This is part 5 of 6-part series on body insecurity where I share my history with body insecurity , signs of body insecurity, effects and reasons of body insecurity and tips to get over it and also motivational quotes to inspire you to love your body
- Part 4 : 10 Ways to Overcome Body Insecurity
In the last 4 series, I had talked about different topics related to body insecurity. However sometimes sharing personal stories can be more effective than ever. The main reason behind I could talk about this topic isn’t just because I had learnt about these topics. Though I gathered information before writing these article, but my personal experience also played a great role here.
Body Insecurity is something that was with me for so long that once it was feeling like nothing less than a part of my life. Though I was in pain, but it took me a while to find the right directions. It gave me a long suffering and literally had ruined my life in many ways including by lessening my self esteem and making me feel depressed most of the time.
This is never possible to talk about this topic entirely and to explain all those painful years at a time. I’ve just made it a short thing by dividing it into 3 parts. Where in the first part, I’ve shared the beginning and then some of the most powerful effects it had on me and finally some tips that helped me to get over it.
So, if you’re interested, then continue reading to the end.
My Personal History With Body Insecurity
How it all started
Maybe it’s unexpected, but for me it started at an earlier age when I was a teenager, around 11 or 12 years old and was just a school going student probably a student of 5th or 6th grade. And the beginning of my body insecurity was school bullying. It started from a part where they used to make tiny jokes regarding my appearance and slowly it started getting bigger by day.
I can still remember that there was a popular girl in our class who was pretty beautiful and used to be appreciated for her looks often by others. She was my friend at first. Even a very bosom friend I would say. However I never thought that she would turn out to be so evil. She often used to make jokes on my appearance calling me a short fatty bug or an ugly with a large nose. Firstly, I wouldn’t mind it as she was my friend. But soon it came to a situation where she would scream it out among the whole class and not in joking mood anymore. But as a part of hitting me emotionally.
I would talk about this to my teachers but unfortunately they never took this thing as a serious issue considering it a simple thing happening among the children.. (I wish they did). Talked about this to my parents but paid very little attention again considering it a childish thing and a silly problem among the children. Even some of my other classmates also played a role here.
And That’s how slowly I started hating my body. After years of those things, still today, whenever I think about this, I wonder why I never protested. But then in the mean time, realize that maybe I was too weak to do that. Maybe it wasn’t their fault, because we were in the same age where no one would have an idea about this topic. Maybe it all started by those little jokes. However I think that making jokes on others appearance isn’t a joke always. Even children should be also taught this at an earlier age so that others won’t have to be bullied by them. Or at least, they will be able to protest when they’re being bullied.
What body insecurity did to me
It had damaged my life in many ways . However some of the significant effects were:
1. I was hating my body
I was so sick of this that soon I started blaming myself as if I was responsible for everything and I deserved that. There was time when I would blame god saying why he made me ugly. Even I was hating my own reflection in the mirror that I would barely stand in front of that. Even today, after knowing everything about this topic, I sometimes cannot appreciate myself when those memories haunt me.
2. I had lost my voice to protest
Those bullying harmed my confidence so badly that when they were teasing me, I was never able to protest that. Can’t think of it exactly why I did that…. but maybe then I just had lost my voice. What would I say against those pretty cute girls as an ugly person?? Was it my fault to consider myself as low or if there was something I could do with it? I don’t know these answers. But after getting back my confidence, whenever I think about those memories…. it still hits hard.
3. I was ignoring my health
As soon as they started calling me a fatty, I started being harsh on myself. Started skipping my meals. Even it was so bad that at a time if my parents would scoff me for ignoring my health, I would scream at them back saying that they made me eat much and they were also responsible for this. If my parents would give me snacks to eat at school at leisure time, I would mostly never eat them at all. Even one day my health condition got so worse, that I can remember my parents had to take me to the doctor.
4. I had started having suicidal thoughts
It was probably the worst part when I started hitting myself physically. I would often cut my hands with blades. I was so sick of my life that at a time I just wanted to get rid of it. Even at a time my parents would hide blades just because of me. It was truly such a worse part of my life which I wasn’t expected to do at that earlier age.
The good parts :
After all these struggles body insecurity had made me to have, I would never say it only harmed me. Instead, it enriched my insights and perspective more than ever. So here are definitely some good parts of body insecurity –
1. Inspired me to learn about body insecurity
That’s the first advantage I got I would say. It doesn’t mean that I know everything related to this topic. I am still learning about this every day. However, I think I would never be that much inspired to learn about this topic if I I wouldn’t experience this myself. I am still healing a bit everyday. Since this thing is so common in this world and almost every of us can relate to this, so it never bores to learn about this topic more and more.
2. Can help people with body insecurity
I can still clearly remember about those horrible memories. When I was in pain, there wasn’t literally anyone to guide me. Many didn’t take it seriously just because it was happened in an earlier age. However, I do care. I am not a specialist though, but when I find someone being bullied, I protest it immediately. I at least try to comfort them with my words. Because I never want them to be in a situation where I was once.
3. Can understand my worth now
Through the process of healing from body insecurity and getting my confidence back, I also slowly started understanding my worth. Understanding my worth doesn’t mean that now I appreciate myself because I think I’m good looking. The process just made me realize that everyone is beautiful in this world. No one is worthy to be bullied for the way they were created in and shaped in. And what is worthless is our outer beauty and appearance which people sometimes care about so much.
How I finally managed to cope with body insecurity
Coping with body insecurity wasn’t surely an easy task. It took me a while to get that healing and still I am working before this every day. However, my current mental situation and perspective about life is a way lot better than then. Here are some of those tips that helped me to make that massive change in my life –
1. Changed the place and community
I know it doesn’t sound super realistic. However that is exactly what I felt right to do. Actually, at a time, I felt like there was literally no one to support me even in my school, almost everyone was getting toxic which obviously wasn’t true. However I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I was thinking of changing my school with the help of my parents. Even I was lucky that just then my parents had to transfer to a new city. And there surprisingly people were so much supportive than before. So, I would say sometimes changing the community can be more helpful than you think.
2. Started journalising
One day, I thought of analyzing my feelings. So, I immediately took a notebook and started writing down my everyday feelings. I was being super honest with myself while writing them asking myself if those feelings were truly something right. I was also analyzing what or who were causing them. In this way, I could understand myself more.
3. Started meeting with more new people
It was literally one of the toughest things for me to do then. Also something that played a great role to change the perspective about myself. I was just curious to know that if other people would also consider me worthless. But realized that I was wrong. No one without some people around me would even talk about it. Also realized that those people wold bully me on such useless thing because they knew that there was my weakness and they could make me feel bad about myself easily by talking about that topic. So from then, I also decided that I won’t let it to be a weakness of myself anymore.
My final thoughts : It was just a simple part of my story. I hope many of you could relate to this and hoping that it will also help to make you realize your worth if you're suffering from body insecurity now. If you don't have any experience with this yet, then still always know that there is someone suffering from this. And they need your help. So, whenever you find someone suffering, always give them your best support. Your little support may mean a lot to them.
That’s all for today’s article. Don’t forget to leave a comment about your thoughts regarding this post.
Question for you: Have you found it relatable in any ways? If yes, then what are they?
Let me know the answer in the comment below!
Finally, if you liked this article, then don’t forget to share it with others who can find it useful or interesting too. Your one share will make my day!
Continue on to part 6 : 50 body positivity quotes to inspire you to love your body, where I shared 50 awesome quotes that will help you to love your body
This is part 5 of 6-part series on body insecurity where I share my history with body insecurity , signs of body insecurity, effects and reasons of body insecurity and tips to get over it and also motivational quotes to inspire you to love your body
- Part 4 : 10 Ways to Overcome Body Insecurity
Part 6 : 50 Body Positivity Quotes To Inspire You To Love Your Body
Kids can be so cruel. I am glad that you are on the healing side.
Informative post and I wish healing to anyone who reads and needs this.
My kid has some problems like these. I hope I can help her to go through them and feel good with herself!
I think we all have dealt with body insecurity at some point.
This is a really great and very informative post! I’m gonna share this with my friends and family.
Beautifully stated! So many parents need to communicate this to their children – and we need to communicate it to others.
I think more people deal with this than actually admit to it.
i feel all that and then some. i still struggle with insecurity which is why i mainly shop in the mens section. oversized clothes for the win! i always have a breakdown if i shop in the womens…
Body Image is a very important issue today especially among teens. Thank you for sharing your personal journey.
This is something I think all girls encounter at some time in their lives. Thank you for sharing your story… such a great piece for anyone with this issue 🙂
This is something I have always struggled with myself & still do struggle with. The information you included on what helped you is helpful 🙂 I am so glad you were able to help build yourself up.
I am so glad that you’re in a good place now. I also agree that many women (girls and teens) have struggled with this at some point or another. Sharing your journey definitely helps others.
THank you so much for sharing your story! Body insecurity is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, and it really can consume us.
I struggled with this a ton when I was growing up. I often was the one that was bullied or made fun of even though I really don’t know why. It has made me be insecure about my body to this day and I’m 45 year old.
Can I just say before I begin, I LOVE your blog?! I’ve given you a wee follow-over on the Gram and Twitter. Everything you’re talking about are things I’ve addressed before and I can’t tell you how much I admire you for being so open and honest. Body insecurity is such a difficult thing to have to deal with, and very much a lonely journey. You can try and change your inner voice using self-help and therapy, but it ultimately comes from within!
Keep going and changing the narritive.
This is so relatable to me. Body insecurity started happening to me in high school. Thank you for sharing your story.
Ug. Body insecurity is such a real issue, even with all of the “positivity” nowadays. So difficult!
Changing the place and community will help a lot to find different people who won’t bully you. These are great tips!
I have also struggled with body insecurity, and it can be a difficult battle to win. Thank you for opening up about this important and often hard-to-talk-about topic!
Thank you for sharing your story. This is such a problem in today’s society. Every tween needs to read this!
The hardest thing for me is journaling! I just can’t start. Why?
It’s good to hear you found a way to manage your feelings. This is something that affects so many people.
Wow, this is an amazing article. I am so happy for your grown and the way you overcome your insecurities. Very inspiring!
What an amazing post, body insecurity is very common, so this information will be a great help to many.