Depression and low self-esteem
Depression and low self-esteem are highly connected.
Do you experience “numbness” or feeling down for longer than two weeks?
Do you cry more than usual and experience reduced motivation? Do you feel tired all the time?
Do you lose interest in things that you used to enjoy?
Do you feel worthlessness or hopelessness? Do you struggle with thoughts “I am not good enough”? Do you secretly hate yourself?
Do you have a difficult relationship with food? Do you struggle with headaches? Poor quality of sleep?
Most of us experience some of these symptoms from time to time. However if you experience these feelings and behaviors more intensely for more than two weeks, you might suffer from clinical depression. Clinical depression could interfere with your everyday life and cause a persistent low mood.
Clinically, we see that depression correlates with your low self-esteem.
“Self-efficacy and self-respect are the dual pillars of healthy self-esteem. Self-efficacy refers to a sense of basic confidence in the face of life’s challenges; while self-respect is a sense of being worthy of happiness.” says Nathaniel Branden, author of <The six pillars of self-esteem>. Low self-esteem, a lack of self-efficacy and self-respect, is often seen in people seeking therapy for clinical depression. If you don’t trust that you are capable of coping with life’s challenges or if you don’t think you are worthy of love & happiness, you are more likely to feel a sense of despair and helplessness in the difficult situations, and you are more likely to have negative view towards yourself & the world and develop clinical depression.
Boosting your self-esteem - having a healthy dose of capability and worthiness, can help you manage depression.
My name is Wenjia, as a highly skilled and empathetic therapist, I specialize in supporting exhausted adults who struggle with low self-esteem/people pleasing/co-dependency/perfectionism. My goal is to help you develop a positive view of yourself and thrive in a more fulfilling life.