For decades, experts have noted a relationship between women’s low self-esteem and addiction. In the past, addiction only referred to substance abuse. However, now that term can refer to anything from food addiction, internet addiction, shopping addiction, to gambling addiction, all of which can lead to low self-esteem. In some cases, addiction can mask a person’s insecurities, allowing the person to feel more confident and less anxious. Unfortunately, this is merely a placebo effect, and once you realize that you’ve developed an addiction, your self-esteem may plummet even further.
If you need self-esteem tips in CO, our women’s mental health treatment center can help. At Women’s Recovery, we help you overcome addiction and build up your self-esteem until you are the confident, beautiful woman you yearn to be. To learn more about how our treatment programs can help you, contact us today at 833.754.0554.
The Connection Between Self-Esteem and Addiction
The term “self-esteem” describes how you, as a woman, evaluate yourself and determines your self-worth. You can think of it as the level of satisfaction and confidence that you have concerning your life.
A range of factors can cause a person’s self-esteem to drop. For some women, they may have suffered from extreme physical, emotional, or sexual abuse as children. Because they lack the understanding and knowledge to comprehend the situation, they wrongly believe that somehow they deserved the abuse. Alternatively, their parents may have made them feel like they were valued and worthy of praise or affection. They may have also been the victim of bullying or racism.
When you have low self-esteem, you’re at a higher risk of the people around you influencing your actions. Unfortunately, because you rely on others to help you overcome your negative thoughts and feelings about yourself, you feel that you have to turn to other people or experiences to change how you feel about yourself. For many individuals, they may have begun using substances to appear “cool” or to fit in their friends. In addition, you may use some drugs to alter your mental state and may need the help of a substance abuse treatment center.
However, it’s vital to remember that there may not be a direct connection between addiction and low self-esteem. Causes of drug abuse can range from a number of factors, including:
- Family history
- Mental health conditions
- Social network
- Stress
- Trauma
Self-Esteem Tips in CO
Knowing how to improve your self-esteem can help you get the care you need for your addiction. One thing you ought to do is to be aware of your inner thoughts. Identify areas where you’re negatively thinking about yourself, and work on developing new positive self-talk strategies. For instance, if you think, “No one will like me if I’m not using alcohol or drugs,” instead, practice thinking, “My true friends will be happy for me for taking care of my health.”
In addition, you might try volunteering and helping other people. Not only does it help the other person, doing so allows you to be busy and feel useful, both of which can positively impact your self-esteem.
Finally, it’s vital to remember that perfection is a myth. People are fallible, so give a little grace and remember that every day is about progress, rather than perfection.
Get Treatment at Women’s Recovery
One of the benefits of seeking addiction treatment is that it can positively impact your self-esteem. Because your drug use may have caused you to feel negatively about yourself, getting treatment for your addiction may be able to help. In some cases, an alcohol addiction treatment program can address the mental health condition or behavioral health condition that causes your low self-esteem. Some treatment centers offer a trauma treatment program, which addresses the harm that abuse or other negative situations have caused in your life. However, in nearly every treatment program, the team is there to remind you that you have value and worth. We give you the care and support you need to fully recover from your low self-esteem and addiction.
At Women’s Recovery in Colorado, we know that each woman who comes to us is a beautiful, shining individual. We can help you by providing support for your recovery from addiction and self-esteem problems. To learn more, contact us at 833.754.0554.
