A person with low self-esteem usually evaluates himself or herself in a negative way. If you have low self-esteem you may find it difficult to accept yourself the way you are. You may feel inferior or inadequate in some way. You may frequently doubt yourself and feel undeserving of the good things in life. Such beliefs undoubtedly negatively affect many areas of your life such as your career, relationships, mood, self-care, and physical and emotional health. 

Why do people have low self-esteem? Low self-esteem is usually the result of life experiences. Most of the time, those experiences happened early on in life. Among the common experiences contributing to the development of low self-esteem are inability to meet your parents' high standards, lack of warmth and empathy in the family, being bullied, a sense of non-belonging to your peer group, feeling "different", "odd" or excluded. 

There are several strategies of dealing with low self-esteem. In our clinic, the first treatment of choice is often CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). We will address the self-esteem on three levels: your deeply rooted views of yourself, your self-imposed rules for dealing with everyday life situations, and your automatic, knee-jerk reactions to situations that trigger those deeply rooted beliefs. 

In time, you will develop a more balanced reaction to everyday stresses, a more positive perception of yourself, and a sense of self-acceptance.