Self-Identity and Self-Worth

Jenna Pilkington, Therapist 

Who am I?
Who do I want to be?
Where is it that I fit?
Do I even matter?
  
So many of us walk through life with these very questions lingering in the back of our minds, taking up space, making us feel heavy, and ultimately getting in the way of our ability to live out the very person God has created us to be. 
  
Self-identity is defined by the American Psychological Association as “an individuals’ sense of self, identity by (a) a set of physical, psychological, or interpersonal characteristics that are not wholly shared with another person and (b) a range of affiliations and social roles.” Humans yearn to make sense of this complex world so we make a note of our memories, expectations, beliefs, and values, and we use this information to bring about a sense of clarity. We do this through self-identity theory; we first create social categorizations of the world around us, we then venture into social identification and begin living into the very categories we feel we belong in, and then we complete the process through social comparison where we form options, positive and negative, about ourselves and the world around us. So often though, the logical progression of self-identity gets skewed by unhelpful thought patterns we’ve adopted over time, little by little. 
  
​These thoughts often fuel our very own self-worth; self-worth is defined by the APA as “an individual's evaluation of themselves as a valuable, capable human, deserving of respect and consideration.” In a world created by logic and emotion together, there are contingencies to self-worth. Poor self-worth can be the belief fueling depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use, relationship difficulties, some personality disorders, and other mental health concerns. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to develop a sense of self-worth by sifting through both biblical and psychological truths when we feel anything less than deserving of respect and consideration.