Symptoms of Low Self Esteem

Low self esteem can be hard to spot if you do not know what to look for. Some people may appear to be on top of the world one day, and depressed the next day.

Trying to help those with low self esteem may find themselves in a bit of a quandary: how do they tell which people have low self esteem? Well, as with any psychological problems, there are certain symptoms that you might want to watch out for.

What are the symptoms of low self esteem?

1) Anxiety and fear - People with low self esteem frequently feel afraid or anxious. This symptom of low self esteem can actually be the least visible. Anxiety and fear are experienced by people who think that there is something wrong with them and that people will notice. They often try to hide their imperfections behind facades of accomplishments. However, should they make a slight mistake, they fear that people will discover them for the frauds they think they are.

Although easier to hide, this symptom of low self esteem is a common denominator among all who suffer from the problem. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter if they have been achieving all kinds of things. One wrong move could cause them to have panic attacks.

2) Depression - Some people get depressed when they think that they haven’t done a thing properly. This is often observable to other people. This symptom of low self esteem can even be felt by other people just by being near a person. You see, people just give off an aura of sadness when they are depressed, and others notice it. Depressed people often try to hide their depression but somehow, they often end up making their depression obvious.

3) Hypersensitivity - Of course, people who have low self esteem can be overly sensitive to comments or observations from their peers. This symptom of low self esteem can show itself in the way of a person overreacting even if he or she is not the one being criticized. Somehow, they feel that the world is always keeping a criticizing eye on them.

4) Hyper vigilance - This symptom of low self esteem can actually be observed in “perfectionists”. Hyper vigilance is when a person with low self esteem takes extreme care not to make any mistakes. Now while people may agree that always being prepared can be a good thing, most people find that preparing for anything can be a bit paranoid.

Hyper vigilance may be a way of trying to prove to other people and mostly to him or her self that a person can handle anything that comes his or her way.

5) Workaholics - Most people with low self esteem tend to gravitate towards the place where they feel most achieving. In the workplace, people know what is expected of them and how to do it. People with low self esteem suffer symptoms of avoiding the social scene by pouring their energy into work.

6) Unreasonable expectations of the self and other people - One symptom of low self esteem is always saying the phrase “I should have” or “you should have”. This shows that you are expecting things of yourself and other people that just cannot be reasonable. Because of low self esteem, people tend to blame themselves for any small happening.

Developing Self-Esteem

Individuals begin developing their self esteem at a very early age. How they feel as a child often depends on the type of encouragement and nurturing they get. Children that are encouraged to try their best and to learn from their mistakes have a more positive self esteem outlook than those that are constantly belittled for things. It makes them doubt their own abilities and it squashes their desire to attempt new things for fear of failure.

For teenagers, self esteem can go through a complete transformation. Some feel very strange as their bodies change. They end up not being comfortable with others for a very long time due to this. Others end up being very popular though and they love the attention. This results in them having a very healthy self esteem outlook. As their own image improves it makes others more comfortable around them as well.

It is amazing how many adults suffer from low self esteem. They may have always felt this way or it can be due to something in their life. Losing a job, getting a divorce, or just life in general can result in someone losing some of their self esteem. Many adults are less willing to accept changes as they get older. This can result in them doubting their decisions and having a poor self image.

It can be difficult to build your self esteem but you need to work hard at it. You will build up more confidence as you do. The biggest challenge is to channel your energy into changing your outlook on things. You need to be very positive and look for the good in things. Instead of worrying about what people won’t like about you focus on what you do have to offer them. Chances are that what you see as your faults many others don’t see in the same way.

Give yourself some well deserved attention. We tend to take care of the needs of our family and let our own go. If you worry about how you look then change what you don’t like. Start exercising more if you worry about your overall size. Cut your hair and style it differently if you don’t think it makes you attractive. Don’t be afraid or guilty about spending some time and money to make yourself look and feel good.

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