Imaginary Crimes: Why We Punish Ourselves and How to Stop

This liberating and important book shows us how to break out of the self-defeating behavior patterns that have been keeping us from attaining our most cherished goals. Many of our most serious psychological problems can be traced to a special form of guilt: the hidden guilt we feel toward our parents or other loved ones. Somewhere back in childhood we came to believe that by achieving independence, happiness, or success we would harm the ones we love. We judged ourselves guilty of imaginary crimes. And we have been punishing ourselves ever since. This self-punishment can take many forms. We may be plagued by feelings of anxiety or depression. We may sabotage our own efforts to form intimate, rewarding relationships. Or we may find ourselves destroying the relationships we already have. Imaginary Crimes introduces us to a new approach to psychological healing never before presented in a book for the general public. Many previous readers have found this book a profound step on their road to psychological recovery.