Low self-esteem - symptoms, causes, therapy, prevention

Low self-esteem

Self-esteem is a collective concept that includes a set of self-assessments of one's appearance, level of intelligence, strengths, weaknesses, etc. In a nutshell, self-esteem is an assessment of oneself. The level of self-esteem greatly influences a person's worldview, quality of life, and relationships with others, friends, and loved ones.

Self-esteem can be low, high, and normal. It is the third option that any person should strive for. However, low self-esteem is much more common and has an extremely negative impact on a person's quality of life. This syndrome makes a person show excessive self-criticism, feel guilty, indecisive and want to please others.

A person with low self-esteem

From a young age, a person begins to realize himself as a part of this world. In this, he is helped by his experience, feelings, taste buds, visual and auditory information. However, the first assessment is given by the surrounding adults - fathers, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles. They are the first to explain to the child the difference between "good" and "bad", "beautiful" and "not so", "right" and "wrong". This is where all the complexes originate. After all, “good” or “bad” does not directly relate to the little person himself, it is only his thoughtless or thoughtful act, which could have been different under different circumstances.

By accepting the parents’ claims that it was not they who raised the person poorly, but that the baby himself is ill-mannered, the child considers himself guilty of this “mortal sin”, reproaches himself, projecting it onto other situations. The result is an unsociable, uncommunicative and constrained person with low self-esteem.

Low self-esteem in men

Low self-esteem in men develops in most cases on the basis of financial and career failures. Financial instability, lack of a prestigious job and other similar factors make a person think that he cannot become a reliable support for the household.

The same applies to the intimate issue. Having listened to his friends' mythical stories and watched a certain genre of films, a man is absolutely sure that he will not be able to repeat such feats with the duration of sexual intercourse or the ability to satisfy a woman.

When choosing a partner for life, a man expects support and participation from his beloved in all household and financial matters. However, quarrelsome wives often send barbs and reproaches to their husbands who have done something wrong. Faced with unfounded criticism, scandals and hysterics, a man withdraws into himself, he is tormented by a feeling of guilt and a lack of understanding of what he is doing wrong. As a result, self-esteem decreases even more.

Low self-esteem in a man results in depressive states, a feeling of incessant anxiety, leads to uncontrollable outbursts of anger and panic attacks. In addition, this is the first reason why a man will drown his sorrows in wine or start using drugs.

Low self-esteem in women

Most ladies put appearance in the leading place. It is the overly critical assessment of one's own appearance that is the first factor in the decline of self-esteem. A lady with a normal level of self-esteem is sure that she is wonderful in everything and on any day. If you don't like something, it can always be corrected in the gym or a beauty salon.

Currently, social networks are developing such a complex in many people. Western sociologists and scientists have found that these sites greatly lower women's self-esteem. Looking at photos of friends and acquaintances who have had plastic surgery or are vacationing at luxury resorts, a woman compares herself with them, and the comparison is clearly not in her favor. This type of reasoning is called self-objectification.

Many women simply do not notice or do not know how to accept signs of courtship from men. Pleasant reviews and enthusiastic words about themselves cannot but cause good feelings. However, insecure women either refuse to listen to them or are embarrassed. She proves to everyone around her and to herself that she is not worthy of such flattering reviews about her own modest person.

Unsuccessful relationships with men are also a reason for low self-esteem. Divorce is especially painful for the female psyche. A woman feels not only unnecessary, but also a failure as a wife, housewife, and mother of a family. At the request of society, she had to save her family, but at the behest of her heart, she could not.

Low self-esteem: reasons

The main factor of low self-esteem for any person is constant presence in a hostile environment. Some people try to assert themselves at the expense of others, humiliating them and putting them in an unfavorable light. This also greatly reduces self-esteem.

According to psychologists, comparison with other people ultimately has a detrimental effect. This leads to dissatisfaction with oneself, self-criticism, and a decrease in self-esteem.

Low self-esteem: how to deal with it?

First of all, you cannot set unrealistic goals for yourself. By gradually, little by little, but regularly reaching certain heights, a person begins to believe in himself and his strengths, and it becomes easier for him to conquer other, more serious peaks. You should never take into account the criticism of people who are hostile to you.

You must reward yourself for every breakthrough, step, and success. Self-confidence must be developed gradually. You just need to pay attention to your strengths and ignore your weaknesses. The main thing in any situation is not to blame yourself. What has been done and what has happened cannot be corrected. You can only change the situation for the better or accept everything as it is.

Only death cannot be corrected, other problems can be solved, so you should start small and move along the beaten path, without rushing to conclusions about your own worth. Ideally, you set motivation for yourself. Each successful effort should be rewarded, an unsuccessful one should be rewarded for the fact that it was done at all.

You need to learn to win and lose. You can't let failures take over your life. They shouldn't become a reason for self-loathing, but only a springboard to new achievements.

Low self-esteem is a serious psychological problem that is provoked by a number of factors. The best way out of this situation is to contact a specialist at our clinic:

• You will be able to find the starting point at which the turning point in the self-esteem system occurred.
• Find the reasons for dissatisfaction with yourself and neutralize their significance.
• Learn how to behave correctly with people who are trying to assert themselves at your expense.
• Equalize the emotional component and normalize the level of self-esteem.

It is difficult to cope with this problem, but it is possible. To look at yourself in a new way, it is enough to pay attention to your real self, and our experienced doctors will definitely help you become more confident in yourself and your abilities!