‘SELF-ESTEEM ISSUES, PERSONALITY PARALYSIS’

After glass, a human beings’ self-esteem is probably the most fragile ‘object’ in the world. I make that statement not because of its factual value, but rather for the grounds of comparison it presents, as well as to introduce the subject of this week’s read. Self-esteem is a term (at least) that many are familiar with and probably many more who would not struggle to define what it is. However, in terms of how it ‘plays out’ in real life, very few are actually aware of its formation and destruction. Of course, self-esteem is a huge player in the mental health field, which is why relatively high levels of self-esteem form key components of the ‘ideal’ mental health being. Just as almost everything else needs a solid foundation, good self-esteem forms a concrete base from which an individual can grow, develop and transform themselves into the ideal version they seek to be.
As is the case with most phenomena in mental health and psychology, most of what we see on the outside is usually the result of a collection and culmination of experiences that have occurred and altered the individuals’ internal being and made them display the sort of behavioural patterns that we see.

Self-esteem

This holds an excessive weight of truth when it comes to the topic of self-esteem; a topic that is very meaningful and quite sensitive to most people, since it is a mental health concept that many people struggle with. From being insecure and being made fun of about their looks, to being made to feel irrelevant or worthless because of their intelligence (for instance), many people have been exposed (in one way or another) to some form attack on their self-esteem. A significant take-away from this is the fact that, not only does continued degradation and belittlement of one’s insufficiencies eat into that persons’ self-esteem, it also begins to contribute to a change in that person’s personality or what they used to be like.This is most obviously the case in children who were brought up in settings and environments that always saw the negative in them and who were hardly ever praised for anything of their own effort. Here, the prognosis points to that child growing into a very bitter, insecure adult who themselves would need to re-learn how to have confidence in their physical selves and their abilities; how to remain secure and positive regardless of attributes presented by others, as well as how to be healthily competitive amongst their peers.

Even though it may not seem a hot-button-issue, the issue of self-esteem is an issue that is extremely prevalent and highly influential within our society, particularly in and among the younger generation. Therefore, it is worth mentioning to parents, guardians and teachers exactly how significant this concept is, especially because of the young minds of young children they find themselves watching over. Some children are often left exposed to psycho-emotional conditions in their homes, on the school playground, as well as in their communities which can more than negatively impact the build-up of the young persons’ self-esteem, confidence and also their personality as they grow into adulthood.
Not only limited to children, but also in adults this issue is also present. We lose confidence in ourselves and our abilities because of toxic relationships, toxic workplaces and also because of esteem issues that stem from childhood. It is therefore paramount that, in a bid to keep our mental health healthy and in check, that we surround ourselves and our children with the right psycho-emotional environments that are fit and ready to positively impact our mental health.
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