Self-esteem
Our self-esteem is how we value and perceive ourselves. If you have low self-esteem you may feel:
- like you hate or dislike yourself
- worthless or not good enough
- unable to make decisions or assert yourself
- like no one likes you
- you blame yourself for things that aren't your fault
- guilt for spending time or money on yourself
- unable to recognise your strengths
- undeserving of happiness
- low in confidence.
Having little self-belief can stop you from living the life you want to live.
Is low self-esteem a mental health problem?
Having low self-esteem isn't a mental health problem in itself, but the two are closely linked.
Some of the experiences of low self-esteem can also be symptoms of mental health problems, such as:
- feeling hopeless
- blaming yourself unfairly
- hating yourself
- worrying about being unable to do things.
If lots of things are affecting your self-esteem for a long time, this may lead to a mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety.
Having a mental health problem can cause you to have low self-esteem, which can make it more difficult to cope or take steps to increase your self-esteem.
