Low Self Esteem And Social Anxiety Disorder

August 22nd, 2007

I wrote a post a while back about how social anxiety disorder has a strong link with Alopecia and I wanted to revisit this as I think its important topic for people struggling to come to terms with Alopecia. Social anxiety disorder in my opinion is a direct result of low self esteem and the often severe and sudden nature of Alopecia can have a devastating effect on ones self image.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Low self esteem and social anxiety disorder and more common than people are aware of and according to research conducted in the United States is the third most common psychiatric disorder next to depression and alcoholism. However due to its very nature people suffering with social anxiety disorder are reluctant to talk about it and so creating awareness can be an uphill battle, something that will be familiar with people with Alopecia.

To illustrate how bad Social anxiety disorder can be, those who have this it will struggle with everyday tasks that most people take for granted - working, socialising, shopping, speaking on the telephone, can be an unpleasant ordeal marked by constant feelings of anxiety and self-consciousness.

Sufferers typically experience feelings of dread and nervousness in the build up to the feared situation, and analyse or ‘replay’ the situation in their mind when it’s over, ruminating on how they could have ‘performed’ better. Sufferers may also experience physical symptoms such as trembling, blushing or sweating.

Social Anxiety UK

How is Low self esteem related?

So how does this relate to low self esteem? Well, self esteem is probably one of the most important elements in your life and a general agreement exists in psychiatry that self-esteem plays a central role in mental and physical health. Self-esteem is often referred to as self-worth, self-confidence, and self-respect and reflects a person’s overall self-appraisal of their own worth. It’s important to note however that this is very different to confidence which is specifically related to our actions.

How to improve low self esteem and social anxiety disorder

Luckily low self esteem and social anxiety disorder can be beaten. This should start with working on building your self esteem as it is an investment in your well being that will pay dividends in virtually every aspect of your life. Consider the following;

Combat your negative inner voice

Challenge your negative and critical inner voice. Focus on the positive points in any task, no matter how poorly you think you may have done. Be rational when appraising your abilities.

Practise self nature

Look after yourself physically, take regular exercise, eat well and practise good hygiene. These all add up and will always make you feel better about yourself. Make a list of your strengths and achievements so you can focus on the positives in your life. Most importantly be thankful for all that you have in your life already.

Get help from others

Seek out support groups in your area for things like social anxiety disorder. Ask a good friend to listen to you “vent” your feelings for a little while and don’t be afraid to ask for a hug from a loved one. If it really is too painful to deal with then talking to a professional counsellor is a good way to learn more about your self-esteem issues and begin to improve your self-esteem.

Hypnosis

You may also want to consider clinical hypnosis as dealing with your subconscious mind is an effective way to literally “unlearn” all the negative programming you can build up throughout your life. Adam Eason’s High Self Esteem in 21 Days is one of the best around if you want a comprehensive self hypnosis product and comes highly recommended. If its over your budget then there are several other shorter hypnosis sets on the market.

I hope this article has given you a greater understanding of what low self esteem and social anxiety disorder are and how they effect your life. The techniques we have talked about will help you improve your well being and I urge you to take positive action today.

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