We all have them, every human being does. Limiting core beliefs (LCBs) are not reserved to only those of us with limbic system impairment and nervous system dysregulation. But for those of us with LSI and nervous system dysregulation, LCBs can impede our healing, keep us stuck in unhelpful patterns and contribute to the adrenaline and dysregulation that we are trying to step away from.
LCBs are often formed in childhood and are put in place by our brain to try and keep us safe. It’s an unconscious process and it’s usually something that we are unaware of until we start observing ourselves and our patterns. Although we may not be aware of our LCBs, they are running under the surface 24/7. And the brain is always looking for evidence to prove that the LCBs are true and right, whether we know it or not.
I often describe LCBs as a pair of dirty, smudged up glasses that we can’t take off and we have gotten so used to wearing, that we don’t even notice them on our face. They distort how we view everything and impact how we see ourselves, others, the world and on and on. Because the lens is mucky, it makes us view things in a negative light. It’s kind of the polar opposite of rose-colored glasses.
Limiting core beliefs are usually short, child-like statements. A few examples are: I’m not enough, I’m bad, people aren’t safe, it’s my fault, I’m not allowed to take up space. They are short, concise and to the point. These unhelpful beliefs then fuel lots of unhelpful thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Many of our sticky or really repetitive POPs stem from LCBs.
A way to think about this is to imagine we have a big bag of garbage sitting on our kitchen floor. It has been sitting there long enough to attract flies and we have been ignoring the bag of garbage, but working really hard to get rid of the flies. We’re probably not going to make much progress with that approach. LCBs are like that big bag of garbage sitting on the floor and POPs are like the flies that are attracted to the garbage. If you take the bag of garbage out and throw it away, the flies will follow. The same is true with LCBs and the POPs that stem from them, if you address the LCB, the POPs that stem from it will naturally start to decrease and fade.
The challenge here is that the brain has linked the bag of garbage to safety and wants to keep it right where it is. Our brains will always prioritize safety before anything else, and the same is true here. That is why we need to bring in lots of self-compassion, self-love, kindness and patience when we are working with rewriting these old, outdated beliefs. We are asking the brain to step into a new and opposite belief system from what it has held to be true for a long time. However, over time we can interrupt the old LCB when it shows up and lovingly replace it with a more supportive core belief.
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Connie:
Great information...thank you for pointing this out. Another insightful read.
Linda 😀