Is low self esteem a symptom of depression


The Relationship Between Low Self-Esteem and Depression

Your self-esteem plays a role in how you feel, particularly when it comes to mood disorders like depression.

Boosting your self-esteem can help you cope with depression as you find your treatment plan of choice. How you view yourself can affect your mental health and day-to-day life.

“Low self-esteem, characterized by feelings of worthlessness and incapability, is often seen in people seeking therapy for depression,” says Thomas A. Veeder, MD, a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine in Portland, Oregon.

Sometimes feelings of low self-esteem stem from your early childhood, including traumatic events, genetics, or your caregivers’ styles of parenting.

There’s evidence that low self-esteem may be a learned behavior, and learning ways to boost your self-esteem may help symptoms of depression.

You may find that when your symptoms of depression worsen, so do your thoughts about yourself.

A 2019 study of Vietnamese students looked at the prevalence of low self-esteem and its relation to depression and other mental health problems. The findings support previous research that says people with low self-esteem may be at greater risk for depression.

The results showed that low self-esteem may contribute to anxiety, depression, and thoughts of self-harm among adolescents.

Students who reported low self-esteem had nearly six times the odds of being at risk of depression and four times the odds of having depressive symptoms when compared to other students.

Low self-esteem is so common that it’s often overlooked as a factor related to depression, despite all the research that shows they are commonly connected. They often “coexist and reinforce each other,” says Veeder.

People with low self-esteem tend to catastrophize everyday events or interactions, which may affect how they see themselves.

Also, guilt can be a driving factor for depression, says Veeder. “The emotional conditions inherent in depression such as guilt, hopelessness, and apathy can lead to despair.”

“If someone with low self-esteem starts to feel guilty about something, it reinforces their depression,” says Veeder. “Then their depression — when they can’t get out of bed — can reinforce their guilt and their low self-esteem.”

Low self-esteem tends to present itself in times of crisis, which may trigger symptoms of depression. Low self-esteem does not cause depression, but it’s quite common during periods of depression.

“There are both conscious and unconscious ways people can experience low self-esteem,” says Veeder. Life events such as a breakup of a relationship, losing a game, or not getting a promotion can all reinforce a low self-esteem.

“Those are the more conscious ways that people experience it and those can kind of ebb and flow in people’s lives,” says Veeder.

On an unconscious level, feelings of worthlessness, inferiority, or low self-esteem may fade into the back of someone’s mind. You may not notice your self-esteem until you’re dealing with a traumatic event or a difficult time in your life.

“Sometimes we can move away from it. We can get past it and we can feel better about ourselves for a brief period of time,” explains Veeder. “But when something happens — a big crisis or transition — sometimes those feelings get all activated again.”

Having low self-esteem can affect our ability to perform and achieve in different aspects of our lives, says Ryan Howes, a clinical psychologist in Pasadena, California, and author of “Mental Health Journal for Men”.

“If we feel worthless and unable to change our circumstances for the better, we’re feeding into the hopeless/helpless belief that can lead to or amplify depression,” wrote Howes in an email interview.

“Challenges in life are inevitable. If we don’t feel equipped to face those challenges, or don’t feel like we deserve to overcome them, life feels hopeless and helpless, which is a hallmark of depression.

It’s worth exploring how your opinion of yourself shapes how you respond in a crisis.

Consider these questions that center on your relationship to self-esteem:

  • When something goes wrong do I always assign blame to myself?
  • Do I assign blame to everyone else and never myself?

These questions target how you respond during times of crisis. Assigning blame and worsening your opinion of yourself both may occur when you have a tendency to catastrophize during uncertain times.

“In addition, overly critical and negative self-talk, physical avoidance of mirrors or attempts to disappear in public, being passive about sharing your opinion or neglecting self-care can all be markers of someone with low self-esteem,” says Howes.

Finally, low self-esteem may interact with your relationships with stress and substance use, including substance use disorder (SUD).

Many people find benefits through the use of cell phone app-based meditation or mindfulness exercises to combat low self-esteem.

Consider these self-care activities to help you with low self-esteem or symptoms of depression:

  • yoga
  • massage
  • taking a hot soak
  • socializing
  • maintaining positive relationships
  • meditation
  • visiting places of worship
  • reading from spiritual or religious texts
  • prayer
  • community involvement
  • seeking peace and finding joy

Moreover, a recent study indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) shows promise in helping you overcome low self-esteem and symptoms of depression.

CBT works by identifying, tackling, and changing unhelpful thinking so that your mindset, behaviors, and overall well-being improve with practice.

For people working to improve self-esteem, it’s helpful to stop putting things in “buckets of good and bad or right and wrong,” advises Veeder.

Instead, he advises, “just be curious about why this happened or why did I feel this way because you’ll learn a lot more about yourself with this approach.

“As human beings, we all have some inherent value and worth, even if we’ve made mistakes in the past,” says Howes. “Therapy helps you identify blockages to self-esteem, embrace the worth you have, and work to develop an even more meaningful life.”

Talking to a therapist can help you sort through any feelings of inadequacy and uncover the source of low self-esteem. This can set you on a path toward self-understanding, self-compassion, and self-love.

The Relationship Between Low Self-Esteem and Depression

Your self-esteem plays a role in how you feel, particularly when it comes to mood disorders like depression.

Boosting your self-esteem can help you cope with depression as you find your treatment plan of choice. How you view yourself can affect your mental health and day-to-day life.

“Low self-esteem, characterized by feelings of worthlessness and incapability, is often seen in people seeking therapy for depression,” says Thomas A. Veeder, MD, a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine in Portland, Oregon.

Sometimes feelings of low self-esteem stem from your early childhood, including traumatic events, genetics, or your caregivers’ styles of parenting.

There’s evidence that low self-esteem may be a learned behavior, and learning ways to boost your self-esteem may help symptoms of depression.

You may find that when your symptoms of depression worsen, so do your thoughts about yourself.

A 2019 study of Vietnamese students looked at the prevalence of low self-esteem and its relation to depression and other mental health problems. The findings support previous research that says people with low self-esteem may be at greater risk for depression.

The results showed that low self-esteem may contribute to anxiety, depression, and thoughts of self-harm among adolescents.

Students who reported low self-esteem had nearly six times the odds of being at risk of depression and four times the odds of having depressive symptoms when compared to other students.

Low self-esteem is so common that it’s often overlooked as a factor related to depression, despite all the research that shows they are commonly connected. They often “coexist and reinforce each other,” says Veeder.

People with low self-esteem tend to catastrophize everyday events or interactions, which may affect how they see themselves.

Also, guilt can be a driving factor for depression, says Veeder. “The emotional conditions inherent in depression such as guilt, hopelessness, and apathy can lead to despair.”

“If someone with low self-esteem starts to feel guilty about something, it reinforces their depression,” says Veeder. “Then their depression — when they can’t get out of bed — can reinforce their guilt and their low self-esteem.”

Low self-esteem tends to present itself in times of crisis, which may trigger symptoms of depression. Low self-esteem does not cause depression, but it’s quite common during periods of depression.

“There are both conscious and unconscious ways people can experience low self-esteem,” says Veeder. Life events such as a breakup of a relationship, losing a game, or not getting a promotion can all reinforce a low self-esteem.

“Those are the more conscious ways that people experience it and those can kind of ebb and flow in people’s lives,” says Veeder.

On an unconscious level, feelings of worthlessness, inferiority, or low self-esteem may fade into the back of someone’s mind. You may not notice your self-esteem until you’re dealing with a traumatic event or a difficult time in your life.

“Sometimes we can move away from it. We can get past it and we can feel better about ourselves for a brief period of time,” explains Veeder. “But when something happens — a big crisis or transition — sometimes those feelings get all activated again.”

Having low self-esteem can affect our ability to perform and achieve in different aspects of our lives, says Ryan Howes, a clinical psychologist in Pasadena, California, and author of “Mental Health Journal for Men”.

“If we feel worthless and unable to change our circumstances for the better, we’re feeding into the hopeless/helpless belief that can lead to or amplify depression,” wrote Howes in an email interview.

“Challenges in life are inevitable. If we don’t feel equipped to face those challenges, or don’t feel like we deserve to overcome them, life feels hopeless and helpless, which is a hallmark of depression.”

It’s worth exploring how your opinion of yourself shapes how you respond in a crisis.

Consider these questions that center on your relationship to self-esteem:

  • When something goes wrong do I always assign blame to myself?
  • Do I assign blame to everyone else and never myself?

These questions target how you respond during times of crisis. Assigning blame and worsening your opinion of yourself both may occur when you have a tendency to catastrophize during uncertain times.

“In addition, overly critical and negative self-talk, physical avoidance of mirrors or attempts to disappear in public, being passive about sharing your opinion or neglecting self-care can all be markers of someone with low self-esteem,” says Howes.

Finally, low self-esteem may interact with your relationships with stress and substance use, including substance use disorder (SUD).

Many people find benefits through the use of cell phone app-based meditation or mindfulness exercises to combat low self-esteem.

Consider these self-care activities to help you with low self-esteem or symptoms of depression:

  • yoga
  • massage
  • taking a hot soak
  • socializing
  • maintaining positive relationships
  • meditation
  • visiting places of worship
  • reading from spiritual or religious texts
  • prayer
  • community involvement
  • seeking peace and finding joy

Moreover, a recent study indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) shows promise in helping you overcome low self-esteem and symptoms of depression.

CBT works by identifying, tackling, and changing unhelpful thinking so that your mindset, behaviors, and overall well-being improve with practice.

For people working to improve self-esteem, it’s helpful to stop putting things in “buckets of good and bad or right and wrong,” advises Veeder.

Instead, he advises, “just be curious about why this happened or why did I feel this way because you’ll learn a lot more about yourself with this approach.”

“As human beings, we all have some inherent value and worth, even if we’ve made mistakes in the past,” says Howes. “Therapy helps you identify blockages to self-esteem, embrace the worth you have, and work to develop an even more meaningful life.”

Talking to a therapist can help you sort through any feelings of inadequacy and uncover the source of low self-esteem. This can set you on a path toward self-understanding, self-compassion, and self-love.

10 signs of low self-esteem and how to raise it

How we treat ourselves is how others treat us. Low self-esteem is a syndrome that can lead to serious problems both in your career and in your personal life.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be both a manifestation of low self-esteem and its cause. A perfectionist who strives for non-existent perfection or simply high standards rarely gets satisfaction from his work and is therefore more susceptible to criticism. He strives to conform to the ideal image that he has created for himself, and, not achieving it, he experiences a feeling of disappointment in himself, up to contempt.

Speech

A person with low self-esteem constantly uses certain words in his speech. Firstly, these are negative phrases expressing denial: “impossible, not sure, not ready, I do not have the appropriate knowledge; yes, but…”

Secondly, constant apologies. And thirdly, phrases that belittle the value of human actions and labor. Surely you are familiar with excuses: “I was just lucky”, “my colleagues did most of the work, and I just helped them”, and so on. People with low self-esteem do not perceive compliments and gratitude well, trying to immediately argue with praise and prove the opposite. Why? It's all about the guilt complex. It doesn't matter what. Perhaps the work was not done well enough in their opinion, or they made little effort to fulfill the request, even if they did it. Guilt is the next sign by which you can identify a person who does not think too much about himself.

Guilt

Guilt, like perfectionism, can cause low self-esteem. As psychologist Darlene Lanser says, if a person feels deeply guilty and cannot forgive himself for this for a long time, he will constantly reproach himself for this, remind him of his “burden on his heart” and be constantly ashamed of his actions. Ultimately, he will lose self-respect and with it self-esteem.

Dependence can be reversed. A person with low self-esteem suffers from constant self-criticism and is not able to adequately perceive the mistakes of the past. Hence the neurotic guilt of insecure people

Depression

According to a study by Lars Madslen, PhD in Psychology, self-doubt can also be the cause of frequent depression or persistent bad mood. According to her, self-esteem is the key to both development and recovery from depression, which is considered a serious psychological problem.

Justifications

People with low self-esteem tend to justify others, even if their actions are contrary to all norms of behavior. Usually they argue that everyone has their own circumstances, that everyone can be understood. Psychologists explain this position as an attempt to avoid criticism, which can be encountered when judging others.

Lack of initiative

What really hinders people with low self-esteem in the professional field is the lack of initiative. Such a person, having received certain powers, will, at any opportunity, transfer them into the wrong hands. No wonder, because he is not sure that he will cope with his task, even if he is an “ace” in his field. In a dispute with an interlocutor, he is also unlikely to be able to defend his position, preferring to agree with his opponent.

Indecision

Such people are not ready to bear responsibility for their decisions. They generally prefer not to decide anything. Suddenly they make a mistake, and the decision turns out to be wrong. In this case, it will not be possible to avoid criticism. The worst thing for insecure people is criticism of loved ones: relatives, friends, whom they are afraid of losing. After all, this, in their opinion, will be the price for the wrong decision.

Trying to avoid conflicts

"Not sure, don't mess around." This is the attitude of people with low self-esteem. They are ready to do anything to avoid conflict situations or tensions between people. Everything should be harmonious, even if this is achieved through “white lies”, which sooner or later will lead to more serious problems.

Hostility

There is also the reverse side of the coin, when people with low self-esteem, on the contrary, show open hostility and cynicism towards others. This is just a variant of the defensive position, as they say: "the best way to defend is to attack."

Fatigue, insomnia, headache

Symptoms of low self-esteem can be not only psychological but also physical. According to psychologists, extreme self-disappointment leads to chronic insomnia, fatigue, and headaches.

How to cope with uncertainty and develop a real image of yourself

If you have not yet decided to come to a specialist and work through your delusions about yourself together at psychotherapeutic meetings, you can use the following general recommendations:

If your uncertainty is situational , that is, it is associated with some situation or with some person and is not permanent, then you have two options for exiting. The first option is to stop communicating with the person or get into a situation that makes you feel insecure about yourself. Such a decision also has its own significant disadvantage - it forms a strategy for avoiding failure, which in turn can increase social fears. The second option is to figure out why this particular situation or this particular person makes you feel insecure about yourself. To determine exactly what provokes self-doubt. For example, the appearance of this person, the image that arises in your imagination, thoughts about the situation and the prospects for its development, or the lack of skills required to master this situation. You have to think, analyze and eliminate the cause of self-doubt.

If your self-doubt is global , that is, you constantly feel anxiety, doubt, embarrassment and self-doubt. You look at yourself through your negative self-image.

  • Start by recognizing your personal qualities, even if you are ashamed of them.
  • Learn not to freeze and not to abandon yourself, running away into your inner world, experiencing a sense of shame, but to express it. For example, “I’m not smart…”, “I’m not used to…”, “it scares me a little”, “I’m confused by the environment in which all this is happening, but I want to express it”, etc. Do not allow yourself to "stony" from embarrassment and shame, first remove yourself from this state through movement, and then through the expression of this feeling. Practice this every day.
  • Stop comparing yourself with others, each person is individual. Be yourself and only yourself - no more and no less.
  • Remember that what others think of you does not make you more or less important than you really are.
  • Remember, if you do not make a decision, then others make it in accordance with their desires.
  • Be aware that what you see through the prism of your negative self-image may actually be different.
  • Check your assumptions.
  • It is not enough that it turns out the first time. There are many examples of this in history. Success comes when forces are repeatedly applied to the same point.
  • If you think that no one loves you, then think about whether you love yourself and what example of treating yourself you give to others.
  • Practice your persistence to the point of obsession. Do not remain only with intentions and impulses, but act. Choose safe situations for yourself first and practice your perseverance in them. By making small victories in a safe situation, you are step by step closer to your confidence.
  • Try something new every day to diversify your communication experience. Make things difficult for yourself.

Remember that we are meant to be who we are at heart. This is what you encourage and support.

Source

One of the most impactful ways to increase your self-esteem is to do what you are afraid of. At the same time, this method is one of the most difficult.

I do not call for doing what you are afraid of, if the purpose of such actions is completely incomprehensible. Reckless risk is not justified and usually indicates more stupidity than courage.

A conscious, one might even say prudent overcoming of fear always benefits a person. There are two types of fears that should be overcome:

* something that does not allow you to achieve your goals;

* fears, the overcoming of which will elevate you in your own eyes, increase your self-esteem.

Overcoming the first type of fears is useful both for raising self-esteem and directly for achieving goals.

Overcoming the second type of fears is primarily aimed at increasing self-esteem, but of course, indirectly helps to achieve goals, since a person with higher self-esteem achieves his goals more easily. Low self-esteem often serves as a source of various unfounded fears.

It is fairly easy to identify the fears that one would like to overcome. Each person usually knows his fears, which he would like to overcome. Fears that prevent him from moving towards his goals. Everyone has an internal understanding of this problem.

Someone is afraid of the dark, someone is afraid of swimming, someone is afraid of skydiving, meeting a girl on the street, riding a horse, insects (sometimes even butterflies). For fear to pass, you need to do what you are afraid of, and there is no better way to overcome fear.

You have a product or service, but in order to sell it, you need to call potential buyers. Of course, if you are afraid to call, afraid to be rejected, this seriously reduces the effectiveness of your sales. And of course, the fear of rejection when making calls must be overcome.

What are we afraid of?

What keeps us from doing things we would like to do. Most often, we are afraid of the consequences of our actions, or the uncertainty of such consequences.

But man has a mind that can solve most problems. This includes overcoming your fears.

Identify and write down all possible consequences of your actions. Can it do you any real harm. For example, physical or financial. If the most serious consequences that you can imagine are that you feel uncomfortable or depressed, then this is the case when the main problems are entirely in your head, in your imagination. And nothing serious will happen to you.

If serious consequences are possible, for example, for health or material terms, then think about how they can be minimized or eliminated. To what extent the possible risks correspond to the possible usefulness of your actions.

One can get rid of the fear of the unknown due to the very essence of the problem by studying the issue. The deeper and more detailed you know the subject, the less fear of the unknown you will experience. What is the worst thing that can happen to you if you do this?

Overcome your fear

When you overcome your fear, do what you are afraid of, the fear weakens. And every next step gets easier. Fear suppresses your energy. Courage fills you with energy. You need to understand that most people are afraid of some things.

For example, public speaking. Many famous speakers or artists have become like this because they have overcome their fears.

Imagine what will happen if you overcome your fears. What opportunities will open up for you? Picture this in your mind regularly. Let it stimulate you.

An act in which you overcome your fear can have serious positive consequences, even if it does not lead to the desired result. Such actions change a person, reveal his capabilities. After that, you will no longer be the same as before. You will know that you can. Finally some tips0005

Try every day to do things that you are afraid to do (if it is technically possible). Analyze your mistakes. Try to go from simple to complex. Share your goals with others, then it will be harder to give them up.

WHAT IS FEAR

The fear that something bad will happen in the future is one of the things that makes us human. Animals may be afraid of the immediate danger that threatens them at the moment, but only we are afraid of something that could happen, but has not yet happened and even, at the moment, has not shown its ugly face. Someone will say that such fear is necessary because it protects us from rash acts. But it seems to me that most of these fears are useless, unfounded, and they prevent us from achieving anything worthwhile.

I recently asked my social networking friends, “What fears are keeping you from living?”

Their responses were:

* fear of failure

* fear of rejection / abandonment

* fear of intimacy

* fear of success

* fear of being out of money

* fear of not being up to par 9005 9002 I think that the last fear - the fear of not being up to par - is the source of all other fears. We are afraid to fail because we are not

we correspond to the level we are applying for. We are afraid that we will be abandoned or that we will be rejected ... because we do not fit. We are afraid of intimacy for the same reason - we may be abandoned because of our inconsistency with the desired ideal. Even the fear of success is based on our fear of not being up to par.

Do you have this fear? Fear that you don't fit in? I have it, it was during my entire previous life, it is present now.

But the thing is, being so afraid is natural. It's natural to let fear stop you from achieving your dreams and turn everything into a tragedy.

I did this for about ten years of my adult life. I let the fear of not fitting in stop me from even just trying, even just daring to dream of anything.

But it turned out that my fears were unfounded. I match. Of course, I'm not perfect, but who among us is perfect?

When I was able to overcome the fear of not being up to par, this source of fear of failure and rejection, I truly entered the world and became successful. I learned how to overcome fear. I realized that I can do everything.

But still I still have this fear - I'm still afraid that I might not conform to something, that I will fail, hit my face in the dirt in front of 100,000 observers ... but I I would cease to be human if I did not have such feelings. Even the most successful people like Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, Paul McCartney, JK Rowling have this fear, even if they don't show it. But they don't let that fear stop them from taking action. How to deal with it? Let's talk about it.

There is no step-by-step program for conquering fear, but here is what I have learned from my own experience and from the experience of others.

1. First, acknowledge your fear.

This is an important first step. If you have just done this, then you have done something very serious. So many people have fears, but they live in these people, remaining unnoticed and unrecognized, because people try not to notice their fears and pretend that these fears do not exist. But they exist. And they affect us every day, throughout our lives. So acknowledge your fear.

2. Write it down.

What is this fear? Describe it on paper. When you write down fear on paper, you are not only acknowledging it by bringing it into the light of God, but by doing so you are putting it into concrete form. Now you see this fear that lurked in the depths of your consciousness, where he had the opportunity to command you. But now he is in front of you. Describing your fear, you begin to manage it. Now you have come face to face with it and you can deal with it. As for me, I prefer to crumple the paper with fear and immediately destroy it, but you are free to do as you like. You can, for example, attach what you described to the refrigerator and, in this way, you will know your enemy by sight.

3. Feel the fear.

You have recognized it, but you still cannot overcome it. You are forced to live with this fear, and perhaps it confuses you. What to do now? Try to understand that you are not the only one, that EVERYONE has this fear, that we are all afraid that we may not fit into something. Yes, even the inimitable Barack, even the amazing Jessica Alba, even the unique Al Pacino. They all have the same fear as you. Just like mine. Repeat after me: there is nothing unnatural in fear. Now allow yourself to feel that fear. Feel it to the fullest. Dive into it. It's not as scary as you think. Fear is a part of you, but it does not control you. Here is a well-known saying: "The eyes are afraid, but the hands are doing."

4. Ask yourself: what bad thing can actually happen?

Very often things are not as bad as we imagine. Are you afraid of failing at a new job? And what if that happens? You will find another job. You will move forward. You will continue to live. Are you afraid of being rejected by someone you are in love with? And what happens if it does? You will heal your wounds, find a person who will be more suitable for you, and continue to live. Are you afraid of being left without money? Suppose you are left without them, and then what? You will cut your expenses and maybe your family or friends will help you for a while. And then you'll find a way to make a living. And you will continue to live.

5. Just do it.

I repeat: the eyes are afraid, but the hands are doing. In order to conquer fear, you just need to act. Below you will find some advice on this, but for me it always works to just act without thinking too much. It's like if you decide to dive from a great height: don't think about it. Just dive! It's invigorating. I'm afraid to speak in front of people, but when I have to, I just act and I feel just great. Here is one of the confessions from the Internet: “I am afraid of everything. But one day I decided to ignore my fears and just act. As a result, so many new opportunities opened up for me!”

6. Prepare for battle.

If you are going to challenge, prepare carefully. Arm yourself, draw up a master plan for the battle, get the necessary training. If, for example, you want to be a musician, but you are afraid that you will not succeed, then train, practice and practice again, and then come up with a plan for achieving success that will use all the skills and abilities you have acquired, and then keep practicing this. And only after fulfilling this condition, you can implement your plan!

7. Live in the present.

Fear of failure (and other similar fears) are fears that relate to the future. You're catching on to what could have happened. Instead, drop all thoughts of the future. Drop even thoughts of past mistakes and failures. Focus on the present moment. In order to conquer your fear, do something right now, run after your dreams and forget what could have happened. Just act now, in the present moment. When you catch yourself thinking about the past or the future, immediately return to what you should be thinking about in the present moment.

8. Small steps.

Conquering fear and following life's goals can be

unbearably frightening. Start small. Just take a little baby step. Do what you know you can do. Something that will definitely be successful. Then you will celebrate this success (see below) and take the next baby step. Keep up the good work and soon you will move mountains.

9. Appreciate every success!

Appreciate everything you have done well. Even the smallest detail. Use the feelings that success and victory bring to move forward and take new steps. Bill Gates described the "spiral of success" he used to build Microsoft. He described everything from the early success of MS-DOS to the success of Windows programs, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, and so on. (I understand this is a hackneyed topic, but still!). Use this success spiral idea in your life and, after creating a stone staircase from previous successes, walk up it to your next victory.

Source

Recommended for viewing:

Facts about low self-esteem you have low self-esteem - HEROINE

Adequate self-esteem is of great importance for a person's life and affects how the world sees him. There are many reasons behind problems with self-image and low self-esteem. Of course, only a qualified specialist can diagnose them and find ways to solve problems. But you can determine low self-esteem by analyzing your actions and deeds. In the material, we talk about situational manifestations of low self-esteem, which are most common in most people.

1. Constant feeling of self-pity

Sometimes even the most successful and self-reliant people feel helpless and feel sorry for themselves. However, psychologists emphasize that self-pity is a rather destructive habit. People who tend to feel sorry for themselves are more likely to suffer from mental and emotional problems, as well as dwell on negative thoughts. Chronic discouragement and anxiety can develop into major depression and provoke a pattern of response to external factors that will always lead to self-pity.

Self-pity is a simple means that helps a person get rid of the burden of responsibility, transferring it to the external environment and environment. To get rid of a destructive habit, it is important to first accept that there is a problem.

The next step psychologists recommend is to figure out what events could lead to the development of self-pity. Try to get rid of the external irritant and set yourself real goals and objectives, the solution of which will seem like an interesting quest, and not a painful and painful process. It is important to add more positive factors to life and reconsider the attitude towards yourself and the people around you.

2. The habit of comparing ourselves with other people

Comparing ourselves with other people, we often get hung up on their happiness and our failures, comparing each other precisely in this plane. That is why the habit of comparing yourself with others most often negatively affects self-esteem, drives you into despondency and even depression. In addition, frequent comparison leads to a loss of self-confidence and takes a lot of effort, time and energy.

Comparing oneself with other people is wrong, first of all, because each person takes his own place in life and fulfills certain tasks and plans. We are free to manage only our lives and therefore we know about the grief and joy of others only what they themselves broadcast to us. And this may not always be a true picture.

To stop comparing yourself to other people, you first need to give up the need for public approval of your life and actions. The ability to live consciously and focus on your own feelings and desires will lead to self-acceptance.

To respect other people's achievements and rejoice in the successes of other people is a feature of a truly strong and worthy person. But only by focusing on your tasks and giving up senseless competition can you truly love yourself and overcome low self-esteem.

3. Problems in relationships with other people

Low self-esteem negatively affects relationships with other people, including friendships. In addition, a person with low self-esteem may be perceived by others as intrusive and unworthy of respect.

Obsessive behavior can develop into a panic fear of loneliness. People with low self-esteem often voluntarily give up friendships because they are afraid of suddenly losing loved ones and being alone.

If you come across situations where acquaintances and friends show disrespect towards you, underestimate and humiliate your dignity, this is a serious call to protect yourself from such people. Even in the strongest friendship, you need to objectively evaluate situations and dialogues. If a close friend is not interested in your opinion, and you hear constant criticism addressed to you, most likely, the presence of this person in your life also affects your low self-esteem.

In trying to develop a healthy self-esteem, you may encounter various difficulties. Including, to be disappointed in the immediate environment and to refuse friendship with people who have been with you for many years. But only by forming a healthy relationship with yourself, you can count on healthy relationships with other people.

4. Increased feelings of anxiety

In order to get rid of low self-esteem, it is necessary first of all to start fighting anxiety. Panic and fear constantly haunt a person suffering from low self-esteem. Insecure people tend to analyze any even the most insignificant of their actions, to go in cycles in failures and misconduct. This habit forms anxiety and leads to constant dissatisfaction with oneself and fear of making mistakes. Over time, stress and anxiety increase, and a person becomes a hostage to his negative attitudes and low self-esteem.

Of course, worrying about your life and worrying about crises in life or at work is absolutely normal. But accumulated anxiety, growing every day, can lead to depression and form an unhealthy attitude towards yourself and life. Therefore, it is important to recognize an anxiety disorder in time and seek help from a specialist who will help find the root of the problem and solve it.

5. Inability to refuse

The ability to say “no” without feeling guilty is a quality that a person with healthy self-esteem possesses. It is more difficult for a person suffering from low self-esteem to refuse another person, as he is afraid to seem unhelpful and show his self-sufficiency.

The inability to refuse even those requests that cause psychological or physical discomfort speaks of the existing problems associated with self-perception and self-love. If a person often agrees against his beliefs and interests, over time he will lose his sense of self-importance and fall into an emotional hole.

Fears associated with a possible negative reaction to rejection are formed in early childhood. That is why problem solving requires serious study, self-examination and analysis of one's own life.

To get rid of the fear of rejection, you need to understand what attitudes influence your behavior. A clear vision of problems will allow you to solve them as soon as possible and learn to live in harmony with yourself.

6. Concern about the opinions of others

Social anxiety or concern about the opinions of others is characteristic of people with low self-esteem. Considering the opinions of other people in order to build pleasant and comfortable relationships with them is quite normal. However, the desire to indulge other people in everything and meet their requirements can lead to a nervous breakdown and depreciation of one's personality.


Learn more