Thanks for sharing your struggle, Amethyst_Stargazer. Low self esteem is a problem for many of us here on PC I think. I suppose it comes with the mental illness territory to some extent. I'm glad you're able to see a therapist. I agree that talking to friends about what's going on with you is not productive. They don't know how to respond. They don't know what to do. And they really would rather not be bothered. At least this is my perspective on the subject. A lot of us, here on PC, are here to a large extent because we have no one in real life to share our struggles with. Hope you begin feeling better soon.