Low Self Esteem and Mental Illness

Mental health research shows that depression is a reaction to a mental illness.  Low self-esteem is another reaction.  Studies suggest that stigma strongly influences the self esteem of people who have mental illnesses. When, you have a mental illness, you are rejected as a friend, an employee, a neighbor, or an intimate partner. You are determined to be a person who is less trustworthy, less intelligent, and less competent. Feeling good about yourself and the situation you find yourself in contributes to low self esteem and self stigma.

The relationship between low self esteem and psychiatric diagnosis is a vicious cycle.  Low self esteem makes individuals susceptible to develop psychiatric conditions, particularly depressive disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. These disorders subsequently lower self-esteem even further.

Stigma is a contributing factor to maintaining low self esteem. In some cases where the emotional hurt is long lasting, a therapist is needed to guide you through the process of learning to love yourself. It takes time and patience and having a support system with the people in your life who 
have a positive influence to improve your self-esteem.

Low self esteem is the view or belief that one has of oneself as inadequate, unlovable, unworthy and incompetent. Once this view of one’s self is formed it affects everything in the person’s life: his decision making, his ambition, his creativity, his assertiveness, his choices, his dreams. In recovery, a person becomes able to see themselves in a more positive and objective manner rather than through the negative thoughts.  Once a person develops an image as inadequate they treat themselves and expect to be treated with the same self destructive behaviors.  They are overly critical and inwardly agree with others people’s criticisms and anticipate rejection, expect to be ignored or mistreated and believe that they have caused the negative reactions or inappropriate behavior of others. When someone behaves in ways similar to the negative ways they have already experienced,  this as confirmation of  inadequacy, lack of significance, and then proceeds to engage in irrational and distorted self-statements that bring on additional negative feelings.

A lack of self esteem signs can be seen as: If you have a pattern of self defeating behavior. If you have a tendency to trust the wrong people or to make poor choices; are dissatisfied with your relationships and interactions with other people;  have been told that you are overly sensitive; are unhappy, depressed, and discouraged and have been most of your life  often anxious in new situation; fearful that you will be asked a question you don’t know how to respond to, or will be asked to do something that you don’t know how to do; lack confidence and the skills to do things that most other people seem to know how to do;  feel inadequate or unacceptable around others. If you are reluctant to share your ideas and opinions when in group; compare yourself to others; feel insecure.

In recovery, people with low self esteem become able to ask for what they want and need rather than expecting the other person to just know. They learn to discuss and work through problems and disagreements rather than merely react; they develop basic relationship skills. It is a long process of learning the way out of the norm that has become a part of life but therapy helps lift the self defeating attitudes and behaviors and give more realistic opinions of oneself.


When the truthful more realistic expectation s of themselves and others become a foundation in therapy the persons self esteem can gradually progress to self confidence and self love.