Healthy self-esteem is essential for emotional well-being.
Self-esteem is the generally positive assessment of oneself . For psychology , it is the emotional opinion that individuals have of themselves and that surpasses rationalization and logic in its causes.
In other words, self-esteem is a feeling of appreciation of our set of bodily, mental and spiritual traits that make up our personality . This feeling can change over time: from the age of five or six, children begin to form the concept of how they are seen by other people.
Types of self-esteem
Self-esteem can be classified in different ways. When there is self-confidence and self-love, there is personal security, recognition of one's own abilities is achieved and emotional intelligence can be managed successfully, self-esteem is high .
On the other hand, when the subject lacks resilience, is in a situation of vulnerability, feels that he or she does not have external approval and shows emotional dependence on other individuals, his or her self-esteem is low .
Sometimes self-esteem is elevated or inflated . In these cases, the positive assessment is excessive, there is no recognition of one's own limitations and there is an absence of self-criticism. That is why self-perception is distorted and unhealthy.
It should also be considered that self-esteem can be stable or unstable . With stable self-esteem, personal valuation is maintained over time and does not depend on circumstances or contingencies. On the contrary, unstable self-esteem is linked to a variable self-concept and a personal identity that is not well defined.
The concept in psychotherapy and psychopedagogy
Maintaining good self-esteem is essential in any psychotherapy since it usually constitutes a recurring symptom in different behavioral problems. For this reason, there are psychologists who define self-esteem as the function of the body that allows self-protection and personal development , since weaknesses in self-esteem affect health , social relationships and productivity.
The concept of self-esteem, in this framework, is very important in the field of psychopedagogy . This discipline considers self-esteem as the cause of constructive attitudes in individuals, and not its consequence. This means that if a student has good self-esteem, then they will be able to achieve good academic results.
Self-esteem is also usually a value analyzed from self-help , with thousands of books that teach how to protect and encourage it. However, there are sectors of psychology that believe that self-help can be harmful to the individual, since it promotes a narcissistic profile that affects social relationships.
The development of self-esteem in childhood and emotional education are key to personal growth.
Importance of self-esteem
There is a very fine line between regaining self-esteem and artificially manufacturing self- confidence . People who have serious problems accepting themselves, whether due to some of their physical or mental characteristics, should deal with them patiently, step by step, and not look for an instant recipe to feel better.
The work needed to regain or increase self-esteem is very arduous, takes a long time, and almost always has pronounced ups and downs. It all starts with the search for the origin: when did we first feel insecure in this aspect, and why do we think this problem arose in us? Only when we arrive at the traumatic event or relationship can we take our first steps towards a potential solution.
If we think about a conventional treatment , which consists of an extensive series of consultations between a patient and his therapist , the process is unpredictable, for better and for worse, in that along the way there will be discoveries that are difficult to digest but also moments in which progress will be faster than expected. In the best of cases, the result will be positive and the doors will open to a new and more effective social insertion.
Self-esteem is linked to self-image and self-recognition.
Risks when trying to strengthen it
What could be the problem with self-help, mentioned above? Firstly, if we are talking about groups of patients who share a similar ailment, there is a risk that a cycle of mutual victimhood and justification will form, leading to the blocking of conflict , rather than its exposure. It is very common for members to entertain the idea that "they have the right to feel bad" , that "no one can demand that they get up" or that "they are not below anyone" and that "they can achieve whatever they want." » .
Although it is not wrong to feed self-esteem with phrases full of energy, false expectations should not be generated in the patient to the point of taking them from their discomfort to an extreme of apparent absolute power , simply because it is not realistic. That is why there is talk of narcissism ( "I can achieve whatever I set my mind to" ) that will get in the way of your interpersonal relationships , since you will stand on a path of lies.
Given the spread of social stereotypes and cultural influence, achieving personal satisfaction and building assertiveness can be very difficult to achieve on one's own.
Therefore, faced with a lack of self-acceptance and internal validation problems, professional help may be needed to achieve personal empowerment and personal well-being . A psychology professional can help develop self-respect and leave behind personal rejection and exaggerated perfectionism.