Self-Esteem
What is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem reflects a person’s overall and subjective emotional evaluation of his or her self-worth. Individuals with low self-esteem often experience social withdrawal, anxiety, bouts of sadness or depression, reduced social skills and self-confidence, eating disorders, difficulty accepting compliments, an inability to see oneself fairly, reluctancy to take of challenges, trust one’s own decision making, and to prioritize oneself.
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Low self-esteem has been linked to violent behaviors, promiscuity, teen pregnancy, suicide, maladaptive coping behaviors, low academic achievement, and school dropout. Furthermore, low self-esteem is commonly seen in those suffering with addiction and in gang members.
Research has made it more apparent than ever before the importance of addressing and overcoming low self-esteem concerns.
How do you Treat Low Self-Esteem?
It's important to note that low self-esteem is not considered to be a mental health disorder; however, it is commonly linked to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use, and a host of other mental health disorders and concerns.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a wonderful treatment approach for self-esteem issues. It involves psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, implementing positive self-talk, self-care, and learning to be an objective media viewer. These components are meant to help alter unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns that contribute to low self-esteem. Your therapist will also likely incorporate components of mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral approaches as well. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to increase psychological flexibility by reducing fusion to thoughts and building committed action. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to address self-esteem concerns involves increasing mindfulness, reducing comparisons and self-judgments, and regulating emotions without making it worse.
If getting help to address your self-esteem issues seems scary, don’t worry, we understand, and you are not alone. Our therapists are here to guide you every step of the way, by providing you with every tool necessary to work toward developing a healthier self-image. We look forward to helping you on your journey.