Many individuals with low self esteem can trace it back to traumatic experiences during childhood or adolescence, though genetics and environment also play a part.
Some symptoms of low self-esteem include comparing yourself with others and pleasing people, as well as difficulty setting boundaries with others. People suffering from this often struggle to establish healthy boundaries with those they interact with.
1. You’re Always With Your Partner
People suffering from low self esteem often have an inaccurate view of themselves and can view themselves as less-than-attractive and incapable of success. Negative thoughts and perceptions cause perfectionism, fear of failure and difficulty adapting to challenges in their daily lives.
Without self-worth, many can feel that they do not have value as people; thus they seek outside sources like careers, relationships, power and success to feel worthy. Unfortunately this can lead to patterns of negative thinking, self-criticism and trust issues which are damaging for overall well-being as well as relationships. A skilled therapist can assist them with transitioning away from these behavior-inducing internal practices towards healthy levels of self-esteem and acceptance.
2. Low Self Esteem – You’re Clingy
If your self esteem in your relationship is low, you may feel compelled to remain close at all times with your partner. This could be a telltale sign that you don’t deserve their love and want desperately to hold onto something they don’t deserve; this can become very clingy and lead to problems in your relationship such as texting them nonstop, creating drama or pretending your feelings have been hurt in order to obtain an apology from them.
Are You Avoiding Healthy Boundaries in Your Relationship and Not Telling them When They Treat You Poorly or Accepting Disrespectful Behavior Because They Feel They Deserve It? A therapist can assist in learning to love yourself, changing any negative thought patterns that exist and setting healthy boundaries and demanding respect in relationships.
3. Signs of Low Self Esteem – You’re Distant
People with low self-esteem often hold back, not wanting to trust or risk being hurt again. Staying distant can be hazardous both to them and those around them.
Doing things to humiliate yourself often and turning down compliments could be signs of low self-esteem and lack of confidence.
People suffering from low self-esteem tend to compare their lives with that of others and feel they do not measure up to others’ experiences, often believing their own life to be inadequate. This may be a telltale sign of depression so it is crucial that you seek professional assistance – they will help identify what’s causing your low self-esteem before working together on strategies to change it.
4. You’re Hypervigilant
Living with low self esteem is draining, leading to unnecessary distress. A therapist can assist in breaking free of negative thought patterns and developing healthy ways of thinking that can start gradually increasing your self esteem.
Reminding yourself that thoughts are subjective is key in order to avoid giving too much credence or weight to random thoughts that arise in life. Recognizing when random thoughts take over your thinking process can help identify when you may give too much importance or weight to random ones. Renaming any upsetting thoughts may help recognize when you give too much weight to random ones.
If you find it hard to accept yourself and love yourself unconditionally, try practicing self-compassion. By being kind to yourself, self-compassion will make it easier to overcome any negative self-talk that might exist and feel better about yourself.
5. You’re Always Small
Low self esteem can cause long-lasting, persistent emotions. They may result from life events or changes out of your control as well as brain chemistry changes.
One of the key symptoms is an internal critical voice that criticizes everything you think or say. Therapy can help identify where these negative beliefs come from and teach new ways of approaching yourself.
People-pleasing can lead to anxiety, stress and depression; therefore, being overly reactive to others’ comments and actions is also an indicator that you don’t believe you deserve respect or worthiness. Finally, disliking your body shows that you don’t value yourself; use our Therapist Directory to find one who fits your needs before reaching out and watch their introduction videos before reaching out for help.