Signs and Symptoms of Low Self Esteem

A person's self-esteem is reflected in his/her behavior and etiquette. It encompasses the beliefs and emotions of the person. It is the self-esteem of a person that determines on how that individual appraises and regards his/her own worth. The term self-esteem can be used synonymously with self-respect and self-worth. Level wise, a person can have a low self-esteem or high self-esteem. However, the quality of self-esteem can be analyzed under different criteria such as stability (short-term or persistent) and consistency (whether depends on others or conditions). Self-esteem is a common topic as far as psychology is concerned.

Signs and Symptoms of Low Self Esteem

Though, prior theories have revealed that people with low self-esteem are more likely to commit mistakes in the society, it is not always true. According to recent studies, 'too high self-esteem' is more of a problem than low self-esteem. It is claimed that culprits and criminals might have a very high self-esteem. Following are the signs and symptoms of low self-esteem.

• A major sign of low self-esteem is social withdrawal. An individual with low self-esteem prefers to remain isolated, as they feel uncomfortable interacting with others.
• Low self-esteem people often neglect themselves, they don't feel good about who they are. Rather, they keep on complaining about their looks and personality.
• If a person suffers from low self-esteem, then he/she refuses to take challenges in any field of life. The person lacks confidence about his/her capabilities and feels scared, thinking about the risks associated, in case of failure.
• Another common sign of low self-esteem is blaming others. This way, the person does not assume his/her responsibilities, rather prefers to complain about other's fault.
• Inability to express personal feelings and ideas is a sign of low self-esteem. The person gives more value to other's ideas than his/her own.
• An individual with low self-esteem are dependent on others for taking decisions. Even if the issue is regarding his/her own, they wait for other's approval, so that they can proceed.
• Changing one's own thinking and views with the influence of other's is also a sign of low self-esteem. This does not mean that a person should not be flexible, it all depends on how to handle a particular situation.
• A person with low self-esteem has the inability to live in the present situation, rather he/she keeps worrying about the past incidences and the upcoming future plans.
• Not trusting others can be a sign of low self-esteem. He/she does not trust others, as they have the belief that people are ready to chase and insult them.

There is no wonder that people suffering from low self-esteem can be over-achievers. It may be because of the anxiety and anger that triggers them to achieve more. Low self-esteem can be caused due to many reasons, child abuse being one of them. People who were abused in any form during their childhood, may be through consistent physical beating or sexual abuse, suffer from low-self esteem as adults. Very often, depression leads to low self esteem, which can stimulate negative feelings like shame, failure etc.

It is not abnormal to have low self esteem at some point in life. The basic point is that we have to accept what we are and where we stand, then only we can face and enjoy the realities of life. Whatever is the level or quality, self esteem is a necessity for us, with which we motivate ourselves to strive for success and proceed in life.