Essay On Self Defeating Behaviors

A self-defeating behavior I experience on a daily basis is the fear of rejection. This mostly takes place in social settings, such as university, events, or places with peers close to my age. My fear of others’ negative opinions of me occurs daily and greatly limits me. This behavior has existed for as long as I remember. I suffer from social anxiety and have low self-esteem and thus have a hard time being around others without feeling judged or evaluated. I am extremely critical of myself and always compare myself to others to the point that my self-esteem is horribly low. I am afraid of what others will think of me when I talk, walk, or do anything to the point where it cripples and confines me. I realize that I possess positive traits but I cannot seem to convince myself that I am sufficient enough, and so I try to avoid contact with new people since it gives me such high anxiety and I’m afraid of not being …show more content…
I need to explore and understand why I think and act the way I do, and why it’s so crippling and prevents me from approaching or opening up to new people. After discovering and understanding my process of thought completely, we could incorporate exposure therapy, where I need to gradually complete tasks. I can start with just asking someone a question and reporting my anxiety level. After that, we can progress to something a bit more anxiety provoking, like making small talk. I would report my progress, emotions, and anxiety levels on a weekly basis. The goal would be to decrease my anxiety and to realize why I think the way I do. I believe that social anxiety and low self-esteem are the core reasons for my fear of rejection, but I think the cognitive-behavioral approach can help me progress, as it would force me to leave my comfort zone, but not in a scary or traumatic