[ariabuckles]

I've been through some of this myself, and have several friends who've gone through it as well.

I cannot recommend finding a good cognitive-behavioural therapist enough. Cognitive behavioural therapy with a good therapist actually helps; I've seen it with other people and myself.

Outside of that, personally I've that while external validation like you're trying can be nice, it doesn't always fight off intrinsic issues. For short term things, I've found going back to things I know I enjoy or used to enjoy helpful--finding friends I haven't hung out with in a while, or a videogame I know I like to play, or a favourite TV show, or a personal project I used to care about. I usually don't want to do these things before I start, but find they're easier to get back into than I expect.

This can be really tough, and I'm sorry you're going through it. But it is something you can get through!

But please find a good therapist (who lists cognitive behavioural therapy as something they specialize in)! And if the first person you find isn't someone you like, try another. I promise there are wonderful ones out there!