Need help

[ViciousScheme]

I have self-confidence issues. Nobody else knows about them but me and you guys. I do my best to hide it every day. It's probably minor and you may find them ridiculous but it tears at me every day. Is there any advice you guys can give me on fixing this? Even temporary cures would be fine. I just don't want to have to deal with this any more, it sucks.

[Amyxoxo]

I have this as well, i dont think that there is an imidate cure, i think that you may need to go and see a councler. They will help you getting the confidence back :)

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

I agree that seeing a counselor could really be a lot of help. They're trained professionals, and they can teach you a lot of tips and tricks to help teach yourself how to think positively again (because, believe it or not, you weren't born this way). :)

May I ask what it is you're lacking confidence in? Are you particularly hard on yourself about school/grades? Is it your appearance that bothers you? What seems to nag at you the most?

One thing that could help is to pay attention to your thoughts, and try to catch yourself when you're thinking something negative. Don't let it be so automatic that you don't even realize you're doing it. Say you catch yourself thinking, "I'm going to fail that test next week." Rationalize it. "Well, I do have a week to study, and I can always ask someone for help if there's something I don't get in the meantime. I have the time to prepare for the test and get a passing grade." Constantly telling yourself that you're going to fail won't make you want to work harder--it'll probably do the opposite--so try to reverse that.

Another thing to try is to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. If you find yourself thinking something negative, stop and find three positive thoughts on the same subject. "I fail at life, I'm never going to finish high school or go to college, I'm going to be a gas station attendant until I die because even McDonald's wouldn't want me," could be replaced with three things you ARE good at, three grades you got that (pleasantly) surprised you. Make yourself think about the little positives that slip your mind when you focus on the negatives. They really are there, it just takes some time to train your brain into recognizing them.