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"What they like to label as mental health problems, is nothing more than an individual never having been taught to be self-sufficient, never been taught to have values or self-esteem...never been taught to turn to God for strength...never been taught to value life, never been taught to see the potential to achieve whatever they wanted, if they work hard for it. They’ve only been taught to be dependent on others, self-centered, and that drugs are the answer to escape the hell they themselves created. I learned a long time ago, that most of the problems I have, I’ve created myself, and I accepted responsibility for them. I thank God I was born in 1947 when this country still had God, hope, patriotism, compassion, and life had value. These young kids are a product of the evilness of liberalism."

There's wisdom in those words. Thank you!

I would go one step further, though. One who generally rejects the belief in self-esteem can be far stronger against feelings of inadequate worth or manipulations and projections from sociopaths, addicts and others. The rejection of that concept can also be used to weather some very hard times in life or get ahead.

Back during the 1980s, many people in management offices of large corporations were given a book and a seminar. The book was "The Unfair Advantage" by Tom Miller. It's been out of print for a long time, if it isn't being reprinted. It was given to me by a PhD. friend who was a university counselor for students and rational-emotive therapist.

It was the most important book that I've ever read and practiced in my life. And that man gave the most important advice that I've ever heard.

I also had friends who were more educated in and guided towards psychoanalysis instead. They all seemed to be lacking in their self-esteem and at least a little depressed.

Thanks for your input. The one thing in my life that changed my self image for the better, was spending 3 1/2 years trying to save a marriage to a philanderer. After my father died, I took a long, hard look at what I was doing to myself, how I was compromising my values to continue a relationship with someone who wasn’t worth it. I have two sons, and raised them by myself. One is 53, and the other is 49. He went through cancer surgery and chemo last year. Their father hasn’t bothered with them since the oldest one was in his late 20’s. He doesn’t even know where they are, or if they’re alive. He went from being an Atheist, and pot smoker, to being a Jehovah’s Witness. I went on to take a good paying job in uniform with the State of New York, went to night school and got my BA and MA, and never looked back. Never got married again...not that anyone ever asked, but I realized that I was better off alone, than falling into the old routine of living my life for someone else, and losing my own identity, because that’s a very easy thing to do. Been retired for almost 17 years, and couldn’t be happier living by myself. Thankfully, my experiences made me stronger. A lot of other women feel they have to have somebody to feel whole. Not me.