StrongerMan... 'it' may feel like it's killing you...but, trust me... the bottom is GOOD...once reached, you can finally see your way UP ~

I, too, know the core cause of my low self-esteem... childhood/parental issues groomed me to not value myself...so, I became a people-pleaser and perfectionistic at it...it almost killed me...then, I still had to hit bottom emotionally while still doing 'it', even after entering therapy and thinking I would be ok 'with myself'...

Shame was still there...SO MUCH SHAME...it felt hopeless...I felt worthless...thank God I promised myself about 5 years ago to never, ever, give up on myself...even after that, I had to hit that 'true bottom,' but...things are improving...

I have gotten enough help now to know I CAN FULLY forgive myself for all of my non-self-valuing choices I made along the way, because I simply could not have done otherwise...
to me, this is part of my releasing my shame...it is part of claiming the unconditional love for my core self I never received as a child...

I see how things 'simply' could not have been any different for me and how I needed to suffer to be able to come to this place I am now in/at...one of choosing to make the best of the rest of my life...and to consciously begin to work at raising my self-esteem step by step...and to release my parents, FULLY, because they were who they were...

I now see that they did not have the strength to move as far into self-love (real self-love vs. narcissism) as I know I have in me now...it is slow going, but I am determined to keep making progress.

Grateful for all of the shares here...for there even being a self-esteem forum...I found/joined this site just yesterday... there is such healing power in all of us coming together... we are guiding lights to one another... simply because we chose to be here. Thank you everyone!