Low self-confidence can contribute to substance use disorder, as people might use alcohol or drugs to try to forget their feelings of low self-confidence and other negative feelings.

While rehab can do wonders in help addicted individuals, people need to continue to work after they leave rehab. Much of this work is psychological. Many people who leave rehab meet with therapists or seek other treatment to continue their treatment.

This work could include efforts to improve their self-confidence. Fortunately, there are ways people can examine how self-confident they are. There are ways people can improve self-confidence. People can

• Use body language. Having good posture and looking people in the eyes are ways people can convey self-confidence.
• Speak up. Instead of mumbling, people can speak clearly. They can phrase their words in clear, decisive ways to show confidence.
• Talk with others. By interacting with others, people can demonstrate that they are confident and in control of their lives.
• Ask for what they want. Asking for things isn’t pushy or needy. People who do this demonstrate that they know what they want and how to get it.
• Try new things. Trying things shows that people aren’t stuck, that they’re going places. If if these people fail, their attempts show that these people have the confidence to stick their necks out and be brave.
• Not care about what other people say. The haters are always going to hate. Confident people know this. They do things to make themselves happy, not try to please people who will likely never be pleased.

By doing these things, people project their self-confidence to others. Just as importantly, they demonstrate their self-confidence to themselves. Having confidence could mean that they feel strong enough to live their lives, on their terms. They won’t need drugs and alcohol to cope. They can cope on their own.