"Many individuals routinely or habitually let others hurt them. This occurs for many different reasons, but regardless of the justification, allowing others to hurt you is destructive to your mental health. Each time you allow someone to hurt you, your mental health is further compromised. Defending oneself is instinctual. We are driven consciously as well as unconsciously to protect ourselves from harm. This drive is necessary for the perpetuation of our species."
"Allowing others to hurt you is the ultimate form of self-neglect. Things we value, we protect and care for. When we neglect our own basic need to protect ourselves, we degrade ourselves. We allow others to damage our body or our minds. Mental health requires that we value ourselves as the most precious thing that we will ever have. Allowing others to hurt you is treating yourself as disposable."
"Degrading your self-worth by allowing it to be damaged by others undermines your self-esteem and self-confidence. When this occurs regularly, it can cause self-doubt, anxiety, depression and other symptoms of mental illness. As these symptoms become more intense, they become more likely to impede optimal daily function. Mental health requires that we are truthful with ourselves and trust ourselves above all others."
Allowing others to hurt you to preserve relationships progressively damages mental health, undermining self-esteem, self-confidence, and daily functioning. Defensive instincts protect against harm; failing to defend oneself represents self-neglect and treats the self as disposable. Regular hurt fosters self-doubt, anxiety, depression and impairs autonomy by eroding self-trust. Healthy people who care will attempt to stop harmful behavior when informed; unhealthy people who do not care will continue to inflict harm. Establishing boundaries can prevent further injury, though firm boundaries may alter or end relationships to protect mental well-being.
Read at Psychology Today
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