jessymc7 asked:

www.commondepression.com I used to suffer from depression for a very long time. And I need to warn you that psychiatrists are only there to put you on medicine, which is ok if that is what you want, but you should know some facts. Antidepressants can be useful for some people, but the truth is it can take years to find the right medicine or combo of meds that work, because everyone reacts differently to them. And they can help for awhile and get you through the really bad times, but they are not usually meant to be taken for a lifetime. Eventually your body adjusts to the medicine so it may not work as well, or it can stop working at all. And then you have to try to find a new one, which can take time, and can be very overwhelming & frustrating. I suggest you see your doctor, but also try looking into therapy first. Cognital behavioral therapy is usually the best for people who suffer from depression, it’s more interactive than just talking And if you can, do your best to exercise as often as you can, it is a natural way to help lift depression by releasing endorphins in your body. Yoga is also known to help relieve depression. And you may want to ask a nutritionist about some herbal remedies or organic apple vinegar, it tastes nasty but 2 tablespoons in juice every day is known to relieve some depressive symptoms, and even helps keep your skin clear. Find out more info about Vitamin B 12 and fish oil pills. Do as much research as you can before trying ANYTHING, whether …

dina asked:


Most of my life, even as a child, I have felt an overall sadness. Sometimes it gets worse and sometimes better. I have taken medication for it and had counseling but none seem to make a difference. All of the screening tests ask if you feel worse in the last 2 weeks, well I never felt any better so no I don’t feel worse. Do I enjoy activities less? Never enjoyed them that much. Have I considered *******. Decided a long time ago that I did not want to put family through that. Is this depression or just a personality disorder? Where do I go for help? I have had a drinkin problem in the past but have overcome it, mostly due to social situation. I now overeat and am trying to overcome that.

Christina Henderson Whyte asked:




Many people need help overcoming low self esteem – self esteem issues are very common and it’s easy to get caught in a downward spiral of negative thinking and feeling bad about yourself. Poor self esteem influences your perception of your own performance, how you interpret what other people do and say, and how you react to various situations. This can be crippling for you!

Recognizing that you have low self esteem and wanting to build self esteem is the first step to feeling better. However, you need to learn new strategies and change your thinking if you want to really change how you feel about yourself. This takes a bit of effort, but you’ll start seeing results pretty soon and the thought of not feeling so bad is a great motivator.

Overcoming low self esteem by changing your thinking

Give yourself permission to have positive self esteem. If you have had self esteem issues for a long time you might find the thought of liking yourself to be unfamiliar and even uncomfortable. This will get better as you work on building self esteem Challenge your negative self-talk, the things you automatically say to yourself (e.g. I’m no good, nobody likes me). Most of the negative things people with low self esteem say to themselves are untrue or greatly exaggerated, so be aware of this and replace them with more fair and positive statements Remember that having flaws is only human. People don’t expect you to be perfect, and it’s very unlikely they consider your flaws to be as bad as you do. You are your own harshest critic – and you’re not helping yourself by being that way

Overcoming low self esteem by taking action

Make a note of positive things about yourself and your life. Most people with low self esteem have no problem remembering negative things or times they made mistakes, but they forget all about the positive. If you make this list when you feel good, you can use it later as ammunition against your negative thoughts when you’re feeling bad Try to spend less time with people who say a lot of negative things about themselves and about life. People like this can really drain you and make low self esteem seem normal and accepted. Instead, seek out people who feel good about themselves and their lives, so that you can see that feeling good is normal and possible and maybe get some ideas from how they have built high self esteem The best way to build self esteem is to do things that you respect and that fit your ideal self image. That way you have proof you can use to challenge your negative thoughts. Overcoming low self esteem is easier when you have concrete, recent, evidence of positive things you’ve done Take care of your health, both physical and emotional. When you’re overtired, overstressed, or when your resources are just low, you’re more likely to be negative about everything, including your view of yourself. Taking care of yourself is not selfish!

I hope that these ways to improve self esteem have been helpful. The most important thing to remember is to actually use them! Improving self esteem takes time, effort, and practice, but having high self esteem is worth it.