repairing Self-Abandonment: People Pleasing, Anxious Attachment, and Developing Self-Worth

Dr. Rick and I explore self-abandonment, which occurs when we go against our authentic wants, emotions, and boundaries in order to serve others, meet external expectations, or protect ourselves emotionally. We cover where self-abandonment comes from, the psychological function it serves, and the relationship between self-abandonment and similar concepts like anxious attachment, low self-worth, and external referencing. You’ll learn how to set healthy boundaries, stop neglecting yourself, and become more secure from the inside out.

Key Topics:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Common features of self-abandonment
12:35 Facing the fear of our authentic self being seen
16:20 Facing shame and self-criticism
21:30 Object relations, and creating a strong self
33:00 When safety feels more important than authenticity
41:10 Joining with the defense, and opening out
51:05 Relationships, openness to change, and bringing parts into awareness
56:00 Cognitive restructuring, and redefining our self-abandoning beliefs
59:30 Recap

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Who Am I: I'm Forrest, the co-author of Resilient (https://amzn.to/3iXLerD) and host of the Being Well Podcast (https://apple.co/38ufGG0). I'm making videos focused on simplifying psychology, mental health, and personal growth.

I'm not a clinician, and what I say on this channel should not be taken as medical advice.

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