self esteem

[nikkibaker]

so what are some things i could do to improve my self esteem

[Sam W]

Hi nikki,

That depends a lot on what specific aspects of your life are the most tied to how you feel about yourself. In other words, if you could snap your fingers and have the change happen instantly, what parts of yourself would you like to feel better about?

Too, given this post and some of your other threads, it sounds like you may benefit from speaking to a mental healthcare provider. Is that something you're currently doing or something you've done in the past?

[nikkibaker]

i have done it in the past but it didnt really help me at all im in a program through ccs so i kinda do it still but it dosent really help me at all

[Sam W]

Can you give me a sense of what the program you're in now looks like? For example is it group-based or individual? And what things have you focused on, either in this program or with your previous therapist?

In the meantime, have you had a chance to read any of these articles? Some of the suggestions in them may give you ways to develop your self-esteem that you can do on your own. If you have specific areas of your self-esteem you want to focus on (like body image or relationships) I can give you some resources on those as well: To Be... AWESOME or Just Be –– Tips on Making the Most of Your Life Right Now!
The Scarleteen Do-It
Be Your Own Superhero: Learning How and When to Stand Up for Ourselves .

[nikkibaker]

no i havent and we work on haveing good relationships but thats it thats really all we do

[Sam W]

Got it. I'd suggest reading those articles I linked you to as a next step to see if anything in them jumps out at you as being relevant. Are there more specific topics you'd like to address, or do the general self-esteem ones seem like the best fit to you?

Do you feel like you could bring up the issues you're having around self-esteem to the mental healthcare provider you're working with right now?

[nikkibaker]

yes and thank you

[Sam W]

You're welcome!

Yes to feeling like you can talk to your current provider about this, or yes to wanting to look at specific topics?

[nikkibaker]

yes to wanting to look at specific topics.

[Heather]

Why don't you tell us some more about all of this: for instance, what has you concerned about your sense of your self? How do you think it's off? How do you think you're not valuing yourself? Why do you think you're not valuing yourself?

How about this, too: are there any times when you feel really good about yourself, and you don't feel like you struggle with this? If so, what's going on at those times?

[nikkibaker]

i havent really felt good about my self i manly feel like crap but im not really sure why

[Heather]

I’m afraid that I just need to hear a lot more from you to be able to figure out how we might be able to help, and what kinds of resources might be good for you.

Can you try to answer some of the questions I asked?

[nikkibaker]

ok i will try