'self-help' is perfectly valid in the context of what 'help' alone would imply. e.g. 'help' losing weight suggests things like a gym partner, a personal traine

'self-help' is perfectly valid in the context of what 'help' alone would imply. e.g. 'help' losing weight suggests things like a gym partner, a personal trainer, surgery, your spouse adopting your meal goals, etc. 'self-help' losing weight would be things that fall short of that: a workout schedule, a diet plan, etc. Things that have pointed you in the right direction, but don't include other people directly helping you. What you're describing sounds closer to 'self-made'. As there was no assistance from anyone else, of any kind, it doesn't seem useful to include the word 'help' at all.