HIGHER INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Clinical Psychology and Counseling Course Post-employment

Infirmity and Self-Esteem

CAROLINA VASCO

Marracuene, June 2023

 CAROLINA VASCO

INFIRMITY AND SELF-ESTEEM

English work presented to the higher Institute of

Management and Entrepreneurship as a partial
requirement for evaluation under the guidance of
subject’s professor ….

Marracuene, June 2023

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2
Definition of terms ..................................................................................................................... 2
Infirmity and Self-Esteem .......................................................................................................... 2
Theories on Self-Esteem ............................................................................................................ 3
Types of Self-Esteem ................................................................................................................. 3
High Self-esteem .................................................................................................................... 3
Low Self-Esteem .................................................................................................................... 4
Low self-esteem the same as lack of confidence ................................................................... 4
How to improve low self-esteem ............................................................................................... 4
Psychological Treatment for Low Self-Esteem ......................................................................... 5
Medical Treatment for Low Self-Esteem .................................................................................. 5
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 6
References .................................................................................................................................. 7
Introduction

The psyche of man is composed of needs, attitudes and values as contents of two structures
such as actual self and ideal self. So certain mode of acting of a man reminds us of his certain
mode of being. All this is experienced in his self-esteem whereby esteem is a natural and central
need. However without self-esteem life is difficult, we feel incompetent, inferior to others and
every circumstance of life becomes a threat until we withdraw into ourselves and develop some
infirmities. Self-esteem, instead, gives rise to a certain security and trust in ourselves which are
fundamental to our facing the duties of life and rapport with others and live healthily and
happily in the society. Therefore the gist purpose of this paper is to give an account on Infirmity
and Self-esteem, starting from definition of terms, description of some infirmities in relation to
the lack of self-esteem, some possible solutions how one can deal with low self-esteem and
thereafter the conclusion will be provided.

Definition of terms

According to Oxford Learners Dictionary, 8th edition, Infirmity is the state of being weak in
the health or body. Such weakness is developed through some psychic sickness such as anxiety
low self-esteem, just to mention few. While Self-esteem is a feeling of pride in one-self. A
confidence in one’s own abilities.

Infirmity and Self-Esteem

Through some researches done by most Clinical Psychologists, it has been stated that in this
21st Century many people develop some infirmities due to psychological disturbances that are
developed by the lack of effort in order to overcome some unnecessary feelings , as a result, in
accordance to different circumstances, people develop poor health, fragility, mental disorder,
anxiety, loneliness, uncertainty, low self-esteem, of which if are not well conducted they come
to be serious health problems that cause in some extent thrombosis, depression and even
suicide.

Self-esteem is an attractive psychological construct because it predicts certain outcomes, such

as academic achievement, happiness and satisfaction. ‘The benefits of high self-esteem are
thought to include improved mental and physical health, and less anti-social behavior. While
drawbacks of low self-esteem have been found to be anxiety, loneliness, just as it has been
mentioned above. Psychologists usually regards self-esteem as an enduring personality
characteristic’.

2
Theories on Self-Esteem

Many early theories suggested that self-esteem is a basic human need or motivation. American
psychologist Abraham Maslow included self-self in his hierarchy of human needs. He
described two different forms of esteem as the need for respect from others in the form of
recognition, success and admiration, and the need for self-respect in the form of self-love, self-
confidence, skill or aptitude.

Respect from others was believed to be more fragile and easily lost than inner self-esteem.
According to Maslow without the fulfillment of the self-esteem need, individuals will be driven
to seek it and unable to grow and obtain self-actualization. Maslow also stated that ‘the
healthiest expression of self-esteem is the one which manifests in the respect we deserve for
others’.

Modern theories of self-esteem explore the reasons humans are motivated to maintain a high
regard for themselves. According to Terror Management Theory, self-esteem serves a
protective function and reduces anxiety about life and death. Carl Rogers (19902-1987), an
advocate for humanistic psychology, theorized the origin of many people’s problems to be that
they despise themselves and consider themselves worthless and incapable of being loved. This
is why Rogers believed in the importance of giving unconditional acceptance people .

Types of Self-Esteem
There are several types of self-esteem, but in this paper we are going to tackle the two main
types, that’s to say the high self-esteem and the low self-esteem.

High Self-esteem

People with a healthy high level of self-esteem, firmly believe in certain values and principles,
and are ready to defend them even when finding opposition. They are able to act according to
what they think to be the best choice, trusting their own judgment and not feeling guilty when
others do not like their choice (Giddens,1978). Also do not lose time worrying excessively
about what happened in the past, nor what could happen in the future, they learn from the past
and plan for the future, but live in the present intensely.

In addition to this, they consider themselves equal in dignity to others, rather than inferior or
superior, while accepting differences in certain talents, personal prestige or financial standing.
Are sensitive to feelings and needs of others; respect generally accepted social rules, and claim
no right or desire to prosper at others’ expense.

3
Low Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem can result from various factors, including genetic factors, physical appearance
or weight, mental health issues, socioeconomic status, significant emotional experiences, social
stigma, peer pressure or bullying. According to clinical psychologists, ‘a person with low self-
esteem may show some of the following characteristics: Heavy self-criticism and
dissatisfaction, hypersensitivity to criticism with resentment against critics and feelings of
being attacked, chronic indecision and an exaggerated fear of mistakes, excessive will to please
and unwillingness to displease any petitioner, perfectionism, which can lead to frustration when
perfection is not achieved, pessimism and general outlook’ .

Individuals with low self-esteem, tend to be critical of themselves. Some depend on the
approval and praise of others when evaluating self-worth. Others may measure their likability
in terms of success. They will accept themselves if they succeed but will not if they fail.
Individuals will low self-esteem also may develop unhelpful habits, such as smoking and
drinking too much, as a way of coping.

Low self-esteem the same as lack of confidence

Self-esteem and self-confidence are connected, but they are not exactly the same thing. To have
confidence in one-self may need to have at least some level of self-esteem. If someone has high
self-esteem, he or she values himself or herself, even if makes mistakes or cannot do something
specific.

Self-confidence depends on the circumstances at hand. A self-confidence person is one who is

willing to try new things. A person with high self-esteem knows they still have value, even if
they fail when they try those new things.

How to improve low self-esteem

Low self-esteem can become a deeply ingrained part of our nature. But by practicing self-care,
we can improve low self-esteem and reduce its effect on our daily life. Low self-esteem often
has its roots in childhood trauma (Jackson Campbell, 1994). Being in a stressful school
environment or having overly critical caregivers can also play a role.

Low self-esteem can be treated and improved. In many instances, self-care will be enough to
give us more positive thoughts, realistic view of ourselves. If self-care is not enough to provide
relief, seeking a professional help from clinical psychologists can be highly beneficial.

4
Psychological Treatment for Low Self-Esteem

A number of psychological treatments have been developed which directly target low self-
esteem or self criticism. These include cognitive behavioral therapy, competitive memory
training and compassion focused therapy. There is evidence that they are effective forms of
treatment. There is also some overlap with psychological treatments for depression, by
identifying core beliefs and rules of life, developing healthier thoughts and good behavior,
facing fears and confronting anxiety . Replacing self-criticism with self-confidence.

Medical Treatment for Low Self-Esteem

There are no recommended medical treatment for low self-esteem by itself. Where low self-
esteem accompanies other problems, such as anxiety or depression, medical treatment may be
recommended. Confidence-boosting drugs are substances intended to enhance a person’s
confidence levels. These can include prescription medications like benzodiazepines and beta
blockers .

5
Conclusion

We are all good at something, whether its cooking, singing, doing puzzles of befriending easily
to everyone. We also tend to enjoy doing the things we are good at, which can help us to boost
our mood and esteem, so if we find certain people who tend to bring us down we should avoid
them, thus this paper dealt with some diseases or infirmities that are caused by the lack of self-
esteem. The paper tried to describe what is infirmity, self-esteem, types of self-esteem and
some outcomes of low self-esteem. Also the paper looked into some theories that helped us to
understand the issue at hand and how someone may get treatments psychologically or
medically. Therefore, through this paper we have come to understand that self-esteem is a
feeling of pride in one-self, and the lack of it causes serious health and mental infirmity.
Conclusively it has been suggested that we should have self-confidence and high self-esteem,
avoiding the development of low self-esteem which may lead us to be vulnerable to some health
problem like depression and anxiety.

6
References

P.H.SILVERSTON, Self-esteem and Psychiatric Patients. 2003,9.

P.H.SILVERSTON, Self-esteem and Psychiatric Patients. 2003,10.

A.CENCINI, Psychology and Human Needs, 1998,208.

A.MANENT, Psychotherapy, 2001,37.

K.KORRELBOOM, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy,2012,19.

M.HUIJBRECHTS, A Randomized Clinical Trial, Depression and Anxiety.2007, 29.

P.H. SILVERSTONE, Psychiatric Diagnosis, Psychiatry General Hospital, 2003, 12.