How to improve self-esteem?

[titferbrains]

How best to improve self esteem when you have depression and few friends?

I think having more friends means you have more people around you who are positive and make you laugh and feel good about yourself. But I think I often shut people out when I'm feeling down. How to get out of this vicious circle?

Are you getting any treatment for your depression? If you are already taking steps to look after yourself, that should help.

Depression is awful like that. I found that when I was ill, much as I tried to make friends and keep going, it was nigh on impossible. I locked people out and boarded up the door. It was like watching someone else.

Your gp may be able to offer you some sort of psychological help, or if your thinking has become grim, you may be offered anti depressants. These can work well in conjunction with talking.

i used to think that my gloom came out of the blue. In fact I was wrong, and it has taken a long time to accept that the problems I had were not of my doing.

If things are that bad, you may have an emergency psychiatric bit of the local hospital.

If the normal things that make you cheerful are failing, it would help a lot just to make a gp appt. I hope you feel better soon. Keep posting!

I'm doing all the right things, and hope to get counselling in the next month. Just looking for other people who have found ways to improve their self esteem so that they are better equipped to meeet people, make friends and enjoy people's company rather than getting lost in self analysis and negativity.