I Hate Myself: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realize Why You're Wrong About You

by Blaise Aguirre

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology

304 pages, Hardcover

Published February 11, 2025

About the author

See also Blaise A. Aguirre.

Reviews

[Kacie Tasseff · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I Hate Myself" by Blaise Aguirre is an incredibly powerful and validating book for anyone struggling with intense self-criticism, emotional pain, or identity challenges. Dr. Aguirre writes with deep empathy and clarity, making complex psychological concepts feel accessible and relevant. His use of real-life examples and the framework of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers both understanding and practical tools for healing.

What stands out most is his nonjudgmental tone—he truly meets readers where they are, offering hope without minimizing the intensity of their experiences. Whether you're someone going through these struggles personally or a loved one or professional trying to understand, this book is a must-read. It’s a reminder that change is possible and that no one is alone in their pain.

Highly recommended for anyone ready to begin a journey toward self-compassion and emotional resilience.

[Goatllama]

[Arthur M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fairly standard self help book. Dances around the topic of how to help yourself without actually saying anything. Non-committal in its approach to treatment for self loathing, basically - “Here’s some treatments that have helped people hate themselves a little less, but it hasn’t been studied enough, and it likely won’t change the root problem for you.”

Also, many of the patient testimonials feel contrived - they use a lot of psychology terminology and jargon that make me think the author wrote them and not genuine real people struggling with self loathing.

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book and one that I wish I had access to in my early years of recovery from addiction. The author is a professor of psychiatry and discusses how many mental health professionals don’t address the fact that many people have a deep self-hatred. This book is for both patients and mental health professionals, explaining the nuances of what makes people hate themselves and the DBT tools people can use to overcome these thoughts and feelings.

[Deacon Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite book, and particularly hard to stomach because 1) a man wrote it, 2) he quotes taylor swift multiple times, 3) there were typos, and 4) he included a stupid ass section at the end where he asked AI about self hatred. Some of the points in here I will take with me in my journey to stop hating myself, but this felt a little cheap and sloppy overall

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science has defined and studied self-criticism, self-blame, self-contempt, and self-disgust. This book attempted to increase interest in self-hatred and self-loathing - especially as they have a high correlation with suicide ideation.

[Tess Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed a lot of the exercises in this book, and I feel more on track than ever before.

[Christopher Rodgman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly written by a practicing psychiatrist, the content is spot on. Might be more scientific than the average reader wants, but all the info is up to date and relevant. Best self-help book I’ve ever read.

[Joseph DeBrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

more investigation of self-hatred as a diagnosable psychological phenomenon than self help book, so it was less dramatic and desperate than id expected. thanks for the present mom!

[Iveta Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

tā bija 8h gara, bet galvenais un vērtīgākais bija pašās beigās, divas nodaļas noklausījos divreiz. long story short, man patika atziņa par to, kā tu tagadnē esi vajadzīga nākotnes sev nevis pagātnes sev, tāpēc nav jēgas sev līdzi staipīt pagātnes sevi!

[Zoë · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frustrated by this book. Was really interested after listening to a podcast where he talks about his BPD book and research but this just felt like he spent 600 pages dancing around the topic with no real helpful ideas on how to change these behaviors.

[Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times this felt overly simplistic in its prose, but the messaging was very solid and important.

[Brian Entzminger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book that really helped me better understand myself and work towards dealing with my depression.