Your self-esteem plays a critical role in how you view and value not only yourself but the world around you, as well. When your self-esteem is low, it can quickly lead to feelings of sadness, depression, self-hatred, guilt, and anxiety, each of which can take a major toll on every aspect of your life.

Fortunately, having a low sense of self-esteem doesn’t have to be a permanent condition. Prompt treatment can help improve your self-esteem and help “undo” the damage it’s caused to other areas of your life.

At Sal Rediscovery Center in Norwalk, California, Salisu Aikoye, MD, uses innovative therapeutic approaches to design custom treatment plans aimed at improving self-esteem and helping patients develop healthier perspectives on themselves and their lives. In this post, learn the signs and symptoms of low self-esteem and the importance of seeking treatment as soon as possible.

Signs of low self-esteem

If you suffer from self-esteem, it’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of negative thinking that can make it difficult to recognize symptomatic behaviors. These are just a few of the signs and symptoms to look for:

  • Being angry at yourself
  • Being self-critical
  • Making disparaging comments or “jokes” about yourself
  • Having problems taking compliments
  • Feeling inferior to others
  • Focusing on what you perceive to be your imperfections
  • Ignoring any positives about yourself
  • Feeling like you’re always to blame
  • Believing you don’t deserve good things
  • Believing you don’t deserve happiness
  • Practicing self-sabotage that prevents you from achieving success
  • Harming oneself physically

It’s easy to see how these symptoms can interfere with most areas of your life, including your ability to perform at work, have lasting relationships, and even simply enjoy your life. In fact, many people with low self-esteem develop substance misuse problems, often as a means of coping or escaping from their unhappiness.

Treating low self-esteem

Low self-esteem typically develops over time as a result of an underlying problem, like:

  • Clinical depression or anxiety
  • Poor school performance
  • Being bullied at school or elsewhere
  • Uncaring parents or caregivers
  • Financial troubles or problems at work
  • Ill treatment by a partner
  • Relationship troubles

Treatment for low self-esteem focuses on helping you feel better now and identifying and dealing with potential triggers or causes.

As with any medical treatment, therapy for low self-esteem is based on many factors, including the underlying causes of your low self-esteem, your lifestyle, the symptoms you’re experiencing, and other factors. We tailor every treatment plan based on the individual patient, often combining “talk” therapy with medication to treat underlying problems like depression or anxiety. Regular “check-ins” also ensure your treatment stays on track and focused on your healthy future.

Get help for your low self-esteem

While improving low self-esteem can help you feel better in the short term, research shows the benefits of treatment are long-lasting, too. In fact, seeking treatment as soon as possible has important implications for virtually every aspect of your life.

If you have any symptoms of low self-esteem, take a moment to really be kind to yourself, and use that moment to schedule an evaluation with our team. That single act could change your entire life for the better. To learn more, call 562-669-3287 or book an appointment online at Sal Rediscovery Center today.