Low self-esteem can be the root cause of some mental health problems and can cause a vicious circle. You feel bad about yourself, so you get depressed, which makes you feel even worse about yourself, so you get more depressed and it can be difficult to break that cycle. Positive thinking and boosting self-esteem will improve emotional well-being.
Self-esteem is how you think about yourself, the opinion you have of yourself. If you have low self-esteem, the thoughts you have about yourself tend to be negative and focus on what you think are your weaknesses. Having a low opinion of yourself can make you more prone to mental health problems such as eating disorders, depression or anxiety and phobias.
Self-esteem can just be down to your own temperament. However, negative experiences in childhood can contribute to feelings of low self-esteem. People who have been abused or neglected in their childhoods often have low self-esteem or young people who feel they have not matched up to their parents’ expectations. Other things that can affect someone’s self-esteem include bullying, trauma, poor physical health and social exclusion.
Having low self-esteem can affect work, personal relationships and your social life so it is important to tackle low self-esteem to boost positive thinking and positive mental well-being.
Symptoms of low self-esteem
- feeling worthless
- feeling incompetent and unrealistic about our abilities
- feeling unloved
- being overwhelmed with fear and negative thoughts
- being unrealistic about goals
- being drawn into destructive relationships
- fear of change
- distorted views of self and others
If you can identify with the above and would like support or further information, please contact us.
The following online resources provide additional information:
http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/increase_your_self-esteem
http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/whats_worrying_you_about_your_child/self-esteem?gclid=COrS6tXK2LMCFerItAodEhEAyg