Do Alcoholics Have a Bad Self-Image?

Alcohol and self-esteem do not go well together. Alcohol exacerbates any existing conditions or factors that already impact a person’s dignity. While it may raise a person’s confidence in the short term, it does significant damage over time. Improving one’s self-esteem is often an important part of the recovery process.

What Is Self-Esteem?

A person’s self-esteem is their internal view of themselves. Part of this confidence comes from internal factors, but a person also develops this self-respect based on the opinions of other people. This is what people use when processing those opinions.

Surprisingly, self-esteem is a quantitative measure. Outside forces can alter that number for good or bad. A comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment program will focus on restoring a person’s respect for themselves as part of the recovery process.

Factors That Impact a Person’s Self-Confidence

A person’s internal thoughts and feelings affect their self-respect. How others treat them also has an impact, and life experiences play a role in whether a person thinks highly of themselves. People who suffer from a disability, injury, or illness might find their confidence decreases, and self-esteem often declines as a person ages. These are only a few of the many factors that impact self-confidence today.

Low Self-Esteem and Alcoholism

Higher self-esteem isn’t always better. People need to have a realistic view of their strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, they could do harm to their health. If their confidence isn’t in line with reality, they may turn to alcohol.

These individuals have little regard for themselves or their health and well-being. They feel like they aren’t as good as other people. In certain cases, a co-occurring disorder contributes to this problem. They feel like an outsider and turn to alcohol as a way of self-medicating. It dulls their mind, so they don’t have to think about why they don’t like themselves. However, this path often leads to addiction.

Boosting False Self-Esteem with the Help of Booze

Men and women who think highly of themselves but get upset when others downplay their attributes often turn to alcohol. They look at how they perform on regular tasks. If they do well, they are okay. If they fail at these tasks, they turn to alcohol in many cases.

Why Alcohol Isn’t the Answer?

Alcohol alters the mind. Many people forget this basic fact because alcohol is legal. However, it changes the way the user’s brain functions and their perceptions of the world. In the process, it can harm the user’s self-esteem. This harm might lead to the person becoming dependent on alcohol. The individual uses the alcohol as a crutch. When they drink, their self-esteem goes up. It might be that the booze quiets the voice in their head that tells them they aren’t good enough. Regardless of why they drink, this individual may be heading down the path that leads to alcoholism.

Addressing the Alcohol Issue

Men and women suffering from self-confidence issues must address those issues as part of the recovery process. Failing to do so increases the odds of a relapse. The treatment center should consider this at the initial assessment and determine how to proceed to address these issues.

Many people fail to recognize they have self-esteem issues. Of those that do, they often refuse to talk about them. However, they need to. This problem is extremely common and often begins at a young age. With the right help, a person can improve their self-confidence and overcome their addiction to alcohol. It all starts by asking for help.