Depression and self esteem

I have realized that I have a very low self esteem. My husband pointed this out to me a while ago but I never took it to heart until now.

I have started a program of self hypnosis to help boost my self esteem and I am looking forward to seeing if the program works.

Has anyone else tried this with success?

Hi, Wantabenormal! I have no experience with hypnotherapy or self-hypnosis. I do, however, experience vacant periods, which may be related in some way to hypnotic states. I speculate these spells may function to mitigate some depressive effects and anxiety.

I wish you success with your program.

I wish you lots of luck with this !! I have strong self esteem issues. Very obvious. I will be curious to see how the self hypnosis works for you. It sounds like a great idea.

i firmly believe that self-esteem is built and not imagined,, but i could be wrong. what if you actually did do something right, and well ? wouldn't that be a better foundation for self worth ? try to remember all the times you succeeded,, like staying married, THAT can't have been easy~~ driving in traffic without accidents~ all the things that take great skill and care and focus, but get no valuation in our daily lives~ those are the things that form the bedrock of self esteem, i think... hope you find your way to a solid and safe self-image Wantobe~ Gus

I can relate. My self esteem is awful. Just when you start to claw some of it back, something else comes along that knocks it down. With me, it seems to stem from my constant comparsions to others. If I see something that is, in my opinion, superior to what I've achieved, then I instantly begin thinking that what I have is worthless.

I completely agree with Gus1234U however, praise for doing something right can feel wonderful no matter how small. I think praise is hard to get these days for some reason, at least, that's my personal experience. Maybe it's because the world has gotten so competitive - and the fact that those who work hard and don't draw as much attention as those who don't and tend to get forgotten about. That's always bothered me.

I've heard that hypnosis can be really effective. I think that rather than trying to give you fake self esteem they focus on changing your mindset and the way you relate to yourself. Sometimes all you need is a push in the right direction. The mind is a difficult thing to win against, after all. To me, the biggest battle has always been with myself and I'm still fighting. I wish you the best of luck.

I think the only way to boost self esteem is to do stuff, not "think" it. If you go out and help others, volunteer or something, that makes you feel good about yourself. If you work hard at work and get a promotion or take a course and do well, that does the same. Identifying and going toward what you want in life and enjoying the process is what it's all about.

Self esteem is about self. Paying attention to what other people are doing in their lives and comparing yourself to them or putting too much weight on what others are saying about you can't help you with yourself.

**Hello,

No but one of the most effective things that helped me build my self esteem was voluntary work. Working with those in need. When we begin to focus on helping others we change inside.

The Very Best to you Always