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Low Self-Esteem and Your Health

By: Kim Archer Do you suffer from low self-esteem? If so, you could be setting yourself up for health problems. A poor self-image is the foundation of many physical and emotional ailments. Consider these seven ways that it negatively impacts your well-being.

1. Anxiety: If you have a poor opinion of yourself, you're not like to have any confidence in yourself either. For such people, unfamiliar or uncomfortable circumstances can result in an anxiety attack.

2. Stress: We all deal with stress in our lives, but for a person with a poor self-image it can be crushing. They won't be prone to dealing with their stress, which can cause even more tension and worry. Stress is often a precursor of heart disease.

3. Depression: Feelings of despondency and despair are widespread among those who experience low self-esteem. If you feel you're worthless, you'll start to isolate yourself from your family and friends. Cutting yourself off from those who love you allows your negative thoughts to run wild and will take you down the path to depression. Severe depression can even lead to thoughts of suicide.

4. Alcohol Abuse: Others look to the soothing properties of alcohol to hide out from their problems and increase their confidence. Alcohol becomes their best buddy by giving them an effortless sense of self-esteem. Alcohol eliminates your self-consciousness and makes you bold. But booze is very addictive and will cause major damage to your body's health. Alcohol abuse can lead to liver disease, heart problems, cancer and more.

5. Addictions: Yet another way people attempt to bolster a poor self-image is by abusing street drugs or prescription medications. The temporary high wipes away their bad feelings for a while. However, the consequences of long term drug addiction are renowned, and these people are liable to wind up dead if they don't address their problems.

6. Weight Gain: People with low self-esteem frequently try to fill that empty feeling with food. Overeating leads to weight gain, sometimes to the point of obesity. Excessive weight gain is associated with heart disease, diabetes and numerous other ailments.

7. Weight Loss: On the other hand, some people with self-esteem issues become obsessed with their appearance. They develop eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia in their quest for the perfect body. But no matter how much they starve their bodies, they are never pleased with the results, and eventually they become dangerously ill.

These are a few of the serious health issues that can be a product of low self-esteem. It's critical that those who are experiencing feelings of worthlessness get help to learn how to value themselves. Or they might end up dealing with worse problems.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Kim Archer writes about women's wellness. She is publisher of The Internet Spa, where you'll find up-to-date information to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

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