Chronic Illness & Self Esteem Issues

How often have you thought, If only I felt good about myself, I know I would feel so much better? Low self-esteem and self-confidence are chronic, serious personal problems that exist in epidemic proportions in todays society. Low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence have a variety of sources. Many of us tend to blame our parents. And, in fact, many parents who never learned good parenting skills from their parents have contributed to this problem. We can all support parenting classes in our schools to help remedy this problem. There are, however, many other sources of low self-esteem in all sectors of our society. Some of these include educational institutions, the media, the workplace, social and religious institutions, peer relationships, personal relationships, and health care facilities (and thats only a partial list). It is very important to recognize that chronic pain conditions also contribute to low self-esteem. Years of pain and fatigue that have obstructed meeting life goals can have a disastrous effect on self-esteem. Other factors that can arise as a direct result of chronic pain will also contribute to low self-esteem. Some of these are as follows:

Inability to complete educational programs and meet educational goals Loss of jobs and career opportunities Unstable or failed relationships Estrangement from poor/unsupportive relationships with friends and family members Inability to be financially self-supporting Inability to take part in community activities Cognitive difficulties

When a chronic illness is involved, it sometimes seems that we are unable to do anything worthwhile and we therefore label ourselves as worthless. Feeling worthless for long periods of time leads to depression, which can, in turn, become a kind of chronic low-level stress that makes the symptoms of FMS or FMS/MPS worse.