Alex's Answer
I want to like me for who I am, not how others see me
Your Question
Hi, I am struggling with my appearance, like I don’t like how I look right now. I am quite a chunky tall girl umm who is ginger. I get bullied for being fat and ginger and all that So it makes me dislike myself alot more, because I dislike my body, I sometimes stop eating or I selfh**m things like that. I just need support and boosting confidence or ways to like me for who I am and not how other people want me 🙂
Answer
Hi,
Thank you so much for reaching out to Ask Alex, it sounds like there is a lot going on for you and you are looking for help and support with this and wanting to like you for who you are and not how other people want you to be, this is really positive.
Do you have a trusted adult in your life that you can seek help with or that can perhaps find the right help and support for you in talking through your feelings and supporting you in boosting your confidence? This can be a parent, teacher, coach or family member. Letting people we know how we are feeling, can often be very helpful in our journey going forward.
You say you want to like you for who you are, and you deserve to do this. self-confidence means feeling good about yourself, believing in your abilities and believing in your worth and value as a person. People can struggle with self-confidence when they don’t feel they are good enough or they are going through tough times, so you are not alone. Perhaps try some of these tips:
- Having confidence is about thinking positively, you need to replace negative feelings about yourself with a positive belief in who you are and what you can do.
- Think of at least one good thing about yourself, it could be something like being trustworthy, having a good sense of humour or something you are good at in school or work.
- Plan something positive every day, something that you can look forward to and that gives you a sense of achievement, it could be going for a walk, doing art or helping another person.
There is also the Childline website where there is information and advice on the section titled “info & advice”. There you will find information on “how I feel,” and improving your self-confidence. You can access this by going to www.childline.ie/how-i-feel/ . You can also visit spunout.ie/category/mental-health/self-harm where there is lots of support and information regarding self-harm and boosting your confidence. An organisation which helps support those who have eating disorders and negative body image is www.bodywhys.ie, you can find lots of articles and advice on their website.
You are more than welcome to contact childline at any time (24hours a day, every day) on 1800 666 666 or chat to us online on www.childline.ie , just click on the orange Live Chat tab.
Thank you for your question and we hope that you find some of the information above useful.
Take care of yourself,
Alex