I think I am a shell of the person I used to be.You would think thru all of this we would get stronger but I think the opposite is true for me.I have VERY little self confidence.:(

In some ways, yeah..repeated episodes have dented it pretty badly...Not sure how to remedy that.

Actually since I've come to terms with my illness and started doing what it takes to get better my confidence has sky rocketed. I'm very impressed with my abilities and how I made it so long with out proper care. I want to grow up to be me. How cool is that. I've never felt this way until recently.

i find that im confidant while im manic. i can do anything in the whole wide world. when im depressed, i feel useless as im sure it is with most of us here. i guess what im saying is, it depends on my mood.

when i was a young sprite lol! i had NO confidence at all and found myself in many altercations for real or imagined slights. i wasnt DX at the time. as i got older i gained self confidence with the help of friends and family and meds ,therapy. i didnt trust them enough to let them help me back then.

you are at the rite place doing the right thing as we speak! we are here to help you thru it.

that was one dull ramble..SORRY

I do the same thing mk- i find that I second guess my instincts and reactions so much that at times, I end up doing nothing! I wish I could offer a solution, or even a suggestion... fact is, I am in search of this myself!

Truthfully think always had a problem with self confidence, played it off tho when I was manic and getting attention. Now..Yeah just being diagnosed.yeah

what's self confidence?

I find it hard to believe that any of us remain untouched by the self esteem deal. Just coming in and out of hospitals is enough to make you crash for a good while. Even if not the case, the moods do it on their own.

I've never had high self esteem or self confidence.

As with others I'm less confident when I'm depressed but this doubting myself thing even is there when my mood is better. I feel like bipolar has kicked me down so many times that I'm afraid to get up again.... afraid to get kicked again. I hate the thought of giving into this feeling....

i have no confidence or self esteem. i know that turns people off. i think that's a big part of why so many people leave me.

I understand totally what you are going through myself. Having just recently came out of a manic eposide which got me hospitalized, I doubt myself everyday with almost everything that I do. I am normally very self confident and have a high self esteem but that's not the case right now and that also is bothering me a great deal as well.

Yes and no. I think my esteem is better when manic and I can shy away more when not. I am not shy though. Once I found out I was BP and then knew I had a problem I was embarrassed. I liked it better not knowing. I liked being able to act on whatever whim I chose and have no repercussions. Now medicated and all knowing I know most of the behaviors would be unwise choices. I guess not just really embarrassed I am BP.

yes, it has gotten so bad for me that i doubt just about everything.

Self confidence does not turn ppl off, it's big egos that does. It's important to know the difference.