Body image struggles…
I’m really struggling with my body image at the moment. I’m very self conscious about my scars/skin imperfections and weight. What can I do to feel better? I don’t want to fall back into restricting but I don’t feel good about myself.
Comments
Hey @iamchappellroan,
I am very sorry to hear that you are having some struggles regarding your body image and feeling good about yourself. While you are experiencing this, you must try your best to be gentle, forgiving, empathetic and kind to yourself 💕
As someone in ED recovery, I truly empathise with you and understand your pain. Being negative towards our bodies and our appearance is a true mental block and a universal experience. Remember you are not alone and this is something you can work through and overcome. I want you to question; "where do I place my value and my worth?". We need to not place value on our bodies - we are so much more than our physical! Our value is really shown through our personality, how we treat people, how we make others feel, and the differences/impact we can make. We are so much more than our bodies. We have been pressured by society to look a certain way and meet unrealistic expectations and standards. We are all so so beautiful and true beauty has nothing to do with our appearance 💗
There is no need to feel self conscious about your 'imperfections' as there is no such thing. I want you to challenge what makes your so called 'imperfections' imperfect. In realty these differences do not matter and they make you unique!
Finally, restriction is not the answer. Falling back to this behaviour will not solve your problems but it will create more and magnify them. Restriction is destructive and toxic, it is important to turn to other helpful option for coping which can be talked through and advised by a mental health professional 💞
I hope this helps you and you are able to navigate through this tough time. Remember to always ask for help when you need (whether it is on here, with family/friends, or with a professional) and be gentle with yourself 🙂
Hey @iamchappellroan,
That sounds really tough, and I’m sorry you're feeling this way. It makes sense that this is weighing on you, but I want you to know you're not alone in this. I, for one, have days where I'm not satisfied with the way I feel in my skin. On those days, I try to remind myself that my worth isn’t tied to how I look, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Sometimes, focusing on things that make me feel good, such as like wearing something comfortable, doing something I enjoy, or stepping away from things that make me more self-critical, like mirrors.
Something that may be a helpful step forward is having conversations to other people about the challenges you're facing at the moment. One organisation I would recommend phoning is The Butterfly Foundation or Kids Helpline. Also, speaking to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist could be beneficial. One way to get connected is by reaching out to your GP who can provide contacts in your local area.
As raised by @Bel_RO practicing self-care is another way you can look after yourself. Do you think there's anything you can do which could help calm or distract your mind? I find the smallest of things, such as going on a walk outside or reading a few pages of a book, can make a big difference when I'm feeling overwhelmed.
Please be kind to yourself as I can hear you're trying your very best. 💛
Hi @iamchappellroan,
You are most certainly not alone in this experience, because have felt the exact same not so long ago. I too have always been self-conscious about my weight and I sometimes get frustrated with acne and skin problems as well. Personally, I'm 19, have been on acne medication for 5 years and I still get some acne here and there. I can sympathise in that body image can be a real struggle and can be frustrating.
To help yourself fell better, I think it's good to recognise that your physical makeup is unique and that's what makes you the person you are. In some ways it's better to be self-conscious about your body image than not care at all, because it shows that you care about your appearance, which is a good thing. If you find your stressing out or getting frustrated, take 5 or 10 minutes in your day to think about all your worries and concerns. This way, it may help you to think "I'm actually not as stressed as I should be" or it's ok to think "Ok, this is actually really concerning me". In either case, it may then help to identify your worries.
It may be a good idea to look on some spaces on this online community to see if anyone else is feeling the same as you, or perhaps other sources like reddit or other forums. I hope this helps to make you feel better and feel free to post on here again anytime!
Hey @iamchappellroan,
Thank you for sharing your struggles with body image with the community. It highlights your courage and resilience, so you should be so proud of yourself! I can hear that you're feeling self-conscious about your weight, scars and skin imperfections. Many young people find themselves self-conscious around similar themes, so you're absolutely not alone. Have you spoken to anyone about your struggles with body image and feeling self-conscious? Someone like friends, family, GP or a mental health professional?
I can see that you're really wanting to feel better which is really admirable. Are there any strategies that have helped you with body image in the past? Body image can be difficult to navigate, so I'd like to share this topic on Body Image with you. It has a number of articles with tips, advice, and also stories from others that you might find really helpful. I also encourage you to connect with The Butterfly Foundation who offer free and confidential support, 7 days a week (8am-Midnight AEST/AEDT) to anyone in Australia concerned about eating disorders or body image.
I am also curious to know what you've been doing to take care of yourself? It's so important to engage in self-care when you're going through a really tough time. If you are seeking additional support, I encourage you to connect with Kids Helpline, which is available 24/7 online and over the phone, and is free and confidential for young people aged 5-25.
I hope this is helpful and look forward to hearing back from you soon!
Hey there @iamchappellroan
Even though I don't know what you're going through at a personal level, what I can give you though, is my experience with my own body image that might be relevant:)
Although I am still struggling with the way I view my body and self-confidence in general, it's been so much better than how I view myself years ago because I "normalized" the "imperfection" of my own skin. I tend to stand in front of the mirror, and if i feel bad about my body, I'd tell myself that "I have organs in there, it's supposed to look like that. I'm just a human and I have the body of a human." And it's similar to how I treat my acne. Or sometime I'd give my "imperfection" a meaning, such as "My body is telling me that I'm stress" or "this is just hormone" as a reason for my acne.
Another thing that helped me a lot is to actively control my algorithm on the media I consume. Because I only like or share videos and posts about body positivity or body neutrality, posts of influencers' perfect skin and body now rarely appear on social media, which gave me a much more realistic view of how human body suppose to look like.
In term of exercising and eating habit, instead of trying to focusing on weight and how my body looks like, I now tend to focus on what makes me feel good. I run because it energize me afterward, I eat more veggies because it helps with gut health, and conveniently all of those mindsets improved the way I view my own skin.
However, it is still a long-term process, and I believe it's how it is for most people. I still check myself out in the mirror from time to time, still cry about my body and still compare myself to my peers sometimes (I just did yesterday:)). But the good thing is, I am more gentle with myself now. "I am a human, and there is no perfect look for human." is the mindset that I'm focusing on.
I hope you will be gentle with yourself on this journey and you are not alone:)
