Body image- in my experience- is possibly one of the hardest things that you can do, especially so if you’re also battling other invisible illnesses such as BDD, depression, anorexia and the likes (I only listed those specifically because they’re my personal demons).
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Here’s a little context for you, I was diagnosed with an eating disorder at 14 and later with depression and anxiety around a few years later. I am now 19. So that roughly translates to 5 years of being unhappy and disgusted with my body. I went through a lot of dark times, a lot of inpatient stays that would last months in hospitals, numerous therapists, medication switches and the list goes on.
All the basic procedures that the Australian Mental Health System provided. All of these were supposed to get me ‘better’ and, in a sense, I supposed they helped, but if there’s one thing that I’d like you all to know is that REAL self-love and acceptance comes from YOU. You have to learn to love yourself because ultimately no one else can do it for you. First comes acceptance and then comes love. Work on accepting your body and yourself first and you’ll find that loving yourself may come much easier, once you embrace your body for what it is and yourself for who you are.
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You can spend a lifetime worrying over what you look like and obsessing over beauty trends and fads that change quicker than the wind, or you can pave your own path and live your life and grow to your own standards. Which, in my opinion, is a much better way of life.
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