Sorry Adventure-Dude, you were right in your last statement, depression is a symptom of an Illness and/or trauma, although many people use this and many other terms quite liberally, these days. Many of whom are being treated with drugs by their GP, when probably all they need is a good rest, and maybe some Theraphy.

As you can imagin this is a subject which does tend to upset me a great deal, upon reflection, you answer was actually guite sensitive, and I apoligise for flying off at you for your comment. I do agree with your brief comment, generally people who are suffering some form of stress, due to trauma or work or life in general, will suffer some form of depression, this in turn causes issues with self worth.

People with self esteem issues are long term suffers, generally suffering from a chemical imbalence in the brain, coupled with major trauma/s in their life, (eg: Molestation, or some other form of physical or emotional abuse), speaking from experience you do suffer from both, feelings of self worth, and very low self esteem, resulting in a lack of confidence and a general passivity in nature. Sadly for people like me, people who will expolit individules for sex or control, can pick this in a person, which is why people seem to find themselves in a situation where this happens with more than one person and on more than one occasion.

What I will say is for the life of me I cannot understand some people who would try to fake these conditions, because the treatments in no walk in the park, I personally have to take a large quantity of drugs just to be able to function at what is called "NORMAL".

I prefer to think of normal as being a setting on a washing machine.

However lately after my most recent stint in hospital (3 months), I do feel the best I have in years.

In psychology, self-esteem reflects a person's overall self-appraisal of their own worth.

"Already have DG thus the second post, as you will see I apoligised and acknowledged my mistake."

Sadly your observation is wrong, most people who suffer from low self esteem do so as a result of a major trauma. However many do recieve treatment for mild disorders either real or percieved, generally due to stressors due to work or other life events.

When you live in the world of mental illness DG you get to know a lot about it, there is a big difference between a lack of confidence due to some minor stressor, and the feeling of a complete lack of self esteem/worth.

I some way you are lucky Little Whip, unlike you I have periods where mania and depression come together, no happiness just deep depression and no sleep, and a lot of anger, in my case mood stabilisers do work, however it took a long time to find that drug. I now have what I would deem "NORMAL EMOTIONS", previously all mood stabilisers made me feel emotionless, which in itself is very depressing, I know what you mean when you say you would rather the mania though. My life is better for drugs, and I no longer have the desire to suicide or harm myself, and I can control my anger. When I was first diagnosed my illness was called Manic depression, the new term is Bipolar affective disorder, same illness.

Mass media is one of the reasons there is so much misinformation about mental illness, they would have you believe that we are all a bunch of psychotics, I suppose it makes good copy.