Hi, this is a question for the podcast. My sister has been depressed on and off for over 20 years and has taken medication for much of it. Recently she has been diagnosed with ADHD and now takes medication for this although it has made no difference. I’m writing because she is in a place of sheer overwhelm and extremely low. Although her actual life is totally fine (although tiring as she has a 1 and 3 year old), she sees everything with an intensely negative lens and is extremely self-absorbed in the most negative possible way. I have always been someone she talks to and will continue to be but I just don’t know what to do or what she should do. She gets trapped in a negative spiral which links to terribly low self-esteem. She is especially bad at the moment and may be heading towards a breakdown. I am so worried about her but also so frustrated as nothing bad is happening in her life and the so I’m not sure how to help. If you’re able to talk about this problem on your podcast then I would be so grateful. Thanks so much for reading this and for your podcast in general.

Question 2:

I hope this is okay to ask it may be a little irrelevant to most topics on your podcasts, and also sorry if it has already been addressed. I have been on and off in active addiction to Methamphetamine and heroin and have done some things that I am feeling a lot of shame over it, such as lying to family,  abusing help offered, and theft.  I know that I should be feeling a certain amount of healthy guilt, but this time getting clean I am struggling with my self worth because most of what I feel is shame. I know that I over exaggerate the harm I have done because for a majority of my addiction, all I have done is disappear.

How do I work on overcoming the severe guilt that makes me feel like I am unworthy of a healthy life now?