...Pretty much what you've described.
The low self-esteem issue can lead to the constant need for reassurance (and men can do this too). Unfortunately, it can also turn into a control game, where one person in a relationship constantly uses that tactic to keep the other off-guard and always making up (or apologizing) for things they hadn't done wrong.
Control-by-guilt is a very effective tool and, worse, most of the time it's done subconsciously. Very hard to resolve in a relationship. Best approach, IMO, is to attack it head-on. Talk about the issue directly and try to find out what the low self-esteem partner fears most about the relationship. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But it's something to try, at least. |
