Self-esteem is about the way you view yourself. A healthy self esteem means you think, feel and act in a way that says you accept, respect, trust and believe in yourself. When you accept yourself you can live with both your strengths as well as your weaknesses.
Our self image is affected by:
What others think of us
By what others say to/about us
What we have been taught to think about ourselves
Without even meaning to be unkind someone might make a comment that hurts our self-esteem
Low self-esteem can be caused by:
Frequent criticism and argument
Loss
Abuse
Rejection
We can do something about how we feel about ourselves.
List the good things about yourself and believe them. It also pays to remember the positive things about ourselves on a regular basis.
Low self-esteem creates feelings of emptiness and doubt. It can make us feel isolated and depressed.
Less helpful ways:
Withdrawal
Hiding from yourself
Aggression
Fighting with others
Clowning
Making a fool of yourself
Depending
Relying on something or someone outside yourself to feel okay
Deadening
Using drugs and alcohol