I keep hearing at work "be confident" in yourself - HR has told me this, the CEO has told me this, and the VP of marketing called today and mentioned it in our conversation.

Little do they all know that I've been beaten up verbally many times at work at past jobs, which contributes to a lowered confidence level, and that I've been bullied and undermined at work by multiple people in the past, also contributing to my shyness and lowered confidence level.

To continuously hear the words "be confident" is very frustrating because they have NO idea WHY I am this way. All they see is someone very good at what they do.

I wish I could just explain this to them - and the fact that I suffer from PTSD as a direct result of all the bullying.