relationships
Relationships are living things that grow over time. However, issues may arise that are difficult to overcome. Common problems include a desire for your partner to change, communication difficulties, and the need to spend more time and effort on yourself. A poor relationship with ourselves can often translate into a poor connection with our partner. If you suffer from depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem, it can harm your intimate bonds.
Self esteem
Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves or our sense of self-worth. It measures the degree to which we value, approve of, appreciate, and respect ourselves. Low self-esteem often begins in early childhood and stems from how others treat us as children. Growing up in a household where abuse, neglect, emotional neglect, or substance use was present can lead to low self-esteem as adults. Low self-esteem often makes us feel “less than” and can make us feel unlovable and inadequate. Signs of low self-esteem include difficulty accepting praise, negative and critical thoughts about ourselves, fear of failure, comparing ourselves to others, pleasing people, and self-doubt.
In intimate connections, low self-esteem can make us overly sensitive in our interactions with a partner. We might also be so focused on trying to please our partners that we lose sight of our values, desires, and needs, leading us to feel that our connections have failed. Letting go of a relationship can be complicated, even if it is unhealthy. When relationships end, we often experience grief, similar to how we grieve when a loved one dies. It is possible to experience grief even if you initiated the breakup.
At A Peaceful Balance, our counselors can help you explore what you bring to your relationships and find ways to make them more satisfying. If you want to examine and strengthen your connections, call us today at (603) 577-5551 or email info@apeacefulbalance.com.
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