< Psychology I have suffered with low self-esteem for years. I would be unnecessarily self-conscious and self-critical because of my cleft lip and palate. I worried constantly what people thought and felt I needed to prove myself. Whilst my determination to do things despite my cleft has meant I don’t have regrets about letting it hold me back, it has also made it hard to realise that the determination comes from myself, not my cleft. I never wanted people to judge me because