Low Self-Esteem
Last reviewed Saturday, October 24, 2026Low self-esteem is a lasting, mostly negative opinion of yourself: a sense that you are not good enough, not likeable or less capable than other people. It becomes a problem when the harsh view sticks and starts shaping what you try and how you live. It isn’t a diagnosis, but it is linked to later depression.
Also called: low self-worth, low confidence, poor self-image, feeling “not good enough”, inferiority complex.
For therapy in Nigeria, see our self-esteem guide. For practical steps, read How to Build Self-Esteem and Confidence.
Signs and symptoms
- A harsh inner voice (“I’m so stupid”)
- Avoiding challenges, new things and social situations
- Brushing off compliments and dwelling on criticism
- Saying yes when you mean no
- Setting impossibly high standards, then judging yourself for missing them
Causes
It often begins in childhood, from the messages parents, siblings, teachers, friends and the media send about you. Expectations that are hard to meet, stress, and painful events such as serious illness or bereavement can wear it down later. Avoiding hard things feels safer, but over time it confirms the doubts.
Treatment
CBT can help. A review of eight studies of a CBT approach built for low self-esteem found large improvements with weekly sessions and smaller ones with one-day workshops. In therapy or on your own, the work is catching harsh beliefs, writing down evidence against them, being kinder to yourself, saying no, and taking on small challenges. Go easy on affirmations: in small experiments, repeating a statement about being lovable left people with low self-esteem feeling worse.
In Nigeria
Self-worth can get tied to milestones other people can see: results, a good job, marriage, children, a move abroad. Falling behind your mates, or being compared with a sibling, can feel like proof you’re not enough. In one Ekiti study, women with infertility had lower self-esteem and higher depression scores than women at a family-planning clinic. Mytherapist.ng has therapists who speak Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin.
Low self-esteem vs depression
Low self-esteem is about how you see yourself. Depression is a condition: low mood or loss of interest for at least two weeks, with other symptoms and an effect on daily life. Low self-esteem can be one of those symptoms. Long-term studies suggest it predicts later depression more strongly than the reverse.
When to get help
See a therapist for self-esteem if the self-criticism is constant, holds you back, or comes with low mood most days. If you feel so worthless that you’re thinking about ending your life, call 112 (or 767 in Lagos), or Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000. The full list is on our helplines page.
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This entry is awaiting clinical review. It’s based on published research and health guidelines, and we’ll update it once a clinician has reviewed it.
