Written by Wood Creek Academy
Low self-esteem: it happens to the best of us. While the average person deals with bouts of low self-esteem every once in a while, possessing little regard for one’s self on a regular basis can be harmful over time. Chronic low self-esteem can lead to depression as well as other behavioral problems down the line. It can lead to unhealthy relationships and low performance in school and work. This is why it’s so important to pay attention to your son’s behavior and deal with the root of the problem before it gets out of hand.
Do you think your teenage son might have low self-esteem? It might be harder to identify than you might think. How do you know if your teenage son has low self-esteem or if he’s going through normal changes? Here are the top three signs of low self-esteem in teenagers and whether schools for troubled boys might be the solution.
Negative Self Talk
The way a person talks about himself reflects a lot of about their self-esteem. If your teenage son is constantly saying negative things about himself, he might have low self-esteem. Negative self-talk includes phrases such as “I can’t do anything,” “I will never understand that,” or “I always make mistakes.” Teenage boys who are constantly saying negative comments about themselves are revealing that they feel incompetent.
Drug Abuse
This one might be difficult to spot, because many teenage boys with low self-esteem aren’t abusing drugs such as marijuana or prescription pills. They’re taking steroids. According to DoSomething.org, 38 percent of boys in middle school and high school said they use protein supplements and about 6 percent said they have experimented with steroids. If you think your son is taking steroids, the root of the problem could be low self-esteem.
Excessive Exercise
While going to the gym is a healthy habit, excessive exercise might be a sign of low self-esteem. DoSomething.org reports that 15 percent of guys in high school are trying to lose weight, and more than 40 percent exercise on a regular basis in order to boost muscle mass.
The Solution
Before you send your child to one of the leading troubled teenagers programs, it’s important to determine whether he is truly suffering from low self-esteem. Everyone has a bad day every once in a while, but if your son is constantly speaking negative about himself, abusing steroids, or obsessed with working out at the gym, he might have low self-esteem. To be sure, you can always talk to a professional and seek counseling.
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Located in Western Montana, Wood Creek Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for boys and one of the leading Christian boarding schools for boys.