At first, your Inner Critic may wake you up and try to get your attention; “better work on that project, get going, you are going to be late, quit procrastinating, you made a mistake, be responsible, exercise, eat healthier.” It informs and jars you into action. It can be helpful, nudging and prodding you into beneficial behaviors.
If you haven’t paid attention, it often turns ugly and begins to berate you. It says mean things about your character; “you are lazy, stupid, ugly, irresponsible, wrong, weak, no good, damaged, you can’t do anything right, nobody will ever want to be with you and you will never amount to anything.” Those may be mild words compared with your critic...