How to improve self-esteem in addicted people? Guidelines to follow

Psychological keys from which it is possible to reinforce self-esteem in people with addictions.

Surely, you may have ever wondered what self-esteem is and what it has to do with the person and especially with addiction problems. Well, the answer is "a lot". In fact, self-esteem is directly related to our feelings, our thoughts and our own perception about who we are.

Sometimes it can be more or less easy to determine if your self-esteem is at any particular level. However, it is quite possible that even if you have sky-high self-esteem, it is actually at a low level, but you are in denial and trying to compensate. Addictions often generate a low level of mood, and that can cause self-esteem to collapse..

Is my self-esteem affected?

To know how to measure something it is necessary to be aware of what we measure. Now, here are some questions so that you can find out what is the level of your self-esteem:

• Do you think you deserve to be loved?
• Do you have something positive you can contribute to others?
• Do you feel satisfied with yourself?
• How is your attitude towards yourself?
• Do you think you are capable of doing at least as well as others?

If you answered "Yes" to most of the questions, you have a healthy self-esteem.. If not, it would be good for you to learn to appreciate yourself, and if necessary, to seek specialized help for it. But also, if you suffer from any addiction and the answers have been affirmative, don't doubt that asking for counseling is the best thing you can do.

It is very common in addicted people the denial of the problem due to lack of acceptance and resistance to treatment for recovery.. Anyway, if you have come this far, you are just one step away from changing your life, to taste freedom and well-being, with yourself and with your loved ones. Trust the experts and don't wait any longer to get out of the addictive labyrinth, regardless of the answer to these questions. The self-deception characteristic of addiction always tries to camouflage the reality of how you really perceive yourself.

Some keys about self-esteem

You should know that self-esteem is influenced by many factors that can be decisive.. Basically, self-esteem is influenced by external and internal factors.

When we talk about external factors, we are referring to our personal and family relationships with other people, how they have treated us, what messages they have conveyed to us and the trust they have placed in us as individuals. In other words, if they have placed that trust in us, made us see our positive aspects and minimized our defects, our self-esteem will be high. However, if the circumstance has been the opposite (too much criticism, judgments and demands), our self-esteem will surely be at rock bottom.

It is important to note that only if you have a reasonably healthy level of self-esteem will you be able to help someone else improve it. It is logical to think that if yours is low, you will not be able to extol the virtues of another, or even see them.. It is a vicious circle that must be broken.

Regarding internal factors, genetics has a lot to say. There are many studies that suggest that our personality traits have a lot to do with how we see ourselves.. People who tend to be depressed or suffer from anxiety generally have a more difficult time accepting themselves as they are and evaluating themselves in a positive way. For this reason, these people will have to make a great effort to achieve healthy levels of self-esteem.

Thus, and to conclude, we will say that self-esteem is the conjunction of both aspects, genetic inheritance and external factors.. This is what determines the real level.

Why is it necessary to have a healthy self-esteem?

To this question we can answer that thanks to self-esteem, we can achieve three main benefits for our mental health.

First of all, having a good self-esteem allows us to better cope with the difficulties we encounter in life.. By perceiving ourselves in a positive way, we are better able to trust ourselves to overcome those obstacles. We will be more decisive.

Secondly, we will have the ability to keep moving towards our goals with a better chance of achieving them.. We will be believing in ourselves and that will allow us to get closer to what we want in a more sincere and realistic way. It will make us more capable.

Relationships with others will be healthier. High self-esteem will allow us to avoid toxic relationships and over-dependent relationships. We will be able to choose who we want in our lives and the contact with them will be the one we want to have. We will be happier.

How can we achieve a good self-esteem if we suffer from an addiction?

To help you love yourself a little more, Fromm Wellness wants to provide you with some ideas that may help you. It is important that you work on them every day, it only takes a few minutes.

1. You are a unique person

No one is like you, and that's why you don't need to be always comparing yourself with others..

2. Have your own criteria and do not believe what they say about you blindly.

It is necessary to question yourself, but you have to identify the limits and above all the appropriate means to do so. Individual and group therapy are very effective.

3. Everything you have achieved has a great value, never forget it.

But sometimes suffering, anxiety or discomfort can appear at the same time. That is why it is important to monitor your goals and objectives. it is important to monitor your goals and objectives on the basis of other personal and intimate parameters.

4. It is normal to make mistakes and that is why you have to be tolerant, not with others, but with yourself.

We all make mistakes, and sometimes the fact of being aware of our mistakes damages our self-esteem and that is why we try to hide them or pass them by without analyzing how to do better next time, assuming the mistake from learning.

5. Be patient

Do not pretend to achieve your goal in a short time. It is a process, and it has its duration. Each person works in a different wayand that is why the treatments are individualized and adapted to each case.