In psychology, self-esteem is described as the value or level of self-worth a person associates with himself. It is seen as an unwavering and enduring characteristic that often leads to the conclusion that it is an established personality trait. Self-esteem usually involves positive or negative recognition of one's beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, emotions, and physical appearance. Many adolescents from every culture, socio-economic country, or community suffer from esteem issues. The main goal of this research is to have a new and, to some extent, more professional understanding of the causes and effects of low self-esteem on young adults. Also because low self-esteem is a global problem, I will briefly touch on the therapy available to those seeking help. But before we continue, what exactly is low self-esteem? Low self-esteem is usually characterized as a disease because:1. Low self-esteem usually cannot be controlled: People who suffer from low self-esteem tend to be insecure, confused about what is normal, and usually do not feel comfortable being around others (sometimes even close friends and family). Just as you have no control over your illness, individuals who suffer from low self-esteem also have no control over it. For this reason it is often described as sick behavior.2. Symptoms of low self-esteem have a certain commonality and are usually predictable: this is because there is a commonality among individuals who suffer from this condition; they usually come from unstable families and current relationships. The behavior patterns of these individuals are also predictable. “The commonality and predictability of symptomatic behavior make it a disease and a condition to be treated as such.”3. Low… middle of paper… process, for example academic confidence can be achieved in art, mathematics, literature, science, etc. (Muruk J, 2006) Works Cited Coping.org. (2004, August 3). Definition: low self-esteem. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from Selfgrowth.com: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Definition_Low_Self-Esteem.htmlCrawshore, J. (2007, December 29). Erikson's stages of development. Retrieved November 23, 2011, from Learning-Theories.com: http://www.learning-theories.com/eriksons-stages-of-development.htmlMuruk J, C. (2006, June 24). Theory and practice of self-esteem research. Retrieved November 23, 2011, from Google Books: http://books.google.com.vc/books?id=saKuReD1_VEC&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=harter's+research+on+self+stima&source=bl&ots=9iIngyQvBf&sig=XeluUwttWcan4XRRlPSAd9ZyN1A&hl= en&ei = 9wnRTu2mI -TY0QGSztWMBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAw#v=onepa