Yes, there are perfectly good ways to sabotage your self-esteem.  Do you have low self-esteem?  Would you like to have higher self-esteem?  If you do, then do not do the following or you will surely sabotage your self-esteem.

You may think I’m crazy, but everyone wants to know how to raise their self-esteem or how to not have such low self-esteem, but they keep making the same mistakes over and over again causing their self-esteem to be in the gutter.

Sabotage Your Self-Esteem!

Okay, here we go, if you are sure you want to sabotage your self-esteem then do the following.

• Anytime you make a mistake, call yourself stupid or tell yourself that always happens and that will always happen.
• If something bad happens to you or to your friends or even to complete strangers, make sure you take the blame.  No matter what happens in the world around you, if it’s bad then it’s your fault.
• Believe every negative thing you hear others say about you because it must be right.
• If you do hear something positive or if you actually accomplish something make sure to say it was just a fluke and pass it off as a miracle that will never happen again.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.  If you want to have higher self-esteem then don’t do any of the above.  As a matter of fact, do just the opposite to ensure you won’t sabotage your self-esteem.

I’ve come across a term the other day called selective mutism.  Selective mutism sounds a lot like social anxiety or social phobia.

The definition for selective mutism according to the Medline Plus website is a condition in which a child who can speak well stops speaking, usually in school or social settings.

The causes for this can be anxiety, biological, environmental or social.  The causes pretty much mirror social anxiety.  So, why then must we come up with another label?

Why Selective Mutism and not Social Anxiety?

Why can’t we say the child has a severe form of social anxiety or social phobia with a symptom “afraid to speak in social situations” or something to that affect?

Maybe because if we have a new label, we are able to come up with a new specialist in the medical/psychology field or a new drug or something else that is going to cost more money.

Social anxiety or selective mutism can affect anyone, including children, in school or social settings, and without treatment, symptoms could possibly get worse.

I am all for someone getting treatment when needed.  I am just opposed to adding labels to problems needlessly for the sake of providing professionals with a fat wallet.

Anyone suffering from social anxiety, anxiety, stress, or any issue that causes pain, embarrassment, or hurt understands how addiction comes easy.  People at times are frustrated to the point of just wanting the “bad feelings” to go away.

Whether it is a drug addiction, food addiction, alcohol addiction, prescription drug addiction, or any other addiction you use to alter your current state of mind, the bad news is, it’s not a permanent cure, nor is it helping in any way.  In fact, any kind of addiction to alter your mind will do more harm than good.  So why does addiction come easy?

Addiction Comes Easy

Not everyone suffering from social anxiety, anxiety, stress and other issues are addicted to mind altering materials.  However, addiction comes easy and the averages are higher for those suffering from low self-esteem, or those who feel bad about themselves.

Another reason why addiction comes easy for some is because picking up a bottle or popping a pill is a lot easier than learning meditation to combat stress, learning how to be comfortable in social settings to overcome social anxiety, or to numb feelings of embarrassment or hurt.

It can be easier until it comes time to recover from the addiction.  Addiction recovery can not only be more painful, but life-threatening as well.

Please go for a walk, scream, yell, do anything if you are frustrated trying to learn to deal with stress and anxiety.  Do anything it takes to keep you from that dirty word addiction.  It can sneak up on you when you least expect it because addiction comes far too easy.