I didn't haveany self-esteem issues until later in life when I suffered from an illness which caused ongoing issues, etc. Although my issues may not seem obvious to everyone, when you're in a D/s relationship, you bare everything, inside and out. My Dom would constantly reprimand me for certain comments I'd make about my body, etc. and at one time he did just as Sir_Russell stated: He asked why would He want to be with me if xyz was wrong with me? If I'm not good enough, I must be questioning His likes/dislikes and must not think much of Him? I must admit, when I began to look at this from His POV, it helped bolster my self-esteem tremendously. Although I sometimes slip and have doubts, if He is around, I usually get the "look" and get my act together.