4 Ways Low Self-Esteem Worsens Depression (And How To Fix It)

Lakeisha E
April 11, 2021

Low self-esteem is a dangerous trait that can affect multiple areas of your life in surprisingly powerful ways. It can also jeopardize your well-being on a deeper level, making it even worse if you’ve been diagnosed with mental illnesses, such as anxiety or depression.

Depression and low self-esteem form a deadly cycle, according to a study published in the Journal, Cognitive and behavioral psychotherapy. The lower your self-esteem, the more depressed you will feel, and the more depressed you are, the lower your self-esteem. It is far from an ideal way to live! But how does it happen and how can you get out of that downward spiral?

4 ways low self-esteem makes depression worse

Here are four ways low self-esteem makes depression worse, and how to fix it in three tips.

1. You become an unfair perfectionist

Low self-esteem it often leads him to become very perfectionist, requiring self-destructive levels of punishment for his inability to meet impossible standards; your self-esteem depends on being able to complete things to an arbitrary level of satisfaction.

When you continually fail to meet your own goals, it makes sense to feel more depressed. Of course, these failures are fueled by a bad self-image, which makes the whole thing even more depressing. You will never feel good enough, which will make you more of a perfectionist, making you “fail” once again … it’s a destructive cycle to get caught up in. Here are some ways this can happen:

You panic over small details

The human brain cannot focus on every little detail at once. It is inherently flawed and is not meant to be like a robot scanner. There is no way you can get every tiny thing to be completely accurate, and trying to do so will inevitably fail, and depression will escalate after that.

Your expectations are unrealistic

There’s a reason goal setting requires achievable goals to achieve positive results. If your expectations are through the roof, your self-esteem will decline as you miss every milestone. You will begin to feel that your efforts are useless and worthless, which is a symptom of severe depression.

You equate failure with being a failure

It is normal to fail, but it does not make you a failure. Unfortunately, having low self-esteem means that this is how your brain tends to think. It is easy to see how this can be related to depression. Thinking that you are just a failure will surely hurt your head.

2. You are defined by the perceptions that others have of you

One of the most common symptoms of low self-esteem is feeling that you have to please others in order for them to love, love, and respect you. As a result, many people who please end up feeling aggrieved and used. To learn how to set personal limits, try the following tips:

Low self-esteem can make you please people. You define your value by how others look at you. This means that you develop unhealthy bonds with others that can be suffocating, overwhelming, or even frightening to the people around you.

When your only source of positive thinking comes from others, depression is a certainty. No one will constantly reassure you and people will notice your despair, so you will not find the self-esteem you seek from others anywhere. Your self-esteem will sink quickly as no one satisfies your need for validation, which contributes to depression. Ask yourself, do you do the following?

You can’t say no

Say no” For others it means having to let them down or refuse to earn their favor, so you are constantly under pressure to say “yes.” You can even agree to overexert yourself between commitments because you hope those you help will like you more.

You have no limits

Not only do you not respect other people’s limits, but you don’t have any either. You will let people trample you while you invade their personal space. It is a toxic situation everywhere.

You never put yourself first

A little selfishness can be a good thing, but you would be reluctant to put yourself first, not even for a second. You will do what you can to help other people, even if it means putting yourself in danger every day.

3. you hate yourself

Low self-esteem means that you don’t like who you are, sometimes to an extreme level of hatred. It’s pretty obvious how this could make depression worse. Self-hatred can involve frustration, anger, harshness, resentment, self-forgiveness, and more. All these factors make you dislike your life, even more so, making depression worse. Here are some of the key features to keep in mind:

Your internal dialogue leans towards the negative

That voice inside your head constantly tells you that you are not good enough, calling you names and hitting you where it hurts. It may even have become such an important part of you that it happens automatically and you accept it without thinking. When your default processing is negative, depression is an obvious side effect.

You believe in every negative thing that comes to mind

Many people have negative thoughts, but those with high self-esteem challenge those thoughts with positive thoughts. If you have low self-esteem, that means you believe in that negativity because it makes sense to you. You really think of yourself that way, and once again, negativity is the main food for depression.

You punish yourself for mistakes

Making mistakes It is part of life, but for you it is like the end of the world. You continually resent yourself and feel shame and guilt for the mistakes you have made. Instead of learning from them, you immerse yourself in them, which depresses you the most.

4. Not enough credit is given

Low self-esteem usually means that you don’t realize how well you are doing. You constantly think bad of yourself and never reward yourself or pat yourself on the back. This makes depression worse because you never end up being enough even for yourself, perpetuating that sense of numbness and hopelessness so common in mood disorders.

Here are some examples of ways you may not be giving yourself enough credit:

You attribute success to luck

Whenever something goes well for you, you ignore your part and insist that it was all luck. Even when you fought as hard as you could to make things work out right, you ignore your efforts and insist that someone like you could never have done so well, even though you obviously did!

Refuses to accept compliments

Accept compliments gracefully it’s basic decency, but it’s hard to do. Every time someone compliments you, you find out that you don’t believe it or even wonder if you’ve tricked them into liking you. It is a paradox in which you want external validation but then deny its existence, which affects your head and your depressed state.

You have a poor body image

You think you look bad, even when others say no. Rarely, if ever, do you have moments when you like some aspects of your appearance. Hating your skin is sure to get you down, as you’re essentially saying you hate the glass of your entire life.

How to fix low self-esteem that makes depression worse

You comfort zone it is, well, comfortable! But it is also limiting. For those with low self-esteem, staying within a comfort zone is inherently negative because it prevents them from learning more about themselves and their abilities.

Sure, it’s nice to be inside your bubble. But by being brave, using positive thinking, and stepping out of that circle, you will find that you are more than equipped to tackle the unknown. Plus, it gives you something to occupy yourself with so that you focus less on mental disorders like depression, so it’s a win-win for everyone!

Final thoughts on some ways low self-esteem makes depression worse and how to fix it