Addictions are closely tied to a person's self-esteem. Often, they are started because a person has suffered from ongoing criticism, bullying, or other types of abuse, which contributed to their inability to see anything good about themselves. Or, they have had no stability in their home or work environments for quite some time, and this erratic lifestyle makes them feel unsteady and unsure about life in general. A lack of a support system through friends or family can also have an impact on them because they have no one to talk to about their struggles. All of these things become so overwhelming that they begin to seek comfort in drugs or alcohol. Sometimes, there is also a genetic or learned factor at play in a person's …show more content…
Many addicts don't want to continue down the path that they have been on for so long, but breaking loose seems impossible. Each time that they fail at trying to stop using the substances that they are addicted to, the worse that they feel about themselves. On top of this, drug and alcohol addicts often have to lie, steal, cheat, and sometimes even prostitute themselves to acquire the substances they are addicted to. Their actions cause harm to themselves and others, and this damages their self-esteem and self-worth tremendously.
Self-Esteem and the Likeliness of Relapse
Sometimes, addicts are able to find the strength to temporarily stop drinking and using drugs on their own, but if they do not receive treatment for their low self-esteem, they have a much greater chance at relapsing back into their addictions. Even after having remained sober for years, a stressful event or bad situation can trigger old familiar negative feelings, such as worthlessness and guilt, and if they do not know how to handle them, they will return to their old pattern of drug and alcohol abuse.
How Rehabilitation Centers Help increase Self-Esteem in