The Impact of Self-Image on Mental Health: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem
Posted by Improving Lives Counseling Services, Inc. | Mental Health
Disliking what you see in the mirror and not having the financial means to change it can negatively impact your mental health. Feelings of undesirability, unworthiness, loneliness, and self-rejection can disrupt brain function, which in turn affects mental well-being. Disturbing thoughts, bad dreams, and hostile interactions with others can impair conceptual capacity and contribute to mental distress. The way individuals view themselves, their circumstances, and their daily lives, plays a crucial role in shaping their psychological health and emotional stability. The counselors, therapists, and clinicians of Improving Lives Counseling Services diagnose, and treat, insecurity, low self-esteem, self-criticism, poor self-image, and self-doubt.
SELF-IMAGE
Visiting a skincare specialist, massage therapist, cosmetologist or barber, manicurist, and dentist for treatments like teeth whitening and Botox can be expensive. Coupled with an all-day shopping spree, these expenses can quickly lead to financial strain. Though they can lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and increase the production of serotonin and dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters, providing a sense of satisfaction, and much needed pick-me-up, can serve as a distraction or escape from mental instability. Even those who are financially able to focus solely on their outer appearance experience stress and anxiety related to self-image.
Self-image plays a central role in shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions with others. A lack of self-image can lead to heightened social anxiety, a fear of judgment, rejection, and feelings of not being “good enough.” Persistent worry in social situations and avoidant behaviors can increase stress and anxiety. A distorted or negative perception of oneself can lead to feelings of hopelessness and sadness — key symptoms of depression.
Poor self-image is often linked to low self-worth, causing individuals to feel undeserving of love, success, or happiness. This, in turn, can intensify feelings of isolation and further deepen negative emotional states. Individuals may have trouble defining who they are, what they want, and what they value, which can lead to distress or a sense of aimlessness.
DISTURBING DREAMS
Nightmares can significantly impact self-image by bringing to the surface deep-seated insecurities and fears. When dream themes consistently portray an individual in a negative light, it can leave them feeling vulnerable, inadequate, or even worthless. This can distort their self-perception in waking life. The anxiety and distress that often follows waking from a nightmare amplifies these negative feelings.
Dreams involving low self-image have been linked to higher frequencies of negative emotions, as well as increased aggression and victimization in dreams. Deeply frightening nightmares can become persistent and cause intense feelings of dread, panic, sadness, guilt, and/or rage. Consistently experiencing such strong emotions while sleeping can interfere with daily functioning – particularly in those suffering low self-image. “Nightmare disorder, particularly when coupled with low self-image can exacerbate pre-existing mental health conditions, and if left untreated, may lead to serious consequences. “Dr. Nadorff explains that the longer and more frequently someone experiences severe nightmares without seeking help, the higher their risk becomes for suicidal behavior.”
FEELING UNWANTED – REJECTED
It’s remarkably difficult to find situations where rejection isn’t painful. Experiencing a social snub triggers a cascade of emotional and cognitive consequences. Social rejection increases feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, jealousy, and sadness. It can reduce performance on challenging intellectual tasks and contribute to aggression and poor impulse control. Even brief, seemingly inconsequential moments of rejection can be deeply hurtful. One recent study found that “when individuals passed a stranger who appeared to look ‘through’ them instead of making eye contact, they reported feeling less socially connected compared to those who made eye contact with the passing stranger.”
Immigrants, the physically challenged, and culturally, racially, and religiously diverse, found rejection profoundly painful, especially when it came from people or groups who didn’t want them in their schools, workplaces, or neighborhoods, or who discriminated against them. The experience of rejection in these contexts could be particularly distressing. Social rejection can influence emotion, cognition, and physical health.
As researchers dug deeper into the roots of rejection, they found evidence that the pain of being excluded is not so different from the pain of physical injury. Rejection has serious implications for an individual’s psychological state, and for society in general. Ostracized people can become aggressive and turn to drugs, alcohol, criminality, promiscuity, or violence. In 2003, Leary and colleagues analyzed 15 cases of school shooters and found all but two suffered from social rejection.
FEELING UNWORTHY
A wife and daughter wanted to do something special for husband and dad. Apple watches were new and very expensive. They saved their money, and shopped around until they found one they could afford. Christmas morning arrived and they were eager to surprise him, knowing he would be the first in his workplace, and of his friends to get an Apple watch. Instead of a bit of glee and an aura of surprise, he broke into tears saying “take it back, I’m not worthy of such an expensive gift.”
Childhood experiences, past trauma or abuse, social pressures, cultural expectations, negative self-talk, imposter syndrome, and failure, combined with an underlying need for emotional support, can contribute to feelings of unworthiness. Disappointment in not being accepted into a desired school, being rejected for a job, or missing out on a well-deserved promotion can lead to overgeneralization. This husband and father may have experienced failure in an area of life outside the immediate family — an aspect of his life that his wife and daughter may not be aware of but is deeply affecting his sense of worthiness.
Low Self-Acceptance:. If someone doesn’t feel good enough in their own skin, it can be hard to accept the love and support others try to give.” (ChatGPT)
Fear of Vulnerability: Sometimes, people struggle with accepting love, kindness, or support from others because they believe they don’t deserve it. They may feel they have to “earn” love or affection and struggle to accept it freely.” (ChatGPT)
PROBLEMS FORMING RELATIONSHIPS
Low self-image can be a significant barrier to forming and maintaining relationships. When someone struggles with a negative or distorted view of themselves, it can affect their ability to connect with others on a deeper, more authentic level. Isolation can contribute to feelings of loneliness and difficulty in establishing connections. Cultural differences, language barriers, or social stigmas can create challenges, particularly when individuals feel they don’t fully belong to a particular community or group. Individuals with low self-image may feel overwhelmed or nervous in social settings, leading them to avoid interactions altogether.
Societal and cultural messages — such as standards of beauty, success, or behavior — can deeply affect an individual’s self-image. Constant exposure to unrealistic ideals can cause individuals to feel inferior or unworthy, preventing them from forming relationships because they don’t think they measure up. A belief that they don’t deserve happiness or love can lead some people to sabotage potential relationships before they can get too deep. They might push others away or withdraw emotionally because they feel they are unworthy of happiness.
Experiencing bullying can significantly undermine a person’s confidence, leaving lasting emotional effects. Others, through no fault of their own, may face challenges in empathizing with their peers, struggling to interpret social cues, understand humor, or engage in collaborative activities. Many of those who find it difficult to form friendships struggle with authenticity, as if they lack trust in the idea that being their true selves is sufficient. As a result, they often present an exaggerated version of themselves, projecting more confidence and capability than they genuinely feel.
SUMMARY
Mental health struggles related to a poor self-image can manifest physically. Conditions such as chronic stress, anxiety, and depression often lead to symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, headaches, muscle tension, and digestive problems. This creates a cycle where mental health issues are exacerbated by physical discomfort, further deepening a negative self-image. Building healthy relationships encompasses acknowledging and accepting personal strengths and values and gaining the essential skills for self-acceptance.
Improving Lives Counseling Services’ diverse team of counselors, therapists, and clinicians develop optimal treatment plans addressing underlying causes of low self-image, low self-esteem, troubling dreams, problem self-talk, negative thoughts, and feelings of unworthiness. Clients learn to reframe negative thoughts, practice daily affirmations, foster self-empowerment, and shift their mindset from feeling unworthy to feeling confident. They treat children, adolescents, teens, adults, and seniors, in individual, couples, family, and group sessions. Disliking yourself affects mental health. Let us help. Call 918-960-7852.
