Low self esteem, Depression and Anxiety

You can friend me. I battle from hypochondria, mild agoraphobia, which has lead to depression and anxiety disorder. Yes, you should definitely seek professional guidance, but there is no shame in seeking out others for sympathy, empathy, or a healthy social distraction. Never feel because of your struggles you need to quarantine yourself from others and life's pleasures.

I'm not a therapist, but it really helps me to clear my thoughts and make sense of my mind when I journal… it's a terrific outlet.

We've all had heartbreak of some kind, so I'm afraid anything that I say may sound like a cliche, but I'll try to help. Spend some time thinking about the things that you like about yourself. There is a time to cry and feel the pain, but don't dwell on it. Don't keep picking yourself apart - what you should have done, what you should have known, what you should have said, when you should have left, etc. You've probably gone over that stuff again and again. When you find yourself going there, make a shift in your thinking. What is good about you? Also, get up everyday putting one foot in front of the other towards your goals. What do you want to accomplish? Write a list, then every day do something toward one or two of the goals. You want to lose 16lbs, so what can you do today that will help get you there? After awhile, if you stick to it, you can add these accomplishment to the list of things that you like about yourself. Every day is a new day to be grateful for who you are. You'll be fine. I know it.

Three words… Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Three words… Cognitive behavioral therapy.

agreed. cognitive behavioral therapy, when practiced successfully, really shows us how we can change the way we think and the choices we make. working with a professional is truly the best way to make long term positive changes re: anxiety and depression.

someone else mentioned journaling - this is a great idea too. sometimes just writing our feelings down and giving them that power is important. no matter what you're feeling, your feelings are valid. your feelings are valid. don't just push your feelings down or push them away and ignore them - FEEL THEM. another thing that helps many people is using gratitude statements and positive self-affirmations. each night before you go to sleep, write down three (or two, or even one) thing you're grateful for that day. when you wake up, write down three (or two, or one) things you're grateful for about the upcoming day. you can do this in a journal, on an app like notes or reminders, or get a small dry erase board and keep it next to your bed. search online for positive self-affirmations and work on saying those while looking at yourself in the mirror. these small things can really make a positive difference in our lives if we're open to the idea.

This is what helped me. I suffered from all three of the same things and didn't get help for over 20 years. Once I got up enough nerve to see a therapist, the cognitive behavioral therapy was a god send. If you cant afford a therapist google it and get some information. Basically, you are listing out a few positive things to boost yourself up and you post them in conspicuous places around your house so that you read the lists multiple times a day. The idea is to have your brain start believing it. This helps immensely with the low self esteem. For the others might try some medication. It helps you deal and understand why. Good luck. And getting in shape definitely helps boost your self esteem.

you are worth the hard work that therapy demands. you are worthy of a healthy self-esteem. if you are able, i urge you to consider therapy. this is your life - you set the path, you set the tone and you are incredibly capable of setting the change.

therapy saved my life and i used to laugh at the idea of therapy. it straight up saved my life.

you got this.