What is self esteem?

The term self esteem is related to how you view yourself and is sometimes referred to as self worth.  People lacking in self-esteem can feel deflated, lack confidence or feel depressed.  Often individuals lacking in self-esteem make poor choices, may choose destructive relationships and fail to meet their full potential in life.

On the other hand, having too much self-esteem can lead to narcissistic personality disorder, which often repels others and causes damage to professional and personal relationships.  Neither ends of the spectrum are an optimal way to live and while it is perfectly normal to sometimes lack confidence in your abilities (especially when you’re out of your comfort zone), a person with self esteem problems will feel low about their abilities and self-worth most of the time.  With the right tools and dedication, a person can build their self esteem up to a healthy level.

Having a healthy self-esteem can play an important part in your motivation and success throughout your life. Low self-esteem may hold you back from succeeding at school or work because you don’t believe yourself to be capable of success.

By adopting a positive, assertive attitude with a healthy dose of self-believe, you can live a happy, confident and fulfilling life.

What are some of the symptoms of low self esteem?

Generally, a person suffering from low self-esteem will be highly critical of themselves and will constantly brush aside or completely ignore their positive attributes. Other common symptoms associated with low self-esteem include:

  • Failure to accept compliments or going as far as not believing the person giving the compliment
  • Describing themselves in a highly negative manner, such as calling themselves ugly, stupid, lazy, fat or not worthy of love and attention
  • Refusing to take credit for any of their achievements, putting everything down to a matter of luck
  • Thinking of themselves as inferior to their peers in everyway
  • Constantly blaming themselves for things going wrong, rather than looking at logical explanations of events that are out of their control
  • Displaying negative, overly-critical, blaming forms of self-talk.

Having a low self-esteem can severely limit the quality of a person’s life in various ways.  If left untreated, suffers of low self-esteem may have difficulty with personal relationships and problems at work or school. People with low self-esteem may become very upset by criticism or disapproval, leading them to withdraw from activities and forms of socialising.

Long-term, people can turn to drug and alcohol as a way to cope with their lack of self-worth, which only worsens the issue. The constant self-criticism can lead to persistent feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety, anger, shame or guilt which can greatly impact on their personal relationships. It is not uncommon for someone suffering from low self-esteem to make poor relationship choices where they may tolerate being treated badly, believing themselves to be unworthy of love and friendship.  This lack of worthiness can also manifest in the person treating other people poorly and displaying inappropriate forms of anger.

How common is low self esteem?

While it is difficult the ascertain the number of people suffering from extreme levels of low self-esteem, it’s estimated that four out five women suffer from poor body image and lack of confidence in their physical appearance. On average, self-esteem levels in most children are very high but generally starts to decline during adolescence.  This is particularly true of girls, which is thought to be mostly associated with body image and the onset of puberty.

What can cause low self esteem?

The exact causes of low self-esteem can be difficult to pinpoint as different things will affect people individually. However, some of the more common causes include:

  • Detached or Negligent Parents:  Often when we are young, our feelings of self-worth rely heavily on the way our parents or guardians treat us and show their love.  Not everyone receives adequate levels of care and support in their family home.  Often in these homes the parents are dealing with their own low levels of self-worth, other mental health issues and substance abuse problems.  This makes them unable to provide the care, guidance and attention needed by the child. This can cause significant self-esteem problems for young people
  • Abuse: Physical, emotional, sexual or a combination of these forms of trauma or abuse, can often result in feelings of shame and guilt. Under these circumstances a person may feel it was their fault and that they are not worthy of the respect, love and care of the abuser. Abuse sufferers may have significant amounts of anxiety and depression as a result of the abusive behaviour, which can inhibit them from leading a fulfilling life.
  • Negative Thought Patterns:  When you get used to feeling, thinking and talking about yourself in a particular way, it becomes habit. Negative thoughts patterns are the result of constantly thinking negative thoughts and saying negative things about yourself. After a while it becomes automatic, unless you break the cycle by challenging your negative thoughts and feelings about yourself.

Poor academic performance, various forms of mental health disorders or ongoing life stressors and chronic medical problems can also greatly contribute to low self-esteem.

Help for those suffering from low self esteem

At Brain Training Australia™ we off Neurofeedback Brain Training for clients opting for a safe, natural and drug-free approach for clients struggling from low self esteem to retrain brain activity and to optimise brain functionality.

Regain your confidence and self esteem – call us today

Your first step is to get in contact with us.

All new clients receive a free, complementary and no obligation 15-minute phone consult with a dedicated member of our team. If you’re on the fence, wondering if Neurofeedback Brain Training is right for you, then this is a really good place to start.

If you are ready to get started then you can just book in your First Appointment and get started straight away.

The team at Brain Training Australia™ recognise the unique qualities of all our clients and will work closely with you to personalise your Brain Training Program so that you can achieve your goals of optimal mental processes.

We look forward to helping you live a much richer, happier and healthier life.