If you suffer from low self esteem (or have been told you do), or
treat people with low self esteem (or think you do), please read on.
There are a fair few self esteem myths that can block your progress when
trying to lift self esteem..
Low self esteem has been scientifically studied and the findings of this research helped inform the facts you'll find here. (1)
Mark Tyrrell, co-author of the
Self Confidence Trainer,
completed a UK tours in 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005 teaching thousands
of health professionals the facts about self esteem and how to treat low
self esteem in their patients. He has also co-authored a book on self
esteem for Axis Publishing called
The Giant Within - Maximise Your Self Esteem.In addition, Mark has created:
11 downloads on improving self esteem on our main site Hypnosis Downloads.
As you can imagine, Mark did a lot of research for his seminar
'How to Lift Low Self Esteem'. He has listed his 10 most important 'Tips' for you here.
1) Low Self Esteem Not To Blame for being bad!
Firstly people with genuinely low self-esteem, a poor self image and
low confidence, have been insensitively lumped together with bullies,
narcissists, criminals and child abusers. No, really!
Popular assumption was that people did bad things to other people
because they, themselves have low self esteem. But if you have ever
asked yourself: "Do I have low self esteem" fear not. All the evidence
points to the conclusion that low self esteem is a distinct condition,
so if you do have self esteem you don't have to feel that you are in the
same group as bullies or abusers.
Research has found that people with genuine low self esteem tend to
treat themselves badly not other people. Stopping people being bullies
by trying to lift their self esteem may be like trying to get an obese
person to lose weight by feeding them lots more cake.
In the 1980's there was a movement to raise self esteem in schools in
the belief that this would stop bullies bullying and prevent future
crime in society. But peer reviewed research has shown schools trying to
raise self esteem don't prevent bullies bullying (2) (because low self
esteem wasn't causing them to bully).
Artificially and ineffectively focusing on lifting self esteem
doesn't raise academic performance either (3) As you'll see in fact 4
the methods schools attempted to raise self esteem may have even damaged
the sense of self worth in those suffering genuine low self esteem.
Low self esteem is not to blame for nearly as many problems as has
traditionally been thought. It was also assumed that self esteem could
never be too high.
2) Too high Self Esteem Linked to Criminality
It is now clear that too high self esteem or 'High Self Esteem
Disorder' is often more of a problem. (This is NOT merely a 'disguised'
form of low self-esteem, as commonly thought). So, if you are the victim
of a bully then you can rest assured you don't have to feel sorry for
them.
Hundreds of pieces of reliable research now show that bullies and
many criminals are much more likely to suffer from unrealistically high
self esteem and impulse control problems than low self esteem. An
exaggerated sense of entitlement - expecting much from many situations -
is more likely to lead to frustration and aggressive, antisocial, or
even criminal behaviour. If self esteem can be too low it can also be
too high. It was a crazy and unwarranted assumption that all human
behaviour could be explained a way by low self esteem.
So what are the symptoms of real low self esteem?
3) Characteristics of Genuinely Low Self Esteem
- Social withdrawal
- Anxiety and emotional turmoil
- Lack of social skills and self confidence. Depression and/or bouts of sadness
- Less social conformity
- Eating disorders
- Inability to accept compliments
- An Inability to see yourself 'squarely' - to be fair to yourself
- Accentuating the negative
- Exaggerated concern over what you imagine other people think
- Self neglect
- Treating yourself badly but NOT other people
- Worrying whether you have treated others badly
- Reluctance to take on challenges
- Reluctance to put yourself first or anywhere.
- Reluctance to trust your own opinion
- Expecting little out of life for yourself
So what is likely to cause very low self esteem? Tale a look at
how to build self esteem. But one major factor is history.
4) Child Abuse Increases Likelihood of Low Self Esteem
People who were abused as children (physical beating or sexual abuse)
are more likely to suffer low self esteem as adults (6) They have
learned that they are of little value in themselves or just an object to
be used. They have been 'brain washed' by constant criticism or abuse
that they are a certain way. When a person begins to question this
former conditioning or brainwashing then a healthier and more accurate
sense of self can begin to emerge. This happens in a similar way to how
people may break away from the brainwashing of a cult. There are other
forms of abuse and certainly a history of being heavily criticized or
unfavorably compared to others can lead to low self esteem ("why can't
you be more like your brother!").
Former abuse may lead to post traumatic stress disorder which
maintains the sense of "damage" and low self worth. Once traumatic
memories are dealt with effectively the mind becomes clearer to form a
better self esteem. So what else does the low self esteem sufferer need?
So past conditioning (often but not always from childhood) can
produce low self esteem in adults. But why didn't the drive to raise
self esteem in school kids (starting in California with a legislature to
raise self esteem) prevent childhood depression and low self esteem
from rising?
5) You Can't Argue Someone Better!
The 1980's drive to raise low self esteem in schools backfired (4)
Why? Well it was based on the idea that low self esteem can be
successfully treated by a bombardment of "positive messages". But
research has shown that positive affirmations actually worsen the mood
of people who already have low self esteem (5). It seems that positive
thinking as a "blunt instrument" used repetitively to try to brainwash
people to feel better about themselves is too superficial an approach.
And the person with low self esteem senses this.
Telling someone they are great or wonderful when they are constantly
negative about themselves will not work. Imagine if you really detest
yourself and someone tells you that you're lovely even as they are
telling everyone else the same thing.
In fact people with low self esteem can be upset by disconfirming
feedback. Healthy self esteem needs to emerge subtly, not as a sudden
result of hearing you are 'really special' or 'fantastic'.
Paradoxically, being "too nice" to someone with very low self esteem
can drive them away. People need to develop better self esteem
gradually, through "proof" in the real world. Just being repeatedly told
(by someone who doesn't know you that well) that "you're wonderful" has
never been found to work in lifting low self esteem.
Whenever we're highly emotional our perception is distorted. When
people calm down around the idea of themselves then a healthier
self-esteem can emerge like a green island coming into view when mist
clears.
What else do those with low self esteem need?
6) A Little More Uncertainty Can Help
Contrary to popular opinion, people with low self-esteem tend to be
very sure of themselves. That's the problem. This manifests in their
conviction that they are worthless or inadequate. As you will know if
you have ever tried to argue with someone who puts themselves down
continually, it is very hard to do! When someone with low self esteem
starts to become less sure of their own opinion of themselves and
therefore begins to assess counter evidence regarding their
worthlessness, their self image begins to become more healthy. At first
the "ugly" duckling was certain it was a failed duck but that
misdirected certainty had to loosen before it's true life direction
could become clear.
Good self esteem is actually a by product of living in a healthy way.
So rather than trying to raise it directly it's easier to focus
elsewhere (such on what a person does) and let self esteem rise as happy
side effect of a change in living. What do we all need in life that
will help us incidentally feel better about ourselves?
7) Build on Solid Foundations
For anyone to be psychologically and physically healthy then core
needs have to be fulfilled. Being clear about what you need and making
efforts to meet those needs constructively means you'll naturally have
better self esteem as a by-product of living well.
This is useful list of basic human needs:
- The need to give and receive attention
- The need to look after your body.
- The need for meaning, purpose and goals.
- The need for a connection to something greater than ourselves
- The need for creativity and stimulation
- The need for intimacy and connection to others.
- The need for a sense of control
- The need for a sense of status and recognition from others.
- The need for a sense of safety and security
Of course, it is likely that at any one time, one or more of these
may be slightly lacking in your life, without dire consequences.
However, in the long-term, they must all be catered for one way or
another.
Something else the "low self esteemer" needs is the capacity to focus
off their own emotionality and merge with experience so they gain more
enjoyment from life.
8) Healthy Pleasures Are Vital
When you have a healthy level of self esteem (not self hating but not
narcissistically self involved either) then you find it easier to
actually forget about yourself. You'll only think about your toe if it's
in pain or if you are obsessively proud of it-otherwise it can take
care of itself. It's the same with your sense of self.
We all need to engage in activities which we enjoy and in which we can 'lose ourselves' regularly.
Someone's mental and even, to some extent, physical health can be
directly related to how 'self-referential' they are in their
conversation - as people become healthier they use the 'I' word less
(7), in the same way that when your knee stops hurting you don't need to
rub it any more. People should be encouraged to focus their attention
away from themselves and this becomes easier once they have met their
own
basic emotional needs in healthy ways.
We all amplify some parts of our experience and minimize others. But
if we habitually do this by expanding the bad stuff and linking that to
self esteem whilst belittling the good stuff distancing positives from
self esteem then it doesn't take a rocket scientist (or even a
psychologist) to see that low self esteem will result.
9) Make the Most of Success
Low self esteem requires a particular attitude towards success.
Whenever you succeed at something, you must 'write it off' as good luck,
chance, or someone else's responsibility.
To gain a more realistic view of yourself, you need to take appropriate credit for your successes. In the
Self Confidence Trainer, we call this skill 'Converting'.
This involves learning how to convert real successes into statements
about your self. The other part of the picture is to view perceived
failures as temporary and not statements manifestations of your 'core
identity'. When you stop discounting things that go well and magnifying
stuff that doesn't go so well you are less likely to be depressed or
suffer low self esteem. Period.
Low self esteem treatment should consist of a balance between teaching new thinking, emotional and behavioural skills. See:
How to Boost Self Esteem
Ultimately a healthy balance should be encouraged as should the
development of real practical skills such as how to be assertive and
build a social life.
10) It's not just about Positive Thinking!
Positive thinking can be useful in that it challenges you to form a
different view on things. However, most of the time it just takes the
form of arguing with yourself, and as we've seen from 4) above, this
doesn't work.
Low self esteem may drive us to constantly and negatively compare
ourselves to other people. As self esteem rises to a healthy level
you'll find that you do this much less. Check out this 'do you have an
inferiority complex?' for more ideas on how to stop negatively comparing
yourself to others.
To change your self image and improve low self esteem, you need to
believe in an alternative opinion of yourself through experience, not
just repeat platitudes about how great you are really! After all in the
words of a wise man: "If you are not for yourself then who else will
be?"
