What is Low Self-Esteem?, Study notes of Psychotherapy

Download What is Low Self-Esteem? and more Study notes Psychotherapy in PDF only on Docsity! Improving Self-Esteem Improving Self-Esteem Module 1 What Is Low Self-Esteem Introduction 2 What is Self-Esteem 2 What is Low Self-Esteem 2 Impact of Low Self-Esteem 3 The Problem of Low Self-Esteem 4 What You Can Expect from this Information Package 5 Module Summary 7 About This Module 8 Improving Self-Esteem Page 1 • Psychotherapy • Research • Training C C I entre for linical nterventions Module 1: What Is Low Self-Esteem Improving Self-Esteem Introduction Everyone, at some point or another, is uncertain about themselves, lacks self-confidence, doubts their abilities, or thinks negatively of themselves. However, if you think that you might have problems with low self-esteem, or are not sure if you have this problem but want to find out, then this information package might be helpful to you. In this module, we will discuss what low self-esteem is and what kind of impact low self-esteem might have on a person and their life. What is Self-Esteem Before we talk about what low self-esteem is, let’s start with understanding the term “self- esteem.” You might have heard and seen similar words like “self-image,” “self- perception,” and “self-concept.” All these terms refer to the way we view and think about ourselves. As human beings, we have the ability to not only be aware of ourselves but also to place a value or a measure of worth to ourselves or aspects of ourselves. So, self- esteem usually refers to how we view and think about ourselves and the value that we place on ourselves as a person. Having the human capacity to judge and place value to something is where we might run into problems with self-esteem. Before we go further, take a few minutes to write a short description of yourself. How did you describe yourself? What words did you use? Is your description of yourself generally positive, balanced, or negative? What value did you place on yourself or aspects of yourself? Is that value positive, balanced, or negative? What is Low Self-Esteem Have you ever been dissatisfied or unhappy with yourself on the whole? Do you ever think that you are weak, stupid, not good enough, flawed in some way, inferior to other people, useless, worthless, unattractive, ugly, unlovable, a loser, or a failure? Everyone uses these words on themselves at times, usually when they experience a challenging or stressful situation. However, if you often think about yourself in these terms, then you might have a problem with low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is having a generally negative overall opinion of oneself, judging or evaluating oneself negatively, and placing a general negative value on oneself as a person. Here are some examples of what people with low self-esteem might say about themselves: “I get nervous talking to people I don’t know at parties. I’m socially inept and I hate it!” “I couldn’t understand a lot of what the instructor was saying today. I must be really stupid.” “I’m overweight. I am so fat and ugly.” “I’m unimportant.” “I’m a loser.” “I’m unlovable.” “I’m not good enough.” Page 2 • Psychotherapy • Research • Training C C I entre for linical nterventions Module 1: What Is Low Self-Esteem Improving Self-Esteem What are your personal circumstances like at the moment? What sorts of difficulties might you be experiencing now? How long have these been going on for? Take a few minutes to jot these down. Low self-esteem can be a problem in itself and be a risk factor for other problems. Sometimes low self-esteem can be a problem in and of itself because it puts the person at risk for experiencing other problems such as depression, having persistent suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, and social phobia. You may recognise that while things might be okay at the moment and you don’t feel very depressed or anxious, or experience other difficulties, things might not have been that well in the past. If your mood often fluctuates depending on your circumstances or you have experienced depression in the past, and you recognise that you might have low self-esteem, then this could put you at risk of experiencing depression again. We call this a ‘vulnerability factor.’ Low self-esteem as a vulnerability factor is like something that is hiding in the background that could jump out and bite you when you least expect it. Have you had problems with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health problems in the past? Do you think low self-esteem might put you at risk for any other problems in the future? What You Can Expect From This Information Package Whether you are experiencing low self-esteem as a result of other problems or as a problem in itself, this information package can begin to help you address this. Whether you are getting treatment for a clinical problem, learning strategies to manage your mood, or are wanting to tackle this problem of low self- esteem, this information package can be useful to you. We have begun with discussing what low self-esteem is and what impact it can have on one’s life. In the next two modules, we will explore and discuss how low self-esteem develops and what keeps it going. The modules after these will focus on addressing the problem of low self-esteem. When using self-help materials, some people might skip sections or complete things in a different order. The modules in this information package have been designed to be completed in the order they appear. We recommend that you work through the modules in sequence, finishing each module before moving on to the next one in the series. We believe that by doing this, you will maximise the benefits you might receive from working through this information package. Page 5 • Psychotherapy • Research • Training C C I entre for linical nterventions Module 1: What Is Low Self-Esteem Improving Self-Esteem The following are the modules that make up this information package: Module 1: What is Low Self-Esteem Module 2: How Low Self-Esteem Develops Module 3: How Low Self-Esteem is Maintained Module 4: Biased Expectations Module 5: Negative Self-Evaluations Module 6: Accepting Yourself Module 7: Adjusting Rules & Assumptions Module 8: Developing Balanced Core Beliefs Module 9: Healthy Self-Esteem We believe that this information package will be beneficial for anyone who would like to address any difficulties they might have with low self-esteem. We encourage you to take this journey through all our modules, where our aim is that you will come away with a balanced and healthy view of yourself and take on new opportunities and challenges with an open mind. You might find that it gets a little tough at times, but we encourage you to stay with it, keep on working through these modules, and you will reap the benefit when you stay through to the end. See you at the next module! Page 6 • Psychotherapy • Research • Training C C I entre for linical nterventions Module 1: What Is Low Self-Esteem Improving Self-Esteem Module Summary • Self-esteem refers to how we view and think about ourselves, and the value that we place on ourselves as a person • Low self-esteem is having a generally negative overall opinion of oneself, judging or evaluating oneself negatively, and placing a general negative value on oneself as a person • These deep-seated, basic, negative beliefs about oneself are often taken as facts or truths about who they are as a person • Low self-esteem can have a negative impact on a person (eg., self-criticism and high distress) and a negative impact on their life (eg., work, relationships, recreation time, self-care) • Low self-esteem can be part of a current problem, a result of other problems, or a problem in itself and risk factor for other problems • Completing the following modules in order will help you to tackle low self-esteem: Module 1: What is Low Self-Esteem Module 2: How Low Self-Esteem Develops Module 3: How Low Self-Esteem is Maintained Module 4: Biased Expectations Module 5: Negative Self-Evaluations Module 6: Accepting Yourself Module 7: Adjusting Rules & Assumptions Module 8: Developing Balanced Core Beliefs Module 9: Healthy Self-Esteem Coming up next … In the next module, you will explore and learn more about how low self- esteem develops. Page 7 • Psychotherapy • Research • Training C C I entre for linical nterventions Module 1: What Is Low Self-Esteem