In addition to my Day Hospital stay, I just completed a 9 week program for survivors of abusive relationships. One thing that happens when you have low self esteem, for whatever reason, is that you can't accept compliments, because you don't think you deserve them. Most people who give compliments are sincere. So just smile and say thank you. And if they're not sincere, saying thank you and smiling will put them off their game. The week that we talked about self-assertion, the counselor greeted us at the door with a compliment. I didn't think until later that it may have been a test - and I'm still not sure it was. I just smiled and said thank you because by then I trusted her.

And I also learned in group therapy that you should never never touch anyone else without asking first. For example, if you see your friend crying, ask if it's ok to give her a hug. For some people it's never ok. And some people really need a hug. Just always ask. But I think virtual hugs are ok.