Oftentimes, my friends will share with me that they have never really gained full control over their self esteem and self confidence,even since their first diagnosis with BP. I had the same anxieties to overcome....Even though Im a Eye Doctor.

I would like to share some "points" that were helpful for me a number of years ago....I hope they are for you.....

The greatest hope for maintaining equilibrium in the face of any situation rests within ourselves :

Self esteem increases your confidence. If you have confidence you will respect yourself and then you can respect others, improve your relationships and become happier....this is not a selfish goal as you will contribute more and share yourself with the world and those around you.

1. Face your fears - challenges seem scary but your fears are usually exaggerated. Facing your fears increases your confidence and boosts your esteem...... Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person.

2. Forget your failures - learn from them. Avoid making the same mistakes again but don't limit yourself by assuming you failed before so you can't succeed this time. Try again, you're wiser and stronger. Don't be trapped in the past..... Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.

3. Know what you want and ask for it. Learn about being assertive - you deserve your dreams to come true!

4. Reward yourself when you succeed. No-one else will! Isn't everything easier when you take time to help yourself? Make a list of your successes and focus on the positive.

5. Talk - We often make assumptions about a situation or person which are not true. Your attitude and behavior can be negatively affected so if you have any doubt or question ask and don't assume you know why or how.

6. Don't be defeated! Try something else. You are not going to be defeated by one failed attempt are you? Doesn't everyone fail before they succeed? All you need is a different approach. Good luck! I wish you happiness and success!

7. It is amazing that self hypnosis will build your esteem. I used this technique in my practice.

Now.... the ball is in your corner....If your ever played soccer you know that you can not stand there and look at the ball......just believe in your self....and kick the hell out of it ...you going to make a goal !

Eyestwo has some good advice there. Life will sometimes plop a whole bunch at our feet and we may feel paralysed to do anything about it. That's when you approach each thing one at a time, baby steps in getting better. Try to improve one thing whether it's as simple as showering and build from there. Don't let yourself get defeated. If you need a day to just do nothing, then do nothing but resolve to begin tackling what's wrong the next day. You are not alone, and keep talking here if it helps. You can and will make it out.

Sometimes, the struggle with depression persists, and even after it is abated for a while,it returns--but it will go away again.I know it can be a huge blow to one's self esteem and self confidence to feel we have recovered, only to have depression return like a riptide and seem to drag us back and down again...it can make us feel that we will never get well...but we can.Try to remember how much better you were feeling, before the depression came back--how much stronger you were feeling and how much brighter the world looked to you,and more hopeful--and remind yourself that you both can and WILL feel that again.
Depression is most often episodic.Some people have more frequently recurring episodes of depression than others, but these too pass,and they can be managed and modified by the correct antidepressant.If you are on an antidepresant currently,it may very well not be the correct medication or dosage for you--there are many,many options out there,and many people need to try at least 3 medications(I needed to try around 12)before they find the one that best works for them.I would suggest you try another antidepressant,or ask your doctor about augmenting the effect of what you are currently on by something like a mininum dosage of lithium or Abilify--these have mood stablizing properties as well,and can make episodes of depression less severe.(Your dr. will know obviously know much more about this than I do!)Also I really recommend you get therapy if you are not in it already...-to get you through the most painful and lonely times of depression.One thing--especially when I was your age--that upset me greatly was how "everyone else" ,all my peers,seemed happy and well adjusted and healthy,while I was the only one I knew who suffered with depression.It really helped me to find therapy for that reason,as well as for others: it helped me feel less alone.
I hope you continue to update us how you're doing here--people on the crisis board really do care.If you ever want to talk,please just pm me and let me know. You are going to feel better again--and,the next time you do,I suggest that you write how you feel in a Journal.That way,if your depression recurrs again, or you just start feeling unsure of your moods, you can always reassure yourself by looking back at your words that you were,indeed,happy---or better---and that you can certainly return to better times again.Best wishes and hugs to you.

i know it's crazy. just when you feel like you've taken all that you can take.

i know that things are going to get better, you have to try really hard to compartmentalize your problems, deal with them a little at a time. otherwise, they comsume you so much. they did to me. they still do at times.

i hope that life takes a turn for the better for you. keep posting hun.

Kiddo, they all cannot hit at once. Make them line up and take a number. And keep talking. we need to hear what is happening to provide the support that is available!

And as to control of ALL issues, let me know if THAT day ever comes. Contro is vastly overated anyway. I turned that over. Know what? My life got better when I did!

I've narrowed it down to just letting my disordered eating take over and ignoring the others.

It is a very dangerous thing to let an eating disorder take over your life...Not anything that should be ignored,any more than depression..It is also treatable...I really hope you get counseling for all you are going through now--I also dont think you can just "choose" to let 1 disorder be the only one you are going to let take over your life; unfortunately they all do need attention...And why let anything take over and possibly destroy you--when you can fight back,with therapy,support from others?There is an Eating Disorder forum on this board--if you have not looked at it,please do:you might find self recognition and help there,reading from others who are trugling with/overcoming the same disorder...Anyway,very best wishes go out to you...I truly hope you will try to take good care of yourself.

I'm...:'(

You are feeling...what? Please pm me to tell more hon, okay?Or continue on the board to talk--please try...I am truly sorry and sad that you are in this much pain.Big hugs to you...hold on.

If you can name it, you can claim it. Sit quietly with it. I know and I feel how this is for you, because I had to do it for so long myself. No, I do not feel your feelings, or read your thoughts. Even if I could, that would be horribly disrespectful of you as a sovereign person. I can see what you write, and I can relate it to my own struggle. It goes well for me at this time. So I get to reach out to instead of reaching out for. If I may be of use to you, I am ready to do what I can do. Or just listen.

I'm feeling out of control so I am controlling my eating habits no matter how much I know this is not a good thing.

I know havingan eating disordercan feel like control,but it's not.When I coul control no other feeligs/happenings or issues in my world,all I COULD control--it seemed--was how little I ate,and the numbers on the scale:I alone could cause them to keep going down.Yes it felt like all the control I had,the ONLY power, in my lfe.Over my weight.But then I could not stop what I was doing,even once ithad been become medically dangerous.That is why I'm concerned about you---an ED can get very bad QUITE fast.It becomes the very opposite of your having any control over it,it rules you, and I think you must be scared enough ,somewhere,to be scared that this eaing problem might be controlling you,too--not the other way around....I really do urge you to talk to someone you trust or a professional about this,a hard as that may feel--your life is wrth it.You may feel helpless in regards to all the oher things going on in your life,right now,but gettng better--not staying sick---is the true first step towards regaining more control---both over your eating and your life....I wish you the best in recovering with this,I really do...with everything. You have a lot more power and strength in you than you know--please use it to help not harm yourslf.