Interview #2

 The interview with Dr. Andrew Fields is as follows...

 

1. In your own words, what is insecurity?

Since security refers to a sense of safety or protection, insecurity is the sense of feeling unsafe or unprotected.

 

Breaking down the roots of the word could have helped my basic understanding of insecurity. I'm glad he cleared that up.

 

2. In your own words, how do we establish self-image?

Self-image seems to come from our relational experiences. We understand who we are based on how we are treated by others. Our earliest relationships then (such as our parents) teach us a LOT about this. If our parents make us feel loved and worthy, we will act this way in other relationships with people later in life. On the other hand, if they make us feel worthless or unloved, we will act on this in our future relationships. Then, as we act either of these two scenarios out, we elicit certain responses from others (e.g., if we are very passive people may treat us with less respect than if we are assertive). This reinforces the early "life lessons" about ourselves that our parents taught us. So basically our parents start it, and later the self-image is modified by other relationships. If we have "corrective relationship experiences" though (such as a supportive friend or a therapist that is caring and supportive) later in life, this can help us build our self-image.

Neither my past or current knowledge nor the research that I have done shows that the establishment of self-image comes from relational experiences. I always thought it was society and how our peers and the media displays and expects so much out of us that we feel pressured. I did not think that our parental experiences could have such an effect on our self-image. But he does mention that once you make other relationships with other people and you see their impact on your life, it can help see yourself through your own eyes. This is where memories and conditioned learning can play in like I've learned. 
 
3. How common do you think insecurity is?
 
It's hard to tell. Most people have some insecurities. The type of insecurity that leads to psychological disorders is less common, maybe in 10 to 40% of people, depending on which disorder we are talking about.

This statistic can really help with the logos of my paper. This statistic is reasonable because I know that a large number of people have insecurities but not severe enough to sever their function of life.
 


4. What can insecurities lead to? Other diseases?
 
Depression, anxiety disorders, relationship problems, problems dealing with chronic pain or other medical problems, could all come about due to insecurity (although this is only one of many factors leading to such an illness).





This response matches up to my research and the interview with Stephanie, so it must be true.
 
5. If someone were to have insecurities that they feel that it does affect their life negatively, what would you suggest to them?

First, use your current support system of friends and family. If talking this out with them does not solve the problem, consider seeing a psychologist for professional assistance. Most issues with insecurity are very treatable.

Like Stephanie said, it's important to have a support group of family and friends. They can really help with getting things off your chest. 







6. Psychologically, how does one develop an insecurity? Mentally?

See #2







N/A

7. What are some effective ways to overcome insecurity that you see have worked? Medicine?

There is not a medication that will fix insecurity. While there are medicines that could treat symptoms of depression or anxiety, only therapy would help to work on the personal insecurities that caused the problem in the first place.

I think because there isn't a chemical imbalance with anything as small (compared to other diseases/disorders) as insecurities, it's legitimate to say that there aren't any medicines to treat insecurities.



8. How does society play a role in insecurity?

See 2, and add to this that we make unrealistic expectations for people to be beautiful, successful, and rich. This makes us feel inadequate when we do not have all the things you see on television or in advertisements.





Again, this supports my claim that society plays a large role in insecurity. 

9. Do you think religion can help maintain self-image?

There is evidence that those with religious involvement have higher self-esteem and generally healthier behaviors, but this is likely due to the social support of the community rather than the specific religion. Some people (such as gays and lesbians) have had their self-image damaged by religions that condemn being gay.


The main point of this interview was to see the best way to overcome insecurity, and it seems as though talking it out with people you trust and know is the most effective way. What Dr. Fields says about how religion could either hurt/harm the individual's self-image/insecurity is what Stephanie says about religion, as well. And I agree with both that it's really up to the individual and his/her actions to get the right help.

Interview

I realized I could have a chance to interview my cousin, who has a double major in Psychology and Sociology. I had to revise my questions a little bit because she hasn't had as much experience as Dr. Fields. The interview is posted as followed... (The questions that I asked are in bold, the responses are in regular font, and my reactions after the interview is in italic.

In your own words, what is insecurity?

 Insecurity is feeling uncomfortable around anyone. Insecurity also means that you are aware of your low self-esteem and you either point out your flaws expecting compliments or you are consistently attacking others to convinced yourself you are better. Insecurity can also mean that you do not have the confidence to be yourself in any situation. However, insecurity can also be built and fixed by having a great support group.

Stephanie makes a great point here. She does touch upon the "bullying" concept which means that those that have poor self-esteem and high levels of insecurity can lead into bullying others for their pleasure. She also makes a point that being insecure means that you know that you are. I agree with what she says because being insecure could mean that you compare yourself to others, and to do that you have to know your flaws.

In your own words, how do we establish self-image?

Self-image these days, are very important to an individual. We develop these self-images through media, magazines and our social network. I feel that we feel pressure from our peers/friends to be a certain way. However, I also feel that this is apart of the stages of growing up and figuring out who we are. Self-image is based on how we see ourselves in the end and it should only matter to that individual.

I agree very much so to Stephanie's reaction to this question. She brought up aspects of self-image that I've never really seen before. She says that insecurity is a stage in one's life in finding out and accepting who you are. However, I know that some people do not get over this stage and they constantly feel that though they don't know what or don't like their self-image, in which makes them insecure.

How common do you think insecurity is?

I believe that insecurity is very common. I honestly believe that everyone has this insecurity issue at one point or another throughout their lives and we have to learn to deal with them.

Insecurity, as it turns out is very common. So, she is not incorrect here.

What can insecurities lead to?

I believe that insecurities can lead to conflict of relationship(s). It can also mess with your stress level and can either make you gain/lose weight. Too much stress can lead to loss of hair, change of mood and also depression.

Stephanie states that it can lead to high stress levels. I did not really look into this and research this as much as I wanted to. However, I do realize it now but I do feel as though lots of things in life can be stressful, it all depends on how you handle that amount of stress just like how you deal with your insecurities.

If someone were to have insecurities that they feel that it does constantly affect their life negatively, what would you suggest to them?

I would tell them to take it day by day, and really work on their insecurities even if that means baby steps. I strongly believe that if you have a great support system or a way to vent it can really help.

A great support system is, I believe, one of the most effective ways to handle insecurity. Whether it is a friend, a family member, a psychologist/psychiatrist, peer, and/or a teacher, if he/she can just listen to your views you don't have to always keep everything on your shoulders.

Psychologically, how does one develop insecurity? Mentally? 

 I believe that expectations play a huge role in insecurity. This then leads to their mental state that they believe that they are not good enough or think that they do not have the confidences in being themselves.

I never really thought about how expectations can play a role in insecurity. I feel like we obtain lots of expectations from a lot of people. And the pressure to match up to their expectations can really have an effect on how you see yourself.

 What are some effective ways that you believe that can overcome insecurity?

Having your close supporters such as family and friends. Counseling and talking to a therapist. The first step though is to accept and address the insecurities yourself. Before anyone else can begin to accept the flaws you feel you have, you must first take the steps to accept them yourself.

I hear that the first step to overcome anything is acceptance. But I don't see how you can you just accept your flaws. I understand that everyone has flaws, but it is up to the individual to change them. I guess change could be the next step in the process and in order to do that acceptance is key.

How does society play in insecurity?

Society is always building up an ideal image. You have to be this weight, this height, and this smart to be someone in this world. This all comes down to society having a huge expectation on people that people feel they have to meet. 

This response is very valid. Everywhere from television, commercial ads, and even peers, can influence how one thinks one SHOULD look. Expectation is a very big part on insecurity and self-image. 

Do you think religion can help maintain self-image?

I feel that religion can give you faith, but in the end, it comes down to the individual and how he/she feels about themselves. Religion could be a big contributor to insecurities because people feel like they have to be this perfect person, always good and right, but no one is perfect. And that's the problem.

It seems like Stephanie feels indifferent about the relation between religion and self-image. It can either help or hurt their insecurity/self-image. Yet, she is correct in saying that it is up to the individual and how he/she sees himself/herself.

Other Sources

As my final post from other sources (besides the interview with Dr. Andrew Fields later on...), I decided to look into any other sources that I may have missed.

1. "How to Overcome Insecurity." WikiHow. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. <http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Insecurity>.
   

   
   • Surprisingly, this wikihow had some insight as to how to overcome insecurity.
   • For example, one should not always focus on the bad times in the past. This is great advice because the more you think about those times, the less concentrated you are on the present and what you could be missing out on.
   • Another factor that they mention is that you must pay attention to how you surround yourself with. This is great advice as well! If they are encouraging and friendly, they will boost your self-esteem. But if you have friends that always degrade you, you will not have anyone to fall back on in times of trouble.

   •  This was a great website for a self-help example. Although some of their advice went a little overboard, it gave a great whole picture.

    2.  Reep, Serena. "Where Does the Feeling of Insecurity Come From?" Ezine @rticles. SparkNET, 20 Feb. 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2013. <http://ezinearticles.com/?Where-Does-the-Feeling-of-Insecurity-Come-From?&id=2210027>.
   

   • This is a fantastic source that explains where insecurity comes from. The author (a doctor with a Ph.D. in Social Psychology) states that everyone is insecure because they are constantly in a community of people. 
   • The first step to overcoming this would be to admit that you are insecure. Because people see insecurity as being ""weak" "vulnerable" and "powerless".  
   • On the social front, she says that, "And, we want to be accepted and appreciated by others around us so we can feel a sense of reciprocity in our network of relationships." As well as So, one of the sources of the feelings of security or insecurity is from our social environment.  Where we stand in the context of the group and the feedback (implicit or explicit) we get from the group about our value to the group gives us a greater or lesser sense of security about our role in that group."
   •  I'm glad the author believes that because we are always with people, insecurity derives from society and its acceptance of us. 

    
   
   Overall, these articles taught me that I don't always have to look for academic sources to obtain what I need to know. Even Wikipedia gave me advice that I'm sure any insecure person could follow as long as they have an open mind.
   

Questions Part II

As my research comes to a close, I don't think I have an adequate amount of questions than I did in the beginning of this journey.

I do want to see if I could ask my psychology professor could help me by his knowledge and opinions. Ironically, the chapter that we've been learning in class deals with psychological disorders. So, it ties in with what I've been researching. Some questions I can ask him are as followed...

1. In your own words, what is insecurity?
2. In your own words, how do we establish self-image?
3. How common do you think insecurity is?
4. What can insecurities lead to? Other diseases?
5. If someone were to have insecurities that they feel that it does affect their life negatively, what would you suggest to them?
6. Psychologically, how does one develop an insecurity? Mentally?
7. What are some effective ways to overcome insecurity that you see have worked? Medicine?
8. How does society play a role in insecurity?
9. Do you think religion can help maintain self-image?

I know that I've already answered most of these questions by the research that I've done, I just wanted to see it through the perspective of a professional. 

Wikipedia Help

Knowing that insecurities and fears can transform into other harmful disorders, I chose to find out more. Firstly, I wanted to see what Wikipedia said about insecurity.

• The article states, "However, resilience concerns over-all coping, also with reference to the individual's socioeconomic situation, whereas the emotional security specifically characterizes the emotional impact." Even Wikipedia supports my understanding that insecurity comes from an individual's social status.
• Next, it also states, "A person who is insecure lacks confidence in their own value, and one or more of their capabilities, lacks trust in themselves or others, or has fears that a present positive state is temporary, and will let them down and cause them loss or distress by "going wrong" in the future." This is a great explanation of the symptoms of an insecure person.
• It can even lead to bullying, aggression, and arrogance.
• Chemistry wise, people are naturally supposed to be unhappy; therefore, certain Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor or stimulants can reverse this. 
•  Solutions include "self-help programs, substance abuse treatment programs, and psychotherapy to physical exercise and spiritual or religious devotion"

Next, I searched self-image.

• Those with insecurity issues have poor self-images of themselves.
• It goes on to say that stereotypes and prejudice is a factor in self-image which is where bullying may come from. Those that negatively stereotype a person, the more fulfilling they feel in their own self-image. 
• It says that poor self-image starts at a young age. And to fix that, one can produce "communication, reassurance, support of hobbies, and finding role models"
• Moreover, they suggest that exercise can promote healthy physical and psychological stature. 

 Both of these searches not only effectively supported my understanding of insecurity, but it added to it. I didn't think about how poor self-image can lead to bullying even though I've heard that personally. Another factor I found interesting was that Wikipedia suggests that people turn to religion to maintain their self-image, yet on my other searches I found that this doesn't work. 

Real Life Experiences

Next, I wanted to find real-life experiences of insecurity and fears. From past posts, I know that insecurities and fears can produce other disorders, such as anxiety or eating disorders. I wanted to look into if there were any stories that involved my research topic.

Surprisingly, I found a website that is called "I Battle Insecurity Stories, Real True Stories of Real Experiences." This website had plentiful stories from real people that have and are willing to overcome insecurity.

For example, a lot of posts relate to their insecurities to depression. Their insecurities are so potent that it spiraled into a worse condition. Most posts relate their insecurities to relationship issues. They feel as though their insecurities get the best (or in this case, worse) of them and it affects their personal relationships. But the main theme of it all is the strain that society and their peers puts on them on a daily basis. The more they feel as though they are being judged, the more insecure they feel. And the more insecure they feel, the less motivation and happiness they develop.

This website gives me perfect examples on how my research topic relates to the real world. It gives a sense of reality and that people who obtain insecurity can overcome it.

Berjikly, A. (2009, June 29). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.experienceproject.com/group_stories.php?g=201759

Organizations

Next, I wanted to see if there were any organizations that help the cause. I know that insecurities are found in most people all around the world, and I also know that there are people out there that want to help.

I found
http://www.way2hope.org/overcoming_insecurities-nervousness.htm 

• This organization was proposed by Glen Williams, the Director of E-Home Fellowship Co, and the webmaster of way2hope.org. 
• This website has been visited by thousands to help with any life problems since 2001.
• In the article Overcoming Insecurities and Nervousness, it explains the definition of insecurity and nervousness, the signs/symptoms of them, and how to control and overcome them.
•  Most importantly, I wanted to look at the solutions. It said, "No one sees your mistakes like you do" This was eye-opening for me because we put so much pressure on ourselves to be the most perfect person, and we always regress to our mistakes. Instead, the author suggests that instead of asking, "What if?," we should ask, "So what!" 
• The next strategy that Williams suggests that "[t]he bigger the insecurity, the more you have to confront it.  You won't believe the power you'll get from doing all the things that fear kept you from in the past.  This will build your self-esteem like nothing else."

To be honest, the approach to "face your fears" is pretty cliche. All the same, this example shows that cliche does work.