Pre-teen years are tough, your body is growing and you are getting used to the changes, your hormones are all out of control...other pre-teens are judging you. All these things can add to lots of pressure and if the pressure becomes too much, you can get low self-esteem. You don't necessarily need counseling, you just need encouragement from your family and friends. However, if you ever have thoughts of hurting yourself or worse, killing yourself, you need to seek professional help immediately.