Sometimes we have the distinct feeling that nobody cares about us. Even the most loved and famous people have doubts that anyone can have affection for them. Learn to overcome these moments of crisis and to appreciate yourself for who you are. If you often feel worthless or unloved, follow these steps to make your life better.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Find Support and Improve Your Self-Esteem
Step 1. Learn to love yourself
Being able to love yourself can help you feel better overall. It can also help you notice more positive traits in other people. Here are some things you can do:
- Treat yourself as you would a child;
- Learn to be aware;
- Remind yourself that you are not alone;
- Allow yourself to be imperfect.
Step 2. Fight the sense of worthlessness
Those who feel useless often cannot accept that someone cares about them. Remember that you are worthy of affection, regardless of how you feel or what you are told. Practice rejecting negative thoughts, even when you're on the verge of giving up.
Think about your reactions when someone offers you support. Do you come at loggerheads like you want to prove you're not worthy of anything? This attitude can make you feel worse and upset people who want to help you. Pay attention to your answers in these situations. Learn to step back and give thanks
Step 3. Get in touch with old friends and acquaintances
If close friends and family are never around, think back to the people who have been nice to you in the past. Find a way to contact them. Share your state of mind with a family friend, teacher, or acquaintance who can listen.
- Typically speaking in person or over the phone is more effective than texting or chatting online.
- Keep in mind that what you get from a relationship is proportional to how much you invest yourself. If you never call anyone for an invitation, don't expect others to take the lead.
Step 4. Understand the seemingly "detached" answers
When you are down in the dumps, you are more likely to assume that everyone is obnoxious, rude, and insensitive. Quite often people are more focused on their life, but that doesn't mean they don't care about you. Answers such as "Tomorrow will be better" or "Forget it" have all the air of wanting to liquidate you in two words, but generally those who give them think they are actually useful. These people are likely to be able to cheer you up in other ways, so when you're going through a tough time, be careful how you address them.
Step 5. Discover new passions and make new friends
If you have few close friends or family, an argument can temporarily destroy your entire network of support. Choose activities you've never tried before to get to know other people and have an additional source to tap into to boost your self-esteem.
- Try volunteering. Helping others can be a great way to feel good about yourself.
- Join an association, a religious organization, or a course.
- Practice talking to strangers to learn how to get to know each other.
Step 6. Find online support
In times when you have no one to talk to, find a stranger who can support you and who can chat with you anonymously. You can try it on a forum like My Help.
If you have a psychological breakdown, contact a suicide phone line. Some also have chat services available. You can find information on Telefono Amico or on the page of the Help Line for the Prevention of Suicidal Risk
Step 7. Collect the good memories
When you are down in the dumps, it is difficult to recall the most beautiful and positive events in life. Perhaps you find hugs or conversations that give reassurance unreal, or you forget these gestures within a few hours. When you are feeling a little better, write down any happier memories that come to your mind in a journal or on some sheet of paper to keep in a box. Add other considerations as someone sends you a nice message or does something nice for you. Read them when you are convinced that no one thinks of you.
Step 8. Expose yourself to entertainment sources
Watching sad movies on television will almost certainly have a negative impact on yourself. Try to avoid entertainment sources that are negative or sad, such as the news, sad movies, and depressing television series. Try watching comedies, comedy shows, and other things that make you laugh instead.
Step 9. Spend time with the animals
They can be great allies in difficult times, mainly dogs. If you don't have a four-legged friend, ask a relative or neighbor if you can walk their dog or play with their cat.
Part 2 of 2: Treating Depression
Step 1. Understand your depressive state
If you often feel desperate or worthless, you are probably depressed. Depression is a serious mood disorder that needs treatment. The sooner you understand, the sooner you can find the support you need and improve your situation.
Click on this article to find out more about it
Step 2. Join a support group to fight depression
Members of these groups share their experiences, encourage each other and offer suggestions on how to deal with it. You will be amazed at how many people will be able to understand what you are going through.
- Search the Internet to find a support group, perhaps also checking the information on this site.
- There are also online self-help groups or forums on depression, such as depression.forumotion.com or the one on the No Anxiety psychology site.
Step 3. Keep a journal
It only takes you a few minutes a day to pour every thought and feeling onto a sheet of paper. Many feel better when they have the opportunity to "share" personal experiences in this way. Over time, the diary can help you identify both the factors that affect your mood and the mechanisms that can help you deal with conflict situations.
End each consideration by writing something you feel grateful for. Remembering the little things, like a good cup of coffee or a stranger's smile, can lift your mood
Step 4. Make healthy lifestyle changes
Forcing yourself to follow a regular wellness program can help restore your mood, although this process may only begin to take effect after a few weeks. Try to get enough sleep every night. In the morning, get up and get dressed. Leave the house at least to take a stroll. Eating healthily and exercising regularly will help you greatly improve your mood.
Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and other harmful substances. While they can make you feel better immediately, they also invalidate your fight against depression. If necessary, overcome the addiction with the help of a professional
Step 5. Resort to psychotherapy
It is an effective treatment for depression, recommended by many experts and organizations. A cycle of regular sessions with a qualified psychologist can help you identify mechanisms to help you deal with conflict situations and produce positive changes in your life.
- Before you find a psychotherapist that you are comfortable with, you will probably have to make many attempts between various specialists.
- Don't expect it to work right away. Many people have psychotherapy sessions weekly for 6-12 months.
Step 6. Consider taking medications
A psychiatrist is likely to prescribe drug treatment for you to deal with depression. There are many medicines on the market and you may need to try several before you find the right one. Tell your psychiatrist how you react to taking a new drug and any side effects you are experiencing.
A combination of medication and psychotherapy may be the most effective treatment of all, especially if you are a teenager. Medicines, when taken alone, are usually less effective over time
Step 7. Meditate or pray
When your morale is low, go to a quiet and secluded place. An environment surrounded by nature is ideal. Sit down and focus by taking deep, slow breaths. Many people learn to improve their mood through meditation or prayer.
Advice
- Don't measure your worth based on the consent or appreciation of others. What matters is the opinion you have of yourself. Live your life.
- If you are truly convinced that no one in this world cares about you, remember that the people who contributed to this article understand you and are on your side.
- Don't be disheartened by the people who caused this situation by dragging yourself into the abyss. Show yourself superior by refusing to give up or appear despondent.
- Behave like a happy person and you will begin to believe it. Eventually, others will want to be with you. You smile!
Warnings
- Sometimes you won't be able to remember even a moment when you felt happy, proud, or at peace. Don't worry, it only happens because you are in a low mood. It is temporary. You will understand this once you have recovered.
- If this feeling persists and leads you to think seriously about suicide, immediately contact a dedicated telephone line. You don't have to take your own life for anyone or anything.
- Pity can be a great form of consolation, but at some point you will have to turn the tables to make your life better. People who mull over negative events tend to suffer from depression longer, even if they talk about it with friends.
