The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says 18.1 percent of American adults have an anxiety disorder. Many contributing factors are involved, including lack of confidence. Anxiety brings out fear and uncertainty, and people with low self-esteem have difficulty fighting those feelings. Fortunately, confidence can be regained, and anxiety can be kept at bay.
Definition
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes anxiety as a mixture of apprehension, nervousness and fear. Sometimes, the cause is obvious, such as an upcoming challenge or situation for which you feel unprepared. Sometimes it has an unknown source, which makes it even more upsetting.
Link
There is often a direct link between anxiety and confidence. People with strong self-confidence are less likely to experience anxiety, even in unknown situations, because they feel they can handle almost anything. Those with low self-esteem tend to worry about both known and unknown hazards because they believe they will somehow mess things up. They may have this lack of confidence even if they are actually competent because they were constantly belittled at some previous point and internalized the negative beliefs.
Symptoms
Anxiety has many symptoms, some of which can hurt confidence even more. For example, physical symptoms such as an upset stomach, sweating, trembling and dry mouth may make a person who fears giving a presentation even more reluctant to get up in front of people. Anxiety can also interfere with concentration and make a person frustrated and irritable. They may feel even less confidence if they have trouble focusing their thoughts.
Treatment
NIMH says cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective way to treat anxiety. This method focuses on changing negative, ineffective and harmful thought patterns. It can be used to specifically target confidence problems and low self-esteem, which often comes from being cut down frequently in childhood or at some other point and absorbing counterproductive messages. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches a person how to replace those negative thoughts with healthy ones.
NIMH says some people also benefit from drug treatment. Doctors typically prescribe anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants or beta blockers for anxiety disorders. Medication may alleviate your symptoms and allow you to focus more effectively on building up your confidence.
Prevention
You can prevent anxiety related to low self-esteem with daily affirmations and a cognitive technique called thought stopping. Affirmations are used in the morning to set up your attitude for the day. For example, you may repeat the following when you wake up: "I am a smart, competent, able person. I am entering this day with confidence in myself. I will maintain that confidence. I refuse to let anxiety consume my energy." The Self Help and Self Development website emphasizes using affirmations at least once a day without skipping any days for best results.
Throughout the day, you would picture a giant red stoplight every time confidence-related anxiety starts. That is your signal to stop the negative thought pattern. Immediately replace it with your affirmation. This redirects the anxiety's energy and refocuses you positively. The North Carolina State University Counseling Center advises combining deep breathing with this technique.
