Why People with Low Esteem Are Often Stuck in Bad Relationships
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iStock/Thinkstock(WATERLOO, Ontario) — If you’re stuck in a relationship that makes you miserable, it could have to do with feeling miserable about yourself.
Megan McCarthy, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo’s Department of Psychology, says that people with low self-esteem often find it difficult to remove themselves from an unhappy partnership because they can’t articulate their concerns and worry about rejection.
McCarthy contends that the bottom line is that while those with low esteem are viewed as complainers, they seem to keep things to themselves when involved in relationships.
Therefore, some people adopt a “forgive and forget” kind of attitude when what they really should be doing is telling a partner what’s bothering them. “Failing to address those issues directly can actually be destructive,” says McCarthy.
The next phase of her study, according to McCarthy, is determining how to boost a person’s self-esteem to promote more open disclosure in their relationship.
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