Help. I need to know if there is hope after prolonged depression, lonliness and low self esteem.?

Yes hun, there defnately is hope - but the best way of finding that hope is to take small steps towards a more positive life.

Are there any hobbies you once thought of taking up? baking, a foreign language, painting? If you can think of anything, make a plan which will finally see you doing that thing.

Also, if you have nice weather, go for a walk, fresh air always makes you feel good.

Take up some kind of activity where you will be surrounded by new people, such as aerobics - the exercise will be good for you, but more importantly you'll be mixing with people who don't know you.

Also, make that effort to say hello to people, and/or smile at people, you'll be suprised how many people respond.

Lastly, whenever anything happens that makes you feel low, hold your head up high, and think of people walking around in just their socks and shoes!!!

Good luck, I hope you find your life again.

Of course there is. :) There are thousands (millions!) of us walking around as living proof of it.

However, if you're still worried and looking for reassurance, then I'd wonder whether you've really kicked this problem yet. Stay the course - believe in yourself - be kind with your own mistakes, but be hard on your excuses. Eventually, it does get better. :)

There is light at the end of the tunnel but you got to work your way through it. Things wont get any better if you dont help yourself.

Speaking from experience, i know only too well when your in the midst of depression it easier to isolate yourself and to wallow in self pity but hopefully with the right medication and a bit of sunshine you'll be right as rain in no time.

HAve you ever thought about doing a course in something to get out and meet people. ~Or if ya working to change your job. Maybe sometimes all it takes is to change one thing about your life and the rest will follow.

Absolutley;
One big part of recovering that alot of times is never mentioned, look at your friends and who you associate with. Sometimes our friends can bring us down, or help to keep us down and they or us never realize it. If you have depressed or depressing friends you may want to consider finding some new up beat friends. Some who have good times and do things. This really works, Back in the late 70's during the recession while I was raising my family. I was unemployed and it was almost impossible to find a job. I was on welfare back then, and also hung around with people who were in that same situation. We were all depressed and did little or nothing to try to dig ourselves out. All we did was sit around crying and complaining about how things were and how life seemed so unfair. I had 2 children at the time and 1 in the oven, I had to do something. In the process of knocking on doors asking for odd jobs like cleaning out gutters or painting a house, I met a couple new friends and started hanging out with them. They werent miserable like I and my other friends were. All of a sudden everything started to change for me. I got a better attitude and a better outlook on life. I wanted to lunge myselfe out of the hole I was in. I wasn't even beginning to crawl out of that hole with all the depressed people I was hanging out with. Also you need to try to talk about other things when you find new friends, don't talk about depressing things like you did with your other friends or you will bring down your new friends or they may just not want to hang out with you. I could go on and on but I won't. Just consider this and if it sounds anything like your situation give it a try. It worked for me and I hope if this is your situation that it may work for you too. Good luck and hold your head high. This is your life and it is up to you and only you to make the best of it. You are only here for a very short time, and life is what you make it, you have all the tools you need all you have to do is use them. life is precious don't waste it. Think of this, If you had 100,000,000,000,000,000 dollars you could buy literally almost anything on this earth. But you couldn't buy back 5 minutes ago for 100 times that amount. That is how precious life is. Good luck.

I'm going to be 50 next year and have been battling depression for a long time. I've found that if I live each day at a time I do better. If I don't have a good day I don't add to it any more by beating myself up too. There's too many people out there that will beat you up. Don't do it to your self, we are all good and bad, very generalized, we have to decide what will we will be able to live with from ourselves and from others. Be able to live with your self, hating or blaming yourself or others just makes your life harder. Keep on keepin on!

There IS hope. Why? because if it is AFTER then you are on the other side of it.. hence that heavy, worthless, hopeless helpless feeling has lifted.

If you're asking WILL I EVER get out of it, the answer is also yes.. it takes courage to believe in life again, hope to try again, it takes love enough to risk a smile, to risk the open air.. but it is do-able. And the rewards are so many. If this is you.. please know that there is hope. There is hope when IN it, because it can end..There is hope AFTER it because you do not have to go back.. and there is ALWAYS hope because the only certainties in life are CHOICE and CHANGE.

The rest is the in-between bits that add flavour and filling to the daily ins and outs. If you believe, the first thing you need to do is REACH out. When you are ready, you reach out and you will find an arm to lean on, and even if you borrow a smile, eventually you can make it your own. peace

I KNOW that there is! I have been in the same situation for years and I overcame it all!!!

One day I was thinking a lot, and decided that I didn't want to be like that anymore! I started thinking about all that I ever wanted in life and Happiness was the main one! I thought about all of the things I could do to get me to the happiness I always wanted...... I got out of bed, put a smile on my face and started moving forward! Just like that! I think so many people think too much about what they don't have and never look at what they can do to put those things you want in your own life! I have made definite progress in the past few years and I still have more to do, but it has made me much happier and even if my life isn't perfect, It is much better than it was!

Make the decision to be happy and you will be....... It is much easier than it seems!!!! Believe me..........I was at the edge of darkness and now everything is brighter!

I hope this helps!

There is always hope. I myself recovered form a 7 year depression in the 90s. It's a lot of hard work, painful, crying, anger, frustration etc etc, but you can recover from the hopeless state of mind.

MOST DEFINITELY!! THERE WILL BE A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU REALISE EVERYONE'S OPINION WONT MATTER ANYMORE AND THEN YOU START THINKING MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE. ITS ONLY TIME THAT WILL TELL. BUT WHAT YOU DO IS COMPLETELY UP TO YOU AND YOU CONTROL YOUR OWN LIFE, JUST DONT LET ANYBODY STAND IN YOUR WAY.

I'VE BEEN THROUGH WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH SO TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE WHO'S EXPERIENCED IT.

KEEP YOUR HEAD HELD UP HIGH AND ALWAYS BE YOURSELF.

There must be hope...I'm still here : )
Keep working at it! Good luck.