What Self Esteem Issues
Do YOU Have?...

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Do you think eating disorders are really issues of low self esteem?

Well if you do or if you don't no one can deny that eating disorders are one of the major issues of our time.

And that it affects teens or adolescents as much (if not more so) than any other age group.

Perhaps it stems from poor self image, perhaps it does not.

Of course, eating disorders are not the only self esteem issue - e.g. thinking you're not good enough and dealing with loneliness are important topics also, as are other causes of low self esteem in teenagers (and everyone else).

So, eating disorders are discussed below, and other issues discussed, too - with links to appropriate resources if necessary.

Do let us know what you think are key self esteem issues in your life - thanks.

Self esteem issues

What I say...

We all have esteem issues from time to time. I know I do, anyway.

Either our self-esteem is low and we just don't know how we can improve it, or we've had good self esteem but every now and then - bam! - down the self-esteem goes, and off we go into a familiar negative downward spiral...

Maybe it's dealing with loneliness - that feeling, every now and then, that nobody really understands us, or is 'there' for us. Or maybe it's about not being 'popular' at work or with friends. Maybe one of the issues we have is an eating disorder - we binge or starve ourselves, because of some false self image or body image. Or maybe it's even because, deep down, you just think "you can't". (By the way, you're wrong - "you can!" )

The causes of low self esteem are many, for sure. These issues can come begin at any point in our lives, and could be due to nature OR nurture:

Nature - we might have inherited a low self-esteem from our parents
Nurture - a 'bad thing' might have happened to us, that we have not yet recovered from
Nurture - or maybe our parents didn't encourage us enough (because their parents did not encourage them enough...)
Nurture - you might have been bullied for being 'different' in some way, or less 'perfect' than everybody else, and this has affected your self-belief

Whatever the causes of low self esteem, there are no easy cures, but boosting your self esteem is possible - you just have to want to do it!

So, these things affect us all, true, but this page on self esteem issues focusses on where it may all appear to go wrong - I'm talking about adolescent self esteem aka 'self esteem teens'. In particular, with regard to eating disorders - something that affects both girls and boys, these days!

Perhaps if low self esteem can be nipped in the bud in adolescence then all will be much better with the world, regarding self esteem issues. (Though anyone suffering from an eating disorder - whether teen or adult - will benefit from the article below.)

Actually, I believe everyone can benefit from reading Mary's thoughts on eating disorders (and self esteem in teenagers).

Self esteem issues - what YouTube says...

The Streets (Mike Skinner) - "Empty Cans". There is no video to watch, but if you listen to the words of this song - the last song on excellent story-album A Grand Don't Come for Free - then I think you'll understand the highs and lows familiar to all of us who want to blame anyone but ourselves for how our life is going. Maybe. I love this song, and am glad I remembered to include it here! :-)

WARNING! There are swear words like 'f*ck' and 'c*nt' in this video. Mike Skinners words are real, as is his 'pain'. I include this video as I believe it to be uplifting - the message at the end, anyway - as well as the depressingly familiar (and unnecessary) downward spiral in the first part of the song...

(This is a real look at a typical example of low self esteem!)