Attachment, Depression, Self, and Self-Esteem

Current concepts of how self-image forms have been informed by a variety of theoretical propositions. One view holds that self-image and concept derive from taking on social roles, the efficacy of this form coming from developing a range of competencies. Additionally, there is the sense of self that derives from the one relationship from which every human being emerges - the attachment relationship, implying the development of a self-image that is essential and not embedded in a variety of inferred social self-images. The relationship between the personal self-image and the social self-image is reflected upon and it is this ability to derive an abstract understanding that distinguishes the self and its social sources. From the perspective of attachment theory, evidence of an inner reflective self with the agency to change. Some individuals are able to present a coherent state of mind or an internal working model of the self in spite of a traumatic childhood. This observation indicates that some individuals possess the capacity to reflect upon, rework and integrate an understanding of their personal past and present, to achieve autobiographical competence or a coherent narrative, in which a true inner self comes to be known. These concepts about the origin of self and the sense of self-esteem are discussed in relation to the natural history, phenomenology, and emergence of depression.