Negative Impacts of Low Self Esteem in Relationships

If you have ever suffered from low self-esteem, you will understand how crippling it can be. In worst case scenarios it can have a large effect on all areas of life, limiting the things people do and making them feel as if they will never achieve everything they want to. It causes people to think irrationally and rarely leads to a happy ending. Many people face this problem every day, unaware of the damage low self esteem can cause to a relationship.

One of the biggest negative impacts caused by low self esteem in relationships is lack of trust. When someone suffers from low self esteem, they can often become overly paranoid about where their partner is and what they may be doing. Sometimes this means they will call them at random points during the day to check up on them, spend time snooping through their emails and asking lots of questions in order to "trip them up". When there is a lack of trust in a relationship, it is very hard to keep things on track. The person with low self esteem will be in a constant state of worry, and the person who is constantly being suspected will soon tire of it. Anyone who is in a relationship with someone who suffers from low self esteem will need to exercise a lot of patience and give much reassurance, but there is only so much they can do before it gets too hard.

Another negative impact caused by low self esteem is the constant desire to hear compliments. In relationships, compliments should be given freely and naturally. When a person spends a lot of time complaining about being unattractive or overweight, it can be quite wearing on a relationship because the partner will feel forced to say something nice. Both parties will know that the compliment was forced and the person with the low self esteem can often end up feeling worse. In most cases, the concern over physical appearance is genuine in their mind and the partner's reassurance is also genuine - but after being asked so many times, it begins to sound hollow and can lead to arguments.

People who have low self esteem can sometimes put an extra strain on their relationship by trying to rush it forwards. They may think that by getting engaged/married/having a baby, they have secured their partner for life. Sadly, that is just a false sense of security. A wedding ring is no longer a sign of a life long commitment for everyone - and nor should it be if the relationship is not right. Trying to push a partner into making a big commitment too soon is a huge cause of break-ups.

These are just some of the negative impacts caused by low self esteem in relationships, but they can all be equally as damaging. Self esteem issues are very much a personal thing but they can quickly spread and affect others. It isn't easy to keep these feelings in check, and there is nothing wrong with asking for help if it is needed.