Self-esteem is thrown around a lot in movies, advertisements, and daily conversations. Everyone knows they should have high self-esteem, but not everyone understands why. The fact is, self-esteem can have huge impacts on your everyday life, your performance at work, and your relationships. It's something you should be paying attention to, and, if needed, it's something you can improve.
What is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem has many synonyms: confidence, self-respect, self-regard, and pride. All of these words sum up one concept: the confidence or trust in one's worth and abilities. It's how an individual perceives their worth.
Self-esteem is tied to different factors for each individual. Factors such as age, personality, health, intelligence, thoughts, and life experiences can contribute to or diminish one's self-esteem. For example, one person might feel vivacious and energetic because of their young age, while another person the same age might feel immature and that they aren't taken seriously. It's all about how the individual perceives the characteristics that define them.
Self Esteem & Your Mental Health
Self-esteem and an individual's mental health are intertwined. A person who doesn't believe in themselves or feels good about their abilities isn't able to value themselves. Poor self-esteem can lead to depression and anxiety. In fact, low self-esteem has been linked to low academic achievement, poor work performance, teenage pregnancy, school dropouts, violence, and even suicide.
Higher Risk for Addiction
Children and youth with low self-esteem are more at risk of developing addictions later in life. Often, people turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with feelings of despair, so it's no surprise a person suffering from low self-esteem will take this route. However, addiction is dangerous and can only cause individuals to sink further into an unhealthy mental health state.
Impacts Relationships
People with poor self-esteem may stay in abusive relationships because they believe they don't deserve better treatment. Alternatively, poor self-esteem can negatively impact a positive relationship. A person with low self-esteem may sabotage a relationship with unjustified feelings of jealousy and insecurity about the relationship.
Poor Performance at Work or School
At times, poor self-esteem can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. You think you're bad at your job, so you start questioning everything and making mistakes, which causes you to have a poor performance review. However, people with low self-esteem don't have to accept it. Psychiatry can help build an individual's self-esteem.
Psychiatry Can Help Improve Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is not fixed; it can be diminished or improve. Working with a psychiatrist, patients can see steady improvement in their self-esteem, can understand the root of their low self-esteem and can learn how to identify symptoms of decreases in their self-esteem.
Williamsville Psychiatry Helps Patients Boost Their Self-Esteem
The team of compassionate healthcare professionals at Williamsville Psychiatry will help you prioritize your emotional wellness. You will have an initial consultation with a therapist to get to know one another and identify the goals you want to work on. Book your first appointment today.