Surprising Ways Your Poor Self-Esteem is Hurting Your Friendships

You might be struggling to understand why your friendships never seems to last or why there is constant stress and conflict between you and the people closest to you. Often we tend to externalize the blame onto the other party, blaming friends for being toxic, demanding, or just ‘not right,’ and finding excuses to pin it on them.

But many a time, it can be your own ego, poor self-esteem, and lack of self-confidence that are getting in the way. Here’s how low self-esteem is hurting you and why strategies to cope with low self-esteem are necessary:

You attract what you’re familiar with

We attract what we know, and often, those with poor self-esteem attract friends with the same. This makes for a highly toxic and damaging dynamic as you struggle to find your footing and healthy space for yourself within this relationship. Those with poor self-esteem are often caught up in friendships that further hurt their self-worth and self-image because you’re unable to accept that you deserve more.

It’s harder accepting the love you get

The same also applies in the opposite situation, where we tend to struggle with accepting love, care, and affection because we feel unworthy. Poor self-esteem can convince you that you do not deserve the same or any level of attention and affection and cause you to shut off, isolate, or sabotage your existing relationships.

You may struggle with personal space

A major effect of poor self-esteem and interpersonal relationships is that you may be inclined to attach or draw your self-worth to the other person, thus leading to a sense of codependence. This may mean that you are unable to cope with the idea of personal space and boundaries, which can feel like an attempt to cut you off. Instead, boundaries help maintain a healthy balance and leave room for mutual agreement and respect within friendships. Codependence and low self-esteem can make it difficult to see them like that, thus jeopardizing your friendships.

Similarly, disagreements may also feel like a personal attack rather than a simple difference of opinion or different worldview.

You can work on addressing the root cause of your issues with some excellent, tried, and tested strategies to enhance self-esteem, by working with Rekha Shrivastava. At Blossom Hypnosis, we offer hypnosis for ADHD and low self-esteem, among other concerns that clients bring. Learn more by reaching out to us today for a free consultation in-person or on Skype.