Self-Esteem, Depression and Drugs

10 Ways to Improve Your Self-Esteem

Try to improve the way you talk to yourself. Your mind is like a computer; what you program into it, stays there. Say positive things to yourself rather than negative. Spend more time thinking about your strengths and less time on your weaknesses.

Give yourself credit for even the little things you do well. Celebrate your achievements!

Face your fears one at a time, slowly and gently. The more you do it, the better you’ll feel about yourself!

Another way to boost your self-esteem is to join a club or activity. Get involved in a team sport or service organization. Be a part of a group! Or start your own club! It’s fun and a great way to make new friends while doing something enjoyable.

Helping someone in your community is a good way to raise your self-esteem. Be a volunteer or donate some of your time to someone. It feels really good to help others. Maybe you’d rather do something for the environment, like clean up the litter on a beach or in a park. Whatever you do will be appreciated!

Have a hobby! Is there a craft you’d like to learn? Spend your free time doing something creative with your hands. There are all kinds of “how-to” books at the library and at craft supply stores.

Ask the people you live with to help you raise yours self-esteem. Treat each other with respect and be honest about all your feelings.

Set realistic goals for yourself. Then take the steps to make them come true! Don’t give up! Success takes a lot of work!

Forgive yourself for your mistakes. Learn what you can from them and then let them go! Accept yourself the way you are, and then take the steps to improve those areas you want to change.

Make a decision today to take responsibility for your self-esteem. Remember that other people can influence the way you feel about yourself, but the value you give yourself is up to you!

From my daughter's Folder
Copied November 14, 2007

Depression and Drugs

Someone got depressed -

When my girls were with me, they lived the mainstream traditional Australian teens’ way. That is, they did not mind having a disorderly room. They seldom cleaned their room and put things in order. Clutters were considered normal. It was their choice to live that way. Think of the shock I had to deal with them. Like most teenagers, they deviated from the proper norm I taught them and tested my patience to the brink.

One day, I had to clean their rooms myself. Lily’s room was not as bad as the little one:
Papers here and books there; CD’s here and magazines over there; candy wrappers here and there; make-ups, electrical cords…those were everyday tangling annoyances that I had to bear with eyes closed and mouth shut.

My youngest then was a School Prefect, a Captain at large that is equivalent to a School President. It was a natural sight to see her bedroom with cluttered papers. She was a very active leader and she enjoyed attending seminars about leadership. Goodness! It was good, but I could not convince her to practice it first at home. Meaning, leadership is servitude while at home. That way, she would set herself a fine example. “Who cares? Nobody knew how I live at home, anyway!” She would refute.

The fussy mother I was, I toned down now, for every crumpled paper I picked on the floor, I always found time reading what was written on them. Then, little did I know that the pressure of leadership took its toll on my darling Captain girl, who told us once that she was tired following the two bosses at home, Lily, and me. That was her main reason she wanted to be a leader at school. She was, in a popular way.

Nevertheless, she paid a price for that. She suffered depression. In addition, her depression heightened when she and her boyfriend decided to break up. Mind you, all hell let loose too! She felt at that time that her confidence went downhill so with her self-worth or self esteem. She would not talk to me, only to Lily. So I missed out quite a bit about knowing her own “little corner”.

She handled her personal dilemma with care so as not to cause me a worry. And she made an effort every possible way to combat her own demon by submitting herself voluntarily to counselling with a community youth worker in our area. It was her decision to do so that in return she could also help fellow students who suffered the same as she did.

The community youth workers who give their lives helping our lost young people do deserve commendation. I myself have expressed my personal appreciation to them for doing a great job.

I will recommend that any teenager who have problems that they feel their home cannot provide solutions; they should go and seek help with the proper authorities. They are there for them. Again, just be true to yourself. You will find them amazing people whom you can turn to outside your circle of friends without forgetting the teachings from home and, church, if you belong to any.

This is how the theme of Self Esteem notes came about. I thought I would share this because I know in my time being on a network, I learned that many of us deal with depression and the ultimate way is to depend on drugs. Many believe that doctors can work miracles with our mental and emotional suffering and some look up to them more than God. It might work for a while, but the effects are far more lasting harmful than good.

Drugs not a lasting panacea -

Drugs according to a Medical Speaker, is defined as a Direct Route Unto the Grave in Silent Surrender. (Pharmacy Week Symposium, November 1983). I was one of the speakers representing the Student Body. My topic then was “The Pharmacy Students’ Role in the Control and Prevention against Drug Abuse.”

The best thing to do is to keep away from any of them. Their adverse effects will only add to your demons than you already have. Medicine, to my knowledge, is only an art. It is not an exact Science.

Every drug manufactured especially, the modern medicines today, are mostly compounded from synthetic ingredients. Before they are made available to patients, they are first tested on animals. Then, it is furthered down to human Guinea pigs on a large scale for trial and error to study their efficacies or defects. This takes years of course to conduct to attain the result.

If you do not, read the journal or leaflets of information concerning the medication you are taking, what they are about, and you only rely on plain advice, then, you are in trouble. Some medications can be maladministered or wrongly prescribed. The persons, who do them, remember, are human beings like you and me, and are capable of making humanly mistakes just any of us.

You can get assistance of a professional explanation about the medication you are taking, in a way that a layman will be able to understand. Always ask and take note about their adverse effects, and what you should do when you experience them. You have every right to know.

I am not saying you do not take medication. Sometimes it takes faith for its efficacy to work in our system. Our body’s reaction to the drugs varies from one person to another. One will work out well with one, but not with the other. Some get addicted and become reliant. Some have low, if not, without tolerance at all. I can recall on occasion, that there were medicines that were pulled out from the shelves because their harmful effects override the good effects. As my former boss joked, if only he had the money, he would create a drug that has no side effects, and therefore, has no effect at all. Either way, you cannot win.

Winner is a grinner

In this case, I am very grateful that my daughter listened to me in this area, at least. She was being talked about taking medication on depression. She explained her view to the doctor who attended her. The doctor listened and in the end, he left it that way. She went without.

It was a hard struggle on her part. However, she has a network of support, prayers, and love. We collaborated into her recovery with open communication, cooperation, love, and commitment. Now she is back on track and I can see the light that shines through her well-being: happy and healthy. This is not to say that she does not get depress. The point is that, she is in total control of herself now. And her positive attitude of life is enhanced by her good outlook and uplook towards the future.

I will strongly recommend Faith and Prayers as adjuncts to improving your self esteem.

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NB. Except for the above (10 Ways to Improve your Self Esteem), this blog is copyrighted for intended future print publication.