Do You Like Yourself? Your Thoughts are Welcome!

[blondguy]

Hello Everybody and new posters especially:-)

I have had anxiety since 1983 and depression from 1997. There is always someone that says 'You have to Love Yourself' before recovery. When people are suffering from anxiety/depression this may be the last 'advice' they really need. This is only my experience when I am 'advised to love myself' to rebuild my life. I have heard the following from people that cant 'love themselves' which is fair enough as I am a person that cant either. Your thoughts will help me and others learn from your point of view. I can only be 'gentle' to myself to heal...not love.

• Why should I love myself if I dont in the first place?
• I am in a dark place, how can I love myself?
• I dont deserve to love myself
• I am depressed...How can I love myself?
• I have mega anxiety attacks..what is there to love about myself?
• I hate myself and what I stand for...why should I?
• I love my partner more...I will care about myself 'later'

When people have depression/anxiety/denial they dont need to be counseled with ' love yourself'. Thats a huge ask.

I dont need to climb Mt Everest by trying to love myself when I cant. It can be an unrealistic and even silly target to achieve having depression

I just prefer to be 'gentle' to myself. Same results and way less stress 🙂 Your thoughts/opinions are more than welcome

Thankyou so much

Paul

[Jstar49]

Hi all,

o wow. It’s good to see I’m not alone! Both in struggling with these times of not liking myself (as now!) and with looking at finding new ways to think, so that I don’t keep going down the same ole rabbit hole!
It’s interesting how we can get used to thinking a certain way, in my case questioning everything and feeling unsatisfied, or like I want more. And then I can tend to make myself more miserable, and start to think, it’s becos there’s something wrong with me.
Tonite I can challenge that, and say , there’s something wrong with my thinking. And that gives me the power to change my thinking.
Happy Evening everyone,

cheers,

J*

[Doolhof]

Right now I really hate the person I have become through being in quarantine for 2 weeks along with my depression, stress anxiety and PTSD. If those buggers had stayed outside, had quarantined elsewhere and never returned to reside in my brain, then I would be a lot better off than I am right now.

I am struggling to find a reason to proceed through the day. I have spiralled down rapidly once more. I am yelling at my husband and the cat, lashing out and wanting to blow up this whole crappy world.

I hate this part of me. I don't know how to get through this day, detesting who I am right now. If I was a rabid dog I would be shot. I'm envious of rabid dogs that are put out of their misery.

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear Dools...

I’m deeply sorry your feeling the way you are...Dools, you do have your mental health conditions..but beautiful lady...it doesn’t have you...I posted this on another thread but feel it’s also appropriate to post it here as well...

”You look in the mirror and sometimes you see a mess of a human being...But you don’t see the lives you’ve touched, or the people you’ve saved. You don’t see all the love you’ve given freely, or the extraordinary memories you’ve made. You are a book of beautiful moments and feelings”...

Maybe a reason to proceed through the day is...you are breathing precious lady...and while your breathing their is always hope...hope for a better tomorrow...hope that something will happen today to make your day better...hope that you will see the beauty and care your giving so many here....Your hope never will leave you while you are breathing....so Dear Dools...deep breathes while your outside and see the wonder of this universe that you are a very important part off...

You probably don’t know it right now..but this will pass..it has before and will again...something must have triggered you to feel this way....and put horrible thoughts in your mind...These are only thoughts precious lady..they are not reality....think the opposite of your thoughts..think about how many you have helped here..think about how many smiles you’ve put on the faces of the people where you work...think about the live you have for nature, think about how strong you are and how many people here love and care for you....These are who you are...you are not the person that your mental health is making you feel.l.l

You truely are and have been always a beautiful inspirational person here, with so much courage to continue on your your journey of life...a life that I pray and hope will become the life you deserve..a life of peace, hope and joy.....

Look into that mirror and look into your beautiful heart and soul...then you will see the real you..and not just your mental health and the outer body that holds that holds these beautiful qualities that you have...

My kindest thoughts with care and some hugs...dear Dools..🦋🌹🤗..You got this...and we have you..holding you up until you are strong enough to fight that evil whispering in your thoughts..

Grandy...

[Guest9337]

Hi again everyone, I have reconsidered my position about the thread title and my relationship to it.

like
preposition
1.
having the same characteristics or qualities as; similar to.
"he used to have a car like mine".

Apparently I am not even using the word "like" correctly in the thread title.

How is one similar to oneself? Liking isn't defined as an emotion - it is a similar thing to the subject.

I like orange. Is akin to saying = I am similar to orange. But our modern usage has become such that "like" is an emotion that a person feels.

Have we absorbed our feelings about the orange so much that we become orange?

or are we rejecting the original definition by reshaping language? Or something elses?...

love dng.

[Paw Prints]

Hi dng,

According to the Oxford dictionary:

Like: Find agreeable or satisfactory, feel attracted by, enjoy or be glad of, (I like you, I like the offer, I like to see them) -desire, (as should like to come) - archaic. be pleasing to

Hope this helps

Paws

[Paw Prints]

Hello Dools,

I'm tempted to just write "what Grandy said" as she was so eloquent & nailed what a lovely, caring person you are so well.

Lass hold on tight to your friends here... you can yell at me all you need... feel free to jump on my thread & vent away...

or one thing I do when I need to scream at the world & hit something is I make dough... then I can punch it, throw it on the bench, twist it into knots, hit it some more & just get all the frustration out... it doesn't need to be usable dough, just flour & water, & then throw it out after...

Lass you are almost out of quarantine... just another day to go... focus on something lovely to do once you are out... your favourite walk... exploring somewhere new... whatever appeals

Hugs

Paws

[blondguy]

Hi Everyone

Hey Jstar49...Thankyou for helping out with your post! We seem to be in the same boat for sure

Hey Dools...I feel your pain and understand what you are going through when I was younger. Can I ask if you have a doctor that you can visit on a regular basis? At the risk of sounding repetitive...you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing so. I do hope you can change your circumstances to enable some well deserved healing and peace of mind

Hey Grandy...thankyou so much for the TLC you provided to Dools (and so many others too) I hope you are doing well. Thankyou so much for your heartfelt wishes about Prince. It meant a great deal to me...This has been an awful period...just using baby steps at the moment

Hey David....thankyou for your post! I wrote this thread back in 2016 and the title speaks for itself...I think...so do you like yourself? You are always welcome to comment on any thread topic as this one can make some people feel a bit uncomfortable which wasnt my intention when I wrote it

Hey Paws..always a treat to read your caring posts and thankyou for all the care you provide across the forums

my kindest always

Paul

[Guest9337]

I'm back, whose back? Shady's back. lol. Like many things, my position about "liking myself" is variable.

So despite that today felt like I had never lifted a heavier burden, and that I wept resilient tears, I do in fact like all of myself today.

Oh look, it's past midnight, is this me liking myself yesterday for tomorrow or today?

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone ,

I like reading everyone’s personal honest insights.

I don’t know if I like myself but as I have mentioned before I do not dislike myself.
I like that I am kind and caring but I do not like that I am impatient that I cry too much and am way too sensitive.
sometime I think I am too self absorbed and maybe shop do more than I reflect.

[missep123]

Hi everyone,

I agree with you quirkywords I really like reading everyone's personal and honest thoughts.

I know I am a good person and I try really hard to get along with everyone. I am really lucky that I have friends who love me and they always encourage and support me!

More often than not I have those creeping insecurities or anxieties on my shoulder, now more than ever I am learning to fight those thoughts. I want to fight them hard!