Low self-esteem can strike anyone at any point in their lives. Teenagers are especially vulnerable since they are at a point in their lives where they still rely heavily on what others think of them to boost their confidence and give them the strength to move toward the next stage in their development.

New mothers too, often suffer with self esteem issues since they are entering a scary new phase in life which often leaves them feeling totally helpless and frustrated at their lack of knowledge.

How can you tell if you or someone you care about is just in a rut, or has slipped into the realm of self-esteem issues?

Look for these sure-fire signs of low self-esteem:

-An inability to live in the moment.
People with chronic low self esteem issues often spend more time worrying about the future, or dwelling on mistakes that they've made in the past, that they fail to enjoy the here and now moments in life.

-An inability to be satisfied with what they have.
It doesn't matter whether it's their home, job, family, spouse, or even their car, the low self esteem sufferer is never happy with what they have and is always looking for something bigger and better to bring them the happiness they crave.

-An inability to accept not being perfect.
Those with low self-esteem think they need to be perfect at everything they do and simply cannot handle it when they aren't. They are eager to please anyone and everyone around them, and are overly sensitive to criticism, even when it's warranted.

-An inability to try new things.
Without the self esteem to believe they can accomplish something new, fear keeps the sufferer from asking for that promotion; going on a date with the person they're attracted to; or even getting on that roller coater with their kids.

-An inability to accept themselves for whom and what they really are.
People with low self esteem are constantly making negative "I Am" statements; concentrates on their defeats and disappointments; is constantly trying to improve the way they look, or totally neglects themselves due to the belief that they aren't worth the trouble to look and feel better physically and emotionally.

-An inability to be truly intimate with another person.
Without the ability to connect with themselves, the person with low self esteem finds it difficult - if not impossible to truly connect with friends and family on a deep intimate level. Their relationships tend to be very superficial, with little or no depth.

-An inability to slow down.
Busy people don't have the chance to look at their underlying problems, so people with self-esteem issues often hide their true feelings of inadequacies by staying busy, busy, busy.