Thanks for the last reply. While I don't think the approach to "stop feeling sorry for myself and start living my life" would have been approprate in the past when my self esteem was at it's lowest, I do think that now this may be the best option. I totally about your view that we've all had inferior personalities and how we can change - when I think of how I was last year and what I feel like now it's amazing.
Incidentally, every week I set aside an hour to wrtie down experiences from the past - describing the bullying and lonliness as well as the good things. I then listened to New History Generator. This seems to have done wonders - I now feel much more calm and in control and without the constant paranoia. I also realised one key feeling from the past, of being very lonely and feeling such a failure because of this, and my fear of reuturning to this. It seems this caused my depression and everything after. Now I've realised this, and that it is as silly as any other phobia, all those negative feelings have practically disappeared.
