maleficent

First off, depression is a medical condition that is not always "all in your head, and you could be happy if you wanted to." Be sure that there's nothing physical (ie thyroid issues) that's causing the depression.

Now...

No one will ever be as hard on ourselves as we are. We tend to be our own worst enemies.

Stepping out of the dork closet -- but this is what's working for me on most days, I have a fishbowl in my bathroom (and I keep a handful in my suitcase) in this fishbowl I have a bunch of index cards that I have filled out, of what my good qualities are. It sounds egotistical, but I add to this fishbowl regularly. Every day, I fish out a card (and I've put my wonderful coloring skills and 64 pack crayons to good use for these cards) and post it somewhere where I can see it - generally in front of the coffee maker. I remind myself of this quality. I wrote the card, it must be true. Every day I remind myself of a different quality.

If I don't remind myself of what my good qualities are, and why people like me, then no one else will. If I do it myself, then I might just start to believe it.

Then the bigger obstacle. Banish the BUT... (edited to finish the thought) The BUT is what many of us do to detract from the good things. BUTs are nothing but trouble and we should really eliminate that word from the language because it's most always negative. Someone says something good, say thank you, hell, say I KNOW, because you do.

I'm going to pretend to be lurkette for a moment. Look in the mirror and say. "I'm a kind, warm, caring person PERIOD" "People like me for me PERIOD' No buts, you are not allowed to take away anything from the good thing that you said about yourself (Ok, that I said about you)

You do realize that if others compared themselves to you, they'd find themselves completely lacking as well. You have a loving relationship, good friends, a home. Why compare yourself to someone else? The grass is not always greener you know...

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