अरे यू सिंगिंग थे लो सेल्फ-एस्टीम ब्लुएस?

Bipolar Disorder
"People say that they liked my presentation, but it was nothing like it should have been. I can't believe they didn't notice all the mistakes I made."

"She didn't say hi to me when I came into the chat room. I know that means she is angry and doesn't like me."

"She turned me down for a date! I'm so embarrassed and humiliated. No one likes or cares about me. I'll never find a girlfriend. I'll always be alone."

"I got an F on the test. I don't understand anything in this class. I'm such an idiot. Who am I fooling? I shouldn't be taking this class. I'm stupid and I don't belong in college."

Do any of these statements sound familiar? Have you ever felt like an imposter where you act as if you are happy and successful, but are really terrified of failure? Do you live with the constant fear that you will be "found out?" Do you live with persistent anger about not feeling "good enough?" If you answered yes to any of the above questions, there is a good chance that you suffer from low self-esteem.

Many people who have bipolar disorder struggle with low self-esteem. It is a continuous struggle we face every day. So how do we get it and how do we end the struggle?

How Does Low Self-Esteem Come About?
Early experiences can greatly impact the outlook we have about ourselves. Abuse, neglect, and abandonment can influence self-esteem throughout our lives. Being harshly criticized, being ignored, ridiculed, or teased, being expected to be "perfect" all the time either at home or at school can affect self-esteem. Low self-esteem can also come from inconsistent or critical parenting. People with low self-esteem were often given messages that failed experiences (losing a game, getting a poor grade, etc.) were failures of their whole self.

While things in our childhood may affect how we view ourselves, an experience later in life may also be the cause. Often those with a physical disability or mental illness -including bipolar disorder - feel as if they are lacking in some way or don't measure up.

Some people do not believe they are likeable, pretty, or successful. Even when given positive information, they still see the negatives in themselves. It becomes a never-ending cycle. Low self-esteem can also affect relationships if one depends greatly on the other to maintain their self-image.

Some Signs of Low Self-Esteem

•Self-consciousness
•Shyness
•Over-sensitivity
•Feelings of rejection
•Inability to make decisions
•Attacking others or their character
•Attention seeking
•Aggression
Other signs and behaviors that can indicate self-esteem problems:
•Pride
If one is genuinely self-confident, there is no need for pride; only an empty balloon can be "blown up." To cover up their own insecurity, a fair amount of people act out pride, as if they are better than others, but only because they lack self-confidence.

•Improper humility
Regarding oneself not as equal to others, but as less than others. Humility is a positive quality as it avoids pride and is other-centered, often driven by active compassion for others. Lack of self-confidence however, is often self-centered (feeling sorry for oneself and looking for excuses to not change your own situation) and it paralyzes you from doing positive actions.

•Idolizing people
Overestimating others is based on - or will easily lead to - underestimating oneself.

•Trying to be a perfect person instead of being oneself
A self-confident person doesn't need to behave like someone else. Instead of leading to praise, this behavior can lead to problems as others may easily pierce through the facade.