How CBT can help with different mental health problems
Low Self-Esteem
What is Low Self-Esteem
People with a low self-esteem have a negative perception of themselves, often characterised by feelings of worthlessness, self-doubt, and a lack of self-confidence in themselves and their abilities. People will
experience persistent self-doubt, especially in challenging or stressful situations.​
Having a low self-esteem can significantly impact various aspects of life, including relationships, career, and mental health. People
with low self-esteem may find it harder to pursue goals, advocate for themselves, or maintain healthy boundaries. Having low self-esteem can hinder personal and professional growth and development.
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People with low self-esteem can experience a range of negative emotions including anxiety, low mood, depression and chronic stress. All of these negatively impact on overall emotional wellbeing.
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People with low self-esteem experience unhelpful thinking patterns. They think negatively about themselves and often compare themselves to others. They experience self-critical thoughts which can be triggered by criticism, or perceived criticism- even if no criticism is intended, people with low self-esteem believe they are being criticised. They ​hold a generally poor opinion of their own worth or value.​
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Having low self-esteem can lead to unhelpful patterns of behaviour which are often self-defeating.
Behaviours include:
Avoidance of situations, people or relationships
People pleasing
Procrastination
Neglect or abuse of themselves
Being passive or shy around others
Defensiveness when criticised
Underachieving or overachieving
Perfectionism​
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​Low self-esteem has a detrimental impact on all areas of life including interpersonal relationships. People may struggle with trust issues, difficulty expressing themselves, or even attract toxic relationships due to their perceived lack of self-worth.​
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Common causes of low self-esteem include negative life experiences, particularly when people are young and vulnerable. This could include being criticised or judged negatively by a parent, bullying or experiencing childhood abuse. Low self-esteem can also develop as an adult, for example if a person has been in an abusive relationship or experienced very stressful life events.
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NICE guidelines recommend 8-12 sessions.
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How CBT helps​
CBT helps people identify, challenge and modify unhelpful patterns of thinking about themselves. It helps people to target their inner critic and challenge assumptions about their lack of ability or others judgement. It helps people identify their core beliefs and develop more effective and realistic ones.
CBT helps people reframe negative thoughts and replace them with more balanced perspectives. It helps people learn new, more helpful ways of thinking about difficult situations.
CBT helps people develop self-acceptance and cultivate a more balanced and healthy way of viewing themselves. It helps promote a more positive self-image. It helps people develop self compassion and practice positive self-talk enhancing their self-esteem and overall sense of worth.
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CBT helps people to understand unhelpful patterns of behaviours and to make changes to these.
It helps people to value their self-worth by starting to do things differently. This could include saying no, prioritising themselves, allowing themselves time to do something enjoyable or accepting a social invitation. It helps people to set small achievable goals and helps build a more positive and healthy self-esteem.
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CBT helps improve overall emotional health by reducing feelings of anxiety and depression. It helps people to manage stress more effectively using healthier coping mechanisms. It increases self-confidence and can help people find it easier to
form and maintain healthier relationships.
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