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How Your Self-Esteem Affects Your Mental Health

Having low self-esteem is something many people of all ages deal with. While low self-esteem is not considered a mental health condition in itself, the way we think about ourselves directly impacts our mental health and overall well-being.

What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem refers to the way people feel about themselves. Someone with healthy or high self-esteem thinks positively about themselves and their abilities. They believe they deserve respect and have no problems setting healthy boundaries.

Individuals with low self-esteem do not feel very good about themselves. They constantly measure themselves against others and always come up short. They may not think they are worthy of love and respect and will typically not set healthy boundaries, allowing others to take advantage of them.

How Does a Low Self-Esteem Affect Mental Health?

The following are some ways low self-esteem can impact a person’s mental health:

Poor Relationships 

Humans are wired for connections, but when we have low self-esteem, we tend not to put ourselves “out there” socially. Consequently, we tend to isolate ourselves, leading to poor relationships and loneliness.

Addiction

Studies have indicated low self-esteem in childhood can lead to addictions later in life. Many addicts use alcohol and other substances as a way to cope with negative feelings about themselves.

Depression and Anxiety

Living with low self-esteem day after day, week after week, can very much take its toll and eventually lead to the development of depression and anxiety.

How to Build Your Self-Esteem

Building self-esteem is important for mental health and for living a happy life. But it’s not necessarily easy to do it. It’s not like losing weight where you can say I am going to eat less and move more.

That is why I recommend working with a trained therapist who specializes in helping people build their self-esteem. A therapist can help you identify your core negative beliefs and determine where they came from. They can help you develop new, realistic self-esteem that reflects your true self.

Please contact me if you or someone you know is suffering from low self-esteem and would like to explore treatment options.

SOURCES:

https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/July-2016/Why-Self-Esteem-Is-Important-for-Mental-Health

https://www.hormona.io/why-self-esteem-affects-your-mental-health/

https://fherehab.com/learning/self-esteem-mental-health

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Mental Health Effects of Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is not as easy to spot as physical abuse, but often its effects can be just as traumatic. Emotional abuse can involve many tactics, including gaslighting, shaming, and manipulation. All of these are intended to leave the victim feeling confused, powerless, and hopeless.

Typically people suffering from long-term or short-term emotional abuse, and depending on the length of time, can experience varying mental health effects.

Long-term emotional abuse happens over many years. Examples are a child growing up in a home with an alcoholic parent or a sibling with anger issues. Someone may find themselves in a marriage with a narcissistic partner.

Short-term emotional abuse can result from a nasty exchange with a stranger or micro-interactions with colleagues or neighbors.

The following are some short-term and long-term effects of emotional abuse:

Short-Term Effects

  • Isolation or a sense of deep loneliness 
  • Self-doubt
  • Shame
  • Confusion
  • Low self-esteem
  • Anxiety connected with social interactions
  • Feelings of powerlessness

Long-term Effects

  • Neuroticism, or the tendency toward a depressed mood or negative emotions like anger
  • Chronic stress
  • Physical health issues like muscle tension and shortness of breath
  • Attachment issues
  • Apathy
  • Eating disorders
  • PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or CPTSD (chronic post-traumatic stress disorder)

You Can Heal from Emotional Abuse

With time, patience, and plenty of self-compassion, it is very possible to heal from the trauma of emotional abuse. Working with a mental health professional who has been trained specifically to help people who have been victims of emotional abuse is a great starting point.

If you’d like to explore treatment options, please reach out to me.

SOURCES:

https://psychcentral.com/health/effects-of-emotional-abuse

Emotional Abuse and its Impact on Mental Health

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327080

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Symptoms of OCD

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects 2-3% of the population. The disorder is characterized by a pattern of unwanted thoughts or fears (obsessions) that cause an individual to perform a set of repetitive behaviors (compulsions). OCD interferes with a person’s daily activities and can lead to significant distress.

Symptoms of OCD

People that have been diagnosed with OCD typically experience both obsessions and compulsions. However, some individuals only experience symptoms of obsessions or only symptoms of compulsion.

Symptoms of Obsession

Obsessions are persistent and repeated unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that cause you to feel stress or anxiety. Though you may try to ignore these mental intrusions, most with OCD relieve the stress and tension by performing a compulsive behavior or ritual.

The following are some of the most common symptoms of obsessions:

  • Fear of being somehow contaminated by an object they just touched. Usually, the fear is of germs.
  • A strong feeling of doubt or uncertainty. You’re already a half hour into your morning commute to work but are overcome by the idea that you left the front door unlocked.
  • An intense need to have objects orderly or arranged in a specific way.
  • Intense thoughts or imaginings of losing control and harming yourself or others.
  • Unpleasant sexual images.
  • Thoughts of acting inappropriately, such as shouting obscenities in public.

Symptoms of Compulsion

OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors that an individual feels driven to perform to relieve the stress triggered by their obsession or stop something bad from happening.

Some of the most common symptoms of compulsion are:

  • Washing and cleaning. A person can wash their hands so much they develop sores and blisters.
  • Checking and rechecking. This may be checking and rechecking to ensure you set your alarm, locked the door, or turned off the stove.
  • Counting
  • Orderliness to an extreme. You may repeatedly arrange and rearrange items in your medicine cabinet or bedside table until they are just right.

Is it Time to Get Help?

Some people confuse perfectionism – a driving urge to have flawless results or a perfect performance – with OCD. But they are not the same thing. OCD symptoms take a real toll on an individual and interfere with their quality of life.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with OCD or you think you or they may have OCD based on these symptoms, please feel free to call my office. I would be happy to discuss your specific concerns and the treatment options available to you.

SOURCES:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20354432

https://www.disorders.org/anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/10-most-common-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-symptoms/

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd

Filed Under: ocd

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Here’s How Social Isolation Affects Your Health

Many of us experienced social isolation during the recent pandemic. And none of us will deny that those days and weeks were very hard. Thankfully, the pandemic is over, and life for most of us has returned to normal.

But for some people, social isolation does not go away; it is now part of their “normal” existence.

Common Causes of Social Isolation

There are a variety of circumstances that cause people to be isolated from others or to choose to isolate themselves:

  • An abusive relationship – People in toxic relationships often choose to avoid contact with friends and family because they wish to hide their reality from others.
  • Grief – It is common to isolate oneself after losing a loved one. This is particularly true for many seniors who have lost many loved ones and friends.
  • Mental health issues – Anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem can often result in a desire to isolate oneself from the rest of society.
  • Physical challenges – Those with limited mobility or other physical challenges may decide life is easier and safer at home.

The Effects of Social Isolation on Your Health

We know there is a strong mind-body connection. How we feel emotionally affects how we feel physically. Studies are now revealing how social isolation can negatively impact our health. Here are just some of the effects on your health:

  • Reduced immune function
  • Trouble sleeping (which leads to inflammation and disruption of hormones)
  • Poor cardiovascular health
  • Poor cognitive function
  • Greater chance of stroke
  • Decreased wound healing
  • Increased risk of dementia
  • Higher risks of premature mortality

Coping With Social Isolation

If you are isolated from others for any reason, it is important to recognize you may be suffering mentally, emotionally, and/or physically. Here are some ways you can cope with the situation:

  • Practice self-care
  • Get outside
  • Reconnect with hobbies and interests
  • Get help

If you would like to speak to someone about your anxiety or depression caused by isolation and the reasons for the isolation, please reach out to me. I offer online therapy for those who feel more comfortable accessing help from home.

SOURCES:

Understanding the Effects of Social Isolation on Mental Health

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/social-isolation-mental-health

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/isolation-and-mental-health

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(407) 986-2888
alan@azupkacounseling.com