The way that you view and value yourself as a person is known as your self-esteem. As you grow from childhood into a young adult, you begin to learn about your worth as a human being, but sometimes things donโt always turn out as they should. Some people go through negative experiences or have poor influences in their lives that can damage their self-esteem, leaving them feeling less worthy of love, respect, and positivity.
If youโve struggled with recognizing your sense of personal value during substance use or recovery, youโre not alone. Low self-worth and addiction can affect your ability to stay in recovery and rebuild your life. Counseling can help you challenge negative self-talk, build coping skills, and strengthen your self-worth.
Factors of Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem can take a toll on people in many ways, especially when it comes to their health. When someone doesnโt recognize their worth, they may prioritize other people and things before themselves. Sometimes those people and things can be harmful, like unsafe relationships or substance use.
On a regular day, you may present yourself as self-assured and functioning, but on the inside, you feel hopeless and hollow due to persistent substance use. Mixing substances with low self-worth is dangerous because it can make it harder to see situations clearly or recognize when you are being mistreated by others.
How Low Self-Worth and Addiction Can Connect
One of the reasons people with low self-esteem may be at higher risk of substance use, is that substances can give temporary relief from negative feelings. The numbing of self-loathing feelings doesnโt last long, however, and after prolonged substance use, worse feelings can come about.
The vicious cycle of poor self-esteem and substance use can continue, leaving you where you started. Since low self-esteem is centered on emotional and psychological beliefs that you will always fail, youโll never be good enough, or youโre not worthy of trying, you may feel discouraged from seeking treatment to better yourself and your health.
Signs and Causes of Low Self-Worth
Experiences that can cause low self-esteem include:
- Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
- Combative household in childhood
- Bullying or traumatic experiences
- Being ignored
- Expectations of perfection
Experiences that build healthy self-esteem include:
- Being treated with respect
- Receiving attention and being listened to
- Being accepted without expectations
- Supportive peers and family
- Having achievements recognized
Rebuilding Your Self-Esteem
If youโve chosen to take the first step to break out of the cycle of addiction by entering treatment, there are several steps you can take to help build your self-worth, making the road to long-lasting recovery much smoother.
For people recovering from opioid use disorder, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with methadone or buprenorphine may be combined with counseling and support services to reduce cravings, ease withdrawal symptoms, and support long-term recovery.
At Health Care Resource Centers, treatment is designed to provide structure, dignity, and judgment-free support while patients build healthier routines and coping skills.
Forgive Yourself
Substance use disorder can fill you with self-blame and shame. Youโve probably been punishing yourself for longer than you realize. Itโs time to forgive yourself for your past mistakes so you can move forward and make positive changes.
Living in the past is only fuel for potential relapse. You are taking steps to get better and grow as a person, so let go of the person you were in the past.
Make Changes
Do some life housekeeping. Clean up your list of friends and family that are around you. If someone is not supportive of your recovery or makes you doubt your worth and ability to succeed in treatment, itโs time to lessen your contact with them.
This can be difficult, especially with a sibling or parent, but this is important for you to build yourself up without people who may sabotage your efforts surrounding you.
Use Positive Language
You probably donโt realize how much your language affects the way you think about yourself. Start eliminating โI canโtโ from your vocabulary, and replace it with โI willโ or โIโll try.โ
Negative self-talk will only hinder your progress and is not encouraging for personal growth. Using more balanced, supportive language can help when you are learning how to deal with low self-worth in recovery.
Take a Compliment
Your previous self-deprecating nature has probably blinded you to your good qualities. Next time someone compliments you, donโt refuse it.
Acknowledging other peopleโs kind words can do wonders for building your self-esteem, especially when you start believing them.
Accept Challenges
Recovery wonโt always be easy, but it will be worth it. Some days will be great and some not so much. Take the bad with the good, especially when you are faced with a challenging situation.
Donโt back down to the challenge of recovery just because you think thereโs no way you can handle it. Take things head-on with a can-do attitude.
Pace Yourself
A black-and-white, all-or-nothing attitude is something that is closely related to relapse. Even if you donโt fully achieve all the goals you set for yourself in a day, week, or year, you have to take your time.
Donโt focus on what you didnโt accomplish. It can be destructive to your self-esteem. Instead, look at all the things youโve done and feel proud of yourself.
Why Self-Esteem Matters in Recovery
Healthy self-esteem will also be a crucial tool in avoiding relapse. When you are feeling good about yourself, you will want to do better. The better you are doing, the less you will want to throw away all of your hard work by returning to substance use again.
During the first few months of recovery, you may notice how important it is to have healthy self-esteem to overcome some of the emotional low points that come with making these important changes.
Finding Balance as You Rebuild Self-Worth
When working on rebuilding your self-esteem in recovery, itโs important to find a sense of balance. For so long, you may have lived in a state of constant self-doubt and a false sense of self. Building up your confidence to make the changes needed to better your life is the first step to increasing your self-worth.
Keep in mind that this journey will be slow and steady, and nothing can be done overnight. You will have to commit to these changes and work on them with daily affirmations. You will no longer allow yourself to fall short of your potential or tolerate people who do not treat you respectfully, including yourself.
Reach Out for Help Today
If opioid use disorder is impacting your life or the life of someone you care about, reach out to Health Care Resource Centers. HCRC provides medication-assisted treatment with methadone and buprenorphine, along with counseling and case management, in a respectful and judgment-free setting.
Contact HCRC today to get treatment, find a location, or start your recovery.
Additional Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024) โTreatment of Opioid Use Disorderโ, CDC, 12 August. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/treatment/opioid-use-disorder.html (Accessed 24 June 2026).
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2025) โMedications for Opioid Use Disorderโ, National Institute on Drug Abuse, March. Available at: https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/medications-opioid-use-disorder (Accessed 24 June 2026).
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024) โFederal Guidelines for Opioid Treatment Programs (2024)โ, SAMHSA Library, December. Available at: https://library.samhsa.gov/product/federal-guidelines-opioid-treatment-programs-2024/pep24-02-011 (Accessed 24 June 2026).
- GoodTherapy. (2018) โSelf-Esteem Issuesโ, GoodTherapy, 1 May. Available at: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/self-esteem (Accessed 24 June 2026).
- Bennett, Carole. (2013) โLow self-esteem; a disposition that can lead to addictionโ, Psychology Today, 25 June. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/heartache-hope/201306/low-self-esteema-disposition-can-lead-addiction (Accessed 24 June 2026).
