Another way of putting it: The awareness of oneself as a ‘self’ which develops after healing one’s dependence on achievements and approval for the unhealthy substitute of an emotional high.
The awareness of a Self that you can develop over time after realizing you don’t have a healthy ongoing feeling of being a ‘real person’ and then doing a lot of healing, reprogramming, and reconditioning. With enough time and effort, this Restored-Sense-of-Self grows stronger and ultimately replaces the less healthy sense of self you had. In some ways, though, the reconditioning is endless.
This new ongoing and permanent ‘inner knowing’ of being an independently-existing, autonomous person is as close as you can get to the kind of Sense-of-Self which would have developed in a psychologically healthier childhood situation.
A Restored-Sense-of-Self finally fills the terrifying ‘black hole’ created by the absence of appropriate development of a Natural-Sense-of-Self in childhood. Instead of feeling ‘homeless’ as a Being, you have a steady, sturdy ‘inner home’ which is a basis for freedom and love. Instead of always having to fulfill conditions and meet requirements, you love yourself independent of any outcome.
The healing and reprogramming suggestions offered on this website are in the Recovery section.