Causes of Low Self Esteem

The beliefs you have about yourself often appear to be statements of fact, although actually they are really only opinions. They are based on the experiences you've had in life, and the messages that these experiences have given you about the kind of person you are. 

If your experiences have been negative, your beliefs about yourself are likely to be negative too.

Crucial experiences that help to form our beliefs about ourselves often occur early in life. What you saw, heard and experienced in childhood - in your family, in the wider community and at school - will have influenced the way you see yourself.
Causes of Low Self Esteem include:

Body Image 

The media has taught girls to obsess over their images and bodies. They feel if they don't look a certain way then they won't fit in with society.

Peers 

Some people feel threatened by their peers and they make fun of them to boost their self esteem. However, putting others down does not help your self-esteem it actually can decrease it.

Unrealistic expectations 

The media can pose unrealistic expectations that people try to copy. These expectations are created for entertainment and they actually aren't achievable. Often when they cannot achieve their goal they can develop a low self-esteem. 

Family 

Family members put pressure on each other to live up to certain standards. Some children feel if they do not live up to their parents expectations then they will disappoint them. If they do not achieve the goals their family has set then they feel like they are not adequate.

Stress and excessive pressure 

If you are under a lot of stress and finding it hard to cope, this can lead to feelings of low self-worth.

Trauma, abuse or bullying 

Trauma, physical, sexual or psychological abuse and bullying can all lead to feelings of guilt and low self-worth

In order to increase your self-esteem, you need to challenge and change the negative beliefs you have about yourself. This might feel like an impossible task, but there are a lot of different techniques you can try to help you.