ways of coping with your depression and building self esteem

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Don't let anyone tell you where you went wrong and what you need to do, if you don't believe it.

I find that talking to friends can help, it doesn't matter what it is about, but feeling like i fit-in helps alot i find.

Also I disagree that alcohol is bad in the long run, I can see how too much can have a very negative effect, but just the right amount (mixed with friends and music) can help relieve alot of life’s stresses aswell.


--lee

I'll just share what helped me.

I once had stress-related depressive episodes and it helped me to write the cause of stress's name on a piece of paper or draw a picture to represent it, take song lyrics that remind me of the situation and write them on sticky notes, stick the notes all over the picture/names until it's covered with sticky notes, and burn it.

My self-esteem went up when I looked in the mirror and saw myself standing up straight with a calm and cool expression on my face. Standing up straight made a lot of difference to me because I was always slouching, and I liked my facial expression, so I was happy. Also, finding a fun type of exercise can be good, but it has to be enjoyable. I know that going to a gym and working out would make my self-esteem worse, but I love swimming and walking in the woods, so I do that. It might have made me lose weight, it may not have, but I feel better in my body now.

<quote>I find that talking to friends can help, it doesn't matter what it is about, but feeling like i fit-in helps alot i find. </quote>

Friends? How does that work?

I'll have to try some of these things (the ones I can anyway). I've been feeling worse than I've felt in a long time lately. Music helped for a little while, but I eventually realized I was just using it as a smoke screen for what's really going on. I guess thinking like that would be a problem with any tactic really.

I paint, sketch or write poetry when I'm depressed (none of them are particulary good but my skill is improving)

Watch a favourite TV series episode with a character who feels depressed getting themselves out of it this helps. My favourites are Thundercats-the crysal canyon, Sherlock Holmes- The Devil's Foot, etc

I like to run when I'm depressed especially in winter I tend to find I can't think and I'm only aware of whats around me and the pounding of my feet.

I won't talk to friends I tried once and it didn't work.

I write when I'm depressed, it doesn't matter what I write about I just put pen to paper and don't stop until I feel better. I find it helps a lot especially when people don't listen to how I'm feeling.

Take a walk, read a good book, play the piano or the guitar, get in the car and drive to Borders. If I'm real depressed, journal.

go to special education class and start annyoing classic autistics
and make them fell bad when the teacher goes for a break

Agree with the others above that asplanet said "some alone wounded animal time" or something helps. Except that you have low times and honor that. I take LONG bubble baths, light candles, and delve deeply into some great books. There's nothing wrong with some mental health breaks in life. I believe in them so much. My DD who is probably AS (we are in the process of eval) does great when she has hermit time in her bedroom just playing with her dolls and doing her own thing. We shut out the world as necessary and that's not a bad thing. Just remember as the others said, there is always someone having it worse then you and if you forget that you should volunteer and see what misery is out there. Volunteering for my DD has been great. We took food to a shelter, volunteer with a coat drive for the homeless, and now she is working on doing a drive for the ASPCA. Go out and do something for others less fortunate than you. It works wonders! Good luck to you! Lucy

Medication may be necessary in some cicumstances however, medication alone does not take care of the problem. You need to start finding positive things in your life and accepting who you are, scream out "f*** society" and absolutely MEAN IT...and sometimes medication to help with that is necessary.. I have read "The Secret" and it's all true.. but sometimes we need to re-read it for reminders because it's not always easy to do. Everyone will have their low days, and its to be expected but as long as these occasional low days don't become too frequent.. if so then you will need to find ways to help yourself. I have come to realize that life is too short and what kind of life is it if you lived through negative thoughts all the time?

Find a group of like minded people, whatever you share-hobby, AS, politics, and so on.
Make friends and seek feedback. We tend to be far too judgemental of ourselves.