Psychology Essay Example on Building Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is defined as the sum of a person's knowledge and beliefs about his/her personal qualities and attributes. According to Kohut (2013), it is a cognitive schema that organizes the concrete and the abstract about oneself. For example, one who has suicidal tendencies is being compelled to do such acts by the feeling that they are not worthy. It is also the same as of low self-esteem. Having high self-esteem alleviates the negative feelings and emotions that an individual with suicidal propensities possesses. According to the study carried by Nelson (2013), self-esteem is an important psychological facet that contributes to health and high quality of life. Therefore, self-esteem has not only been found to be among the most dominant and powerful forecaster of happiness but can also alleviate the psychological disorder that individuals possess.

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Members of specialized and medicinal community strappingly argue that having a healthy or high self-esteem is not only vital for succeeding in an individuals professional life but is also significant to ensuring a healthy life (Nelson, 2013). According to the study carried by Kohut (2013), not only is a healthy self-esteem useful for a one's expert life, but it is also answerable for alleviating a psychological disorder that is currently dominant among individuals. Particularly, when a person has a weak or unhealthy self-esteem, she or he tends to focus on ways of proving to themselves that they are worth or working hard to impress others. According to Nelson (2013), this is wastage of energy and lead or upsurge numerous psychological disorders.

When an individual lacks a healthy self-esteem, she or he may act arrogant and become rude towards others. This has been shown with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In this disorder, individuals force admiration from the place of work; however they become arrogant towards other people when they do not get positive attention. Nelson (2013) says that such positive attention comes with the ability to talk presentably before people. However, individuals with low self-esteem do not qualify to command such respects. In the end, they become arrogant and develop such psychological disorder as Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Additionally, people with low self-esteem tend to lack self-assurance in them, have a lot of doubts about their acceptability and self-worth, and they also blame other people for their actions and failures. Being with that unhealthy or low self-esteem is harmful to a person's health, this proves that the opposite case is also true; that is, a healthy self-esteem indeed alleviates a psychological disorder.

An example of the psychological disorder that has been affected by unhealthy or low self-esteem is the Borderline Personality Disorder. Accordingly, if one does not feel comfortable with themselves, they will not either validate or trust their feelings with others. People with Borderline Personality Disorder and poor self-esteem can exacerbate resentment that is always present with Borderline Personality Disorder. According to Kohut (2013), people with Borderline Personality Disorder are unable to assert the feelings or thoughts in standard ways except through anger. As such, when one has a healthy self-esteem, she or he can control such issues and lessen cases of violence that are related to Borderline Personality Disorder. Additionally, people with Borderline Personality Disorder sometimes view others who are willing to be their friends as suspicious. Moreover, when an individual with Borderline Personality Disorder makes new friendship, they always think that such friendship will end with no time since they feel that they have nothing to offer.

Following that scenario, healthy or good self-esteem can assist one with psychological disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder to know that they are valuable and worthwhile people who deserve to be happy and successful their professional and personal life. For instance, when a person gets a job that he/she has been longing for, one would want to do it for an extended period. However, a person with the disorder such as Borderline Personality Disorder will view themselves as an already failure before even starting. In some cases, such individuals feel they are set to fail and may even be arrogant or hungry with the person who hired him/her for putting them in a position to fail. If the same person has a healthy or high self-esteem, he/she can know that they deserve the job and will realize that not only are they prosaic of this occasion but they will acknowledge the chance and the individual that gave them the job.

Following the discussion herein, it is imperative to conclude the building a healthy self-esteem reduces psychological disorders. Specifically, the psychological disorders are those that arise from issues like anger, being ignored and one becomes arrogant. For example, in Narcissistic Personality Disorder individuals force admiration and become arrogant if they do not find admiration. However, building self-esteem will automatically call for admiration and such conditions as Narcissistic Personality Disorder can be alleviated.

References

Kohut, H. (2013). The analysis of the self: A systematic approach to the psychoanalytic treatment of narcissistic personality disorders. University of Chicago Press.Nelson, L. (2013). The efficacy of a school-based eating disorder prevention program: Building physical self-esteem and personal competencies. Preventing eating disorders: A handbook of interventions and special challenges, 163.