I think what has helped me most in the hardest, darkest of times is my faith. Knowing there is a God of love who is with me has been my life-line. The Bible has provided many verses I can hold on to and remind myself of my worth, etc. While not everyone shares the same beliefs, it truly has been what has helped me most.

Those are the days I most believe my hearing issues really could be psychosomatic. When used with discretion and balance, there is much to be said for selective hearing.

Hello,
Years ago, I used to struggle with self-worth. It was a difficult journey for me so I tried to educate myself. I read articles & listen to sermons. One of the lessons I learned is that my value is not based on what I do but based on how the Lord sees me.

While going through that journey, I think about these verses over and over again and it brought me peace,

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;” (Psalm 139:13)

Thank you for sharing. God bless. Please keep us posted.

Hi angelscrydragon,

I love the user name by the way. Awesome!

As for "believing in yourself when no one else around you believes in you," I have gone through that all my life. I will spare you the sob story BUT ultimately I found some strength in listening to my own despair. It sounds odd but I was down for so long and felt so low I just started reaching out, desperately for anything. The things that saved my sanity were always being around animals, especially horses, dogs and cats. When that wasn't possible I grabbed at material put out by motivational speakers like Les Brown, Zig Ziglar and Tony Robbins. There were days where the only thing I could do through my tears was look at motivational words on Pintrest. Then, down the information rabbit hole I would go-sometimes for days. Some sentence, some inflection in a speaker's voice, some oddity in their experiences and the way life had humbled them always helped put things in perspective for me. Les Brown specifically says, "There are days where the only one saying good things about you, is you!" I laughed my head off at that, then started crying immediately afterward.

It took me a very long time to realize allowing toxic people in my life was not good for me. Just because someone is blood doesn't mean they are family, especially if they don't respect and value you.


Hang in there. There's a reason your current situation is stirring up the emotions you're experiencing. A positive mind set is something that must be cultivated, nurtured, worked on and cherished. I struggle with this. All I can say is the work is worth it. According to Zig Ziglar a positive mind is something that must be tended to daily, kind of like bathing. You have to do it daily. (I'm sure that's not a direct quote but it was something similar)

---SunWillRiseAgain

That's how I've felt for probably all my life, and somehow I kept going. For me, it was a reaction to all the doubt I got. Inside, I still doubted myself, but I thought I should try anyway, just to survive. But then I excelled at whatever I tried at, and people were in shock. That shock, that smirk I get deep in my heart, is what I keep going for. But now that I'm less functional due to severe anxiety and severe depression, I haven't been excelling anymore, barely even getting by. So it was a double edged sword, my thirst for achievement. Because now I feel utterly worthless. I think getting away from abuse or negativity is helpful, especially if it's persistent and overbearing. But that alone doesn't help, in my experience. I know deep down I have potential, but in this struggle with mental illness and loneliness, it's been harder and harder to see any value in myself, except in the past.

For me, I know God believe in me. I believe He has plans for me that I don’t yet know about. Now I’m not trying to push my beliefs on you or anyone. Just answering your question. I’ve found unbelievable love and support in my church. That’s a big favorite in how I keep going.
I also know my family believes in me and so does my therapist and my psychiatrist.
Do something that will give you purpose. Volunteer. Lots of nursing facilities need extra help with activities and such. Join a group. Just do something that brings purpose to your life.