Childhood fat taunts stay with me today

After a lifetime of being put down for the way I look, my self-esteem is on the floor.

Every day I wake up and cry at the sight of myself in the mirror and I can’t help but feel like I’ll never be good enough.

I’m a 23-year-old woman. The bullying started in primary school, when I was taunted daily for being fat and ugly. 

Kids would often make fun of me and I was constantly bombarded with horrible comments which left me feeling low and hating school.

It didn’t help that my parents also put me down as well. 

To this day no man has given me any kind of attention and I’ve struggled to make any real friends. 

I’ve done everything I can to make myself more attractive. Including lip fillers, weight loss, and teeth straightening, but I still feel so insecure.

I can’t walk down the street without comparing myself to other women.

I’m struggling to see the positives in life.

DEIDRE SAYS: Being bullied as a child can have long-lasting effects.

While everyone has feelings of insecurity at times, constantly having such low self-esteem can be crippling for your mental health. 

You have been conditioned to focus on your appearance and with such undermining comments, no wonder you feel low.

We all have so much more to offer than physical appearance alone. Our character, skills, abilities and relationships create a fuller picture, so do try to rebalance your efforts with these values as well. 

It would really help you to work through this damaging bullying with a reputable therapist. The BACP (BACP.co.uk) can help you find a qualified counsellor.