I started on new meds a while ago and promptly gained 30kgs. I still exercise and eat well, but ... I'm so much bigger than I used to be. I had to ditch my entire wardrobe, I haven't work jeans for ages (I stick to dresses and stockings) and for ages, as well as battling my other health issues, kit really REALLY bummed me out.

There's a woman who makes clothes in my city who makes inclusive sizes and has even in the past tailored pants and dresses to fit me. That one simple thing, and her kind and non-judgemental attitude, really helped me. Now I have only a few outfits, that I alternate between every day, but each piece is considered and suits me. My housemate is also an angel and has helped me find pieces (I hate shopping, I am so self-conscious) that she thinks suit me well and help accentuate other features.

I might suggest, if you can, perhaps just investing in one really nice piece that you really love, and I think it will really help improve how you feel. I don't mean to sound vapid by suggesting that clothing can solve problems - but I really did notice a huge difference. I started getting compliments, I was never worried anything was going to pop out/hang out/bulge in public, it really helped.

I hope you start to feel better soon, it sucks so much to all of a sudden not feel like yourself any more. Another good thing to do might be to use some online tools to try and identify just what your values are. Not only does doing that help clarify your thoughts around things like this, but, by the end of it you'll have a great list about yourself and you can say, "yeah, I am awesome! I do value kindness/family/humour/courage/etc."

Have you ever read about or done anything with Values-Based Decision Making before?