WOMAN	Pretending to be confident was so convincing that my parents really had no idea that I had issues with self-esteem.
WOMAN 2	My self-esteem was so low that I didn't feel like I mattered. I remember pushing everyone away.
MAN	It would have been hard for my parents to notice anything.
ONSCREEN TEXT	What I wish my parents knew about...SELF-ESTEEM.
WOMAN	I think the two biggest things for me are either comparing myself to others or comments from others. A lot of sadness, a bit of frustration.
MAN	I think it means the way you feel about yourself and how you feel you should act around people.
WOMAN 2	What you think of yourself, whether that be good or bad.
WOMAN	For me, low self-esteem sort of manifested in trying to prove myself and always kind of seeking their approval as well.
MAN	I felt like if I opened up too much, then they wouldn't stop worrying about me and I didn't tell them the complete story.
WOMAN 2	With my parents, they just worried. Extremely worried about why I was like that.
WOMAN	They didn't really give me advice. They just sort of became a lot more aware of certain comments that would affect me.
WOMAN 2	It's funny 'cause I remember my mum saying one thing to me. She said in Cantonese, and she said, (SPEAKS CANTONESE), which means 'add oil', literally 'add oil'. And she meant that in an encouraging way for me to keep your chin up and keep going.
MAN	They just told me they love me. And, honestly, that made such a big difference. Even though I said something so little, the way they reacted made such a big difference.