The term inferiority complex was adopted from literature by Alfred Adler and today describes serious psychological problems. Unfortunately often used as a prejudice, complexes are a mental disorder in which the sufferer feels inferior and inadequate. Therapy is provided with psychotherapeutic intervention.
What are inferiority complexes?
Individuals burdened with feelings of inferiority suffer from a parallel negative self-image. Therapy is provided with psychotherapeutic intervention. Individuals burdened with feelings of inferiority suffer in parallel from a negative self-image. Their achievements and successes never seem to be enough for them, because they make unfulfillable demands on themselves. Affected persons tend to be perfectionists, hang themselves up on supposed character weaknesses and react depressively when their actions do not meet the high demands they make on themselves. This spurs them on to ever new, ever more extreme peak performances, which, however, are accompanied by psychological and physical illnesses. Many sufferers are suicidal and suffer from gender-related symptoms such as aggressiveness when criticized, eating disorders and addictions. Those who suffer from inferiority complexes often withdraw into themselves to avoid confrontation with others.A lack of social contact and loneliness are the consequences and further reinforce the inferiority complexes.
Causes
The causes of inferiority complexes, as with all mental disorders, are found in childhood. Affected individuals, according to Sigmund Freud’s research, suffered from lack of parental love and care and inadequate recognition of their achievements from an early age. According to Freud, typical parental mistakes such as failure to breastfeed, too little time for the child, and lack of empathic support are the causes of inferiority complexes. Affected persons were often criticized as children and rarely praised. Paul Häberlin adds to Freud’s theories the statement that too much spoiling of children also favors later inferiority complexes. For if the spoiling remained absent, the child and the adult would later always be in search of this recognition, which is impossible in healthy relationships. Even in adulthood and despite often remarkable careers, those affected by both causes constantly seek recognition and cannot enjoy success. Their constant insecurity and almost compulsive habit of comparing themselves to others in everything they do turn sufferers into depressed outsiders.
Diseases with this symptom
- Eating disorders
- Obesity
- Borderline Syndrome
Diagnosis and course
It is important to distinguish normal doubts about one’s own achievements from an exaggerated negative self-image and pathological inferiority complexes. The diagnosis of pathological inferiority complexes can only be made if the affected person seeks help for himself. A visit to a psychologist or a psychiatric outpatient clinic with a request for help provides information about the presence of a mental abnormality and the severity of the inferiority complexes. Professional diagnosis of the inferiority complexes is carried out in one or two sessions of several hours with the completion of standardized questionnaires and several interviews with psychiatrists or psychotherapists. On the basis of the results thus established, therapy is initiated. In some cases, inferiority complexes are a symptom of a personality disorder such as borderline, in which case recovery is questionable. If inferiority complexes occur as independent problems, self-help and psychotherapy promise good prospects.
Complications
Inferiority feelings may be associated with various psychological disorders or may develop into major problems if they are not treated. For example, it is possible that feelings of inferiority may turn into social anxiety. People with evaluation anxiety fear being judged poorly by others. Even if they know this fear is exaggerated or unfounded, they often cannot detach themselves from it. Social anxiety often causes sufferers to withdraw and avoid situations in which others might evaluate them. Feelings of worthlessness or guilt can also impair performance at work, at school or in general in front of other people.In some cases, the performance merely cannot be retrieved at the decisive moment (for example, in an exam), although the person is perfectly capable of performing accordingly in other situations. Other mental disorders are also possible as a result of feelings of inferiority or as their cause. These include depressive disorders and various personality disorders. Here, further complications such as listlessness or suicidality may be possible. People with feelings of inferiority sometimes perceive themselves or their problems as too unimportant. For those affected, it is therefore important to take their own problems and complaints seriously and to allow themselves to talk to a doctor or therapist about them.
When should one go to the doctor?
With inferiority complexes, it is difficult to predict when medical treatment is necessary. Often, outsiders and friends of the sufferer can make a good assessment of the situation and offer advice to the patient. If the inferiority complexes occur primarily in the teenage years and are related to puberty, a visit to the doctor is usually not necessary. At this age, it is common for teenagers to suffer from inferiority complexes. If they are within limits and are related to bad skin, for example, no medical treatment is needed. A doctor should be consulted for inferiority complexes when there are severe limitations in life due to the condition. This is the case, for example, when the patient withdraws and no longer participates in social gatherings due to the inferiority complexes. Treatment by a psychologist is also necessary to treat the inferiority complexes in cases of psychological complaints or depression. Urgent medical treatment is needed if the patient is self-inflicting pain. Self-injurious behavior can lead to serious consequences and should be treated as soon as possible. In case of general dissatisfaction, it is usually worth visiting a doctor to find out and treat the cause of the inferiority complex.
Treatment and therapy
The pillars of treatment for inferiority complexes are psychotherapy and self-help. Self-help consists of exchanging ideas with other sufferers and consulting a trusted person who could provide neutral and objective assessments of professional performance. A statement about the performance of the affected person should be neutral and well-founded. Since patients mostly have problems with asking others for an assessment of their performance and with accepting the objectivity of this statement, initial psychotherapeutic discussions should precede this step. In the case of inferiority complexes, behavioral therapy is usually the best choice. First, the causes are explored and realistically questioned in a slow thought process. This is followed by tasks to learn a new behavior and to experience what has been learned in everyday life. The goal of psychotherapy is to build a healthy self-confidence.
Outlook and prognosis
Overcoming inferiority complexes without outside help is difficult, but not impossible. Usually, they are due to educational errors in early childhood. If the suffering pressure is very strong, the help of a psychotherapist should be sought. Nevertheless, those affected can learn to better deal with their low self-esteem. The easiest way to overcome inferiority complexes is for sufferers to face their fears. This method is also used in confrontation therapy. The feeling of one’s own worth can be increased with psychological tricks. Positive affirmations, i.e. positive beliefs recited regularly, help in overcoming and make one more satisfied. Through constant repetition, these phrases become firmly anchored in the subconscious. Recitation can be supported by writing them down in a diary. It is helpful to know that no human being has a certain value from birth. Comparing oneself to others usually leads to a negative spiral. A pessimist always finds something wrong with himself. Whoever refrains from such thoughts as a matter of principle lives more easily and more freely. Inferiority complexes and the tendency to perfectionism often occur together. Those who also allow mistakes once in a while and do not immediately react to supposedly self-inflicted obstacles with withdrawal can free themselves from many problems.However, if feelings of inferiority are accompanied by a mental illness, they must be treated by a doctor.
Prevention
Parents protect their children from inferiority complexes by instilling a healthy sense of self, being loving in their interactions, and taking their feelings seriously. A healthy amount of praise and criticism are keys to a healthy psyche.
Here’s what you can do yourself
In case of inferiority complexes, it is not necessary to see a psychologist immediately. In most cases, clarifying conversations with one’s friends, family or another trusted person will help. Under no circumstances should the affected person shut themselves away and should be open and honest about their problem. Self-help groups can also be visited here, which can treat the inferiority complexes. The sufferer should stop doing activities that lead to the inferiority complexes. This includes, for example, watching programs on television in which inauthentic desirable dimensions are presented. These have a particularly negative effect on children and adolescents and can lead to false ideas. Likewise, contact with the people who have contributed to the inferiority complexes should be interrupted. In many cases, books and sharing experiences help to eliminate the symptom. Likewise, it is always helpful to orient oneself to a healthy rhythm of life. This includes, above all, a healthy diet and lots of physical activity. The exchange of experiences can also be done anonymously on the Internet and can also help to solve the inferiority complex. Adults should always teach children a reasonable self-esteem and thus protect them from the inferiority complexes.
