What is Self-esteem?
Self-esteem and Alcohol Use
Self-esteem is something that is incredibly intertwined with habitual alcohol use. In many cases it may be hard to determine if it’s the chicken or the egg; which one came first? Poor self-esteem, and then habitual alcohol use? Or habitual alcohol use, and then poor self-esteem? Maybe it’s some combination of both?
But when we live in a world that tells us to “drink responsibly,” and suddenly we find ourselves unable to “drink responsibly,” that can massively impact our self-esteem. (Don’t even get me started on that phrase!) Add on the depressive effect that alcohol has on our brains, and we can wind up with some really lousy self-esteem and self-talk.
If you’ve noticed that you feel pretty down on yourself these days, it’s imperative to know that you’re not alone and it’s not your fault. There are so many ways alcohol can physically and emotionally alter our sense of self-worth—it messes with brain chemistry, our decision making capabilities, our impulse control, and our mood. In the next few days, we’ll dive into how to build up your self-esteem and truly internalize the deep worth you have as a vibrant human being capable and worthy of love from self and others.
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Hewitt, John P. (2009). Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford University Press. pp. 217–224.
Marsh, H.W. (1990). "Causal ordering of academic self-concept and academic achievement: A multiwave, longitudinal path analysis". Journal of Educational Psychology. 82 (4): 646–656.
Smith, E. R.; Mackie, D. M. (2007). Social Psychology(Third ed.). Hove: Psychology Press.
