Self-esteem And Depression: How Are They Related And How To Help With Their Symptoms?

Depression can cause people to perceive themselves in a much more negative light than reality. Likewise, when people live with low self-esteem, these feelings can affect many areas of their lives, from decisions to their relationships. Therefore, in many cases, these two conditions can be related because they tend to feed negative self-talk, that is, how you are treating yourself. So, what can you do about depression and low self-esteem?

How are depression and low self-esteem related?

Research suggests that people with low self-esteem, that is, with a negative view of themselves, are often more likely to experience symptoms of depression.

In fact, the Low self-esteem is also often a symptom of depression very common for many people. The reason for this is that, with depression, most people tend to stop doing the things they really love, including taking care of themselves. So, by leaving aside the inside and the outside, people end up suffering from self-esteem problems. Additionally, when symptoms of depression worsen, most people also tend to experience more negative thoughts about themselves.

Studies have analyzed the prevalence of low self-esteem with disorders such as depression and other mental health problems. According to the results, having a lack of self-esteem increases the risk of suffering from disorders such as depression. Therefore, when you work on your self-esteem you are also reducing the symptoms of depression.

Causes of low self-esteem and depression

Both the depression such as low self-esteem They usually have some common causes:

• Mental disorders: Sometimes both depression such as low self-esteem They may be caused by other mental disorders, such as excessive stress or due to experiencing an anxiety disorder.
• Traumas: sometimes feel a low self-esteem or suffering from a depressive disorder It may be due to childhood trauma. Experiencing a traumatic situation can have an impact on the feeling of personal worth in adult life, also influencing the development of depression.
• Parenting style: Parental educational style can influence feelings of personal worth.
• Learned behaviors: There is evidence that low self-esteem can be a learned behavior, that is, that the person has acquired it in the first years of their life.

How to deal with depression and low self-esteem?

If you think you suffer from depression and low self-esteem, it is important that you go to a professional psychologist to receive treatment immediately. Below you have some tips.

1. Write your feelings and perceptions: Writing down what you feel and think every day can help you identify different negative thought patterns. Additionally, research also suggests that writing, when focused on perceived feelings and emotions, can help improve your mood and provide greater psychological well-being.
2. Talk to your inner critic: Stopping negative thinking can be very difficult. In this way, one way to deal with this internal vision is precisely by responding to what it says about us or the situations you experience. Therefore, instead of letting these attacks go, try to reason with them.
3. Be kinder to yourself: Try to treat yourself as if you were your best friend. That is, instead of putting yourself down at the slightest mistake, imagine what you would say to someone you love and treat yourself that way.
4. Set realistic goals: Avoid excessively high goals at all costs. No one can do everything, so try to leave yourself space to take care of yourself while striving for what you really want.
5. Keep track of the positive: You don’t have to do great things to feel good about yourself. Some recommendations are that you try to visualize every night at least three positive things that you think you have done during the day.
6. Avoid comparisons: One of the ways in which self-esteem is often attacked is by comparing yourself to others. Therefore, you should try not to do it, but simply inspire yourself to get what you really want.

Low self-esteem is a very common symptom of depression and vice versa. However, both the low self-esteem such as depression can be treated. Even so, you should know that both depression and low self-esteem if not worked on can cause increasingly intense and overwhelming symptoms.

How to help someone with depression and low self-esteem?

If you think that someone around you is suffering so much from depression and low self-esteem we recommend that you take the following into account:

1. Speak it: The moment someone worries you, it is important to let them know. This way you can find out what worries them or what hurts them and know through their words what you can do to help them deal with these problems.
2. Listen to them without judging: For a person with these mental health problems to open up to you and tell you what worries them, it is vital that you try not to judge them or make judgments about what you believe. It is much more effective to focus on the needs that the person has in those moments.
3. Avoid confrontation: If there is a disagreement, it is crucial that you do not confront them and try to point out your opinions in a more indirect way. The reason is that a confrontation can drive these people away from you.
4. Ask what you can do to help them: With this action you will let them know that you are willing to help them in their personal struggle.
5. Encourage them to seek help from a professional: Finally, it is vital that these people see a mental health professional to help them deal with problems related to the disorder. low self-esteem and depression

People with depression and low self-esteem They may feel hurt and criticized by their loved ones very often. Therefore, it is crucial to be open to their feelings and thoughts in order to help them. With effort and work these two disorders can be treated.