Dismissing self-help as self-deception

Hi everyone,

I'm in a support group for students with autism spectrum disorder (I have a PDD-NOS diagnosis), and some time the issue of negative self-image came up. I've been having some issues lately, but it fits that I (as well as a few others) have a pretty negative self-image. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as low self-esteem, but it sounds closest out of all the forum titles.

Anyway, the method suggested to us by the group leader, as well as all the other methods I've seen, as far as I can tell from some googling, all seem to rely on straight-up countering negative thoughts with positive ones. Their text even straight up calls it 'indoctrination'. However, I seem to be alone in thinking this is almost as bad as negative thoughts: you're still training yourself to have an unrealistic view of the world, just one which is (also) biased towards focusing in positive parts of you. I would expect the right method to promote accuracy: to still reduce negative self-judgments, but to find some way to take the bad with the good and the neutral. I don't want to end up with some insulating bubble of self-delusion inside of which I pretend everything is fine when the truth is different.

Is there a more realistic method to improve self-image? Or am I simply wrong, somehow, to demand this? Does or did anyone else have the same issue?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

tl;dr: The ways I know that people propose to improve a negative self-image seen just as unrealistic, and therefore wrong. What do I do?

hi Philip
I understand what you are saying. most programs encourage people to focus on the good things and don't really say much about what to do with the parts that aren't so flattering about ourselves. welcome to psych central. you will find that we have several forums where you can post about your concerns and receive feedback from other members. you will get a lot of support here. again, welcome