and somewhere along the way a person or persons told you otherwise. Those were lies. It is called "projection"----people who didn't love themselves (or hated themselves) told you lies about yourself. It was/is how they really feel about THEMSELVES, and has NOTHING to do with you. THey were not true. Unfortunately, as an adult you have to fight those old tapes.

If a person is confident and loving and happy with themselves, they have no reason to abuse another person.

Abusers are excruciatingly insecure.