Dear Self, You are Beautiful and I Love You!

It seems that everywhere we look nowadays we are being bombarded with fake images of beauty and new ways of “improving” ourselves! So many of us, regardless of our age or life status have become obsessed with weight, falling into a cynical pattern of self-hatred and low self esteem fueled by the bogus images of men and women in magazines or on TV. To mimic these images and trends, we are subjecting our bodies to rigid and self-destructing practices, becoming slaves to our emotions and developing anorexia, bulimia and other addictions. It may appear that we are in control and achieving our goals, but the fact of the matter is that we are deceiving ourselves and ensuring that our desolate emotions will continue to be empty and unsatisfied. When we seek to create an image that is inauthentic to who we are, we become just another number in a production line, lose our individuality and enslave our selves to disordered eating.

Unrealistic aspirations to live up to these impossible standards lead to nowhere except to poor self-image, self-loathing, and anorexia or bulimia. Eating disorders are on the rise because rather than love and accept ourselves or facing our feelings, we are using food to either fill or denying ourselves and our feelings, all along spending millions in the pursuit of unrealistic expectations which just sets us up to feel more inadequate. We spend hours in front of the mirror picking ourselves apart, analyzing our every perceived flaw, beating ourselves up over every imperfection; our bodies have became a screen onto which we project all of our negative feelings. It is alarming what physical and emotional damage we are wiling to inflict upon ourselves; self-depreciation, endless cycles of diet, extreme exercise, surgery, daily weighing, pills, purging and even outright denial of the essential life element --nourishment.

We must change our perceptions of beauty. The beauty of our human experience lies in our uniqueness. Our bodies are beautiful, no matter how narrow our cultural definitions might be. True beauty is of spirit and can only be found within. It is the irrepressible aliveness of being comfortable in our own skin. Any hope for real lasting change will only be found when we address our underlying issues. We must find ways to look at our lives and address our true feelings without anesthetizing ourselves with food.

When we learn to celebrate and embrace our individuality, issues such as obesity, eating disorders and depression will be gone, along with the belief patterns that created them in the first place! If you are someone who is constantly struggling with weight issues, then it is time to re-examine the beliefs that you hold about yourself. It is our ability to be ourselves, not our willingness to conform that sets us apart. Celebrate and embrace YOU! If you keep trying to be like someone else, who will be left to be like you? Realize your authenticity! Embrace your perceived imperfections – they are what make you unique. You are beautiful, love who you are.

Rebecca’s House is a premiere eating disorder treatment center that is dedicated to providing the best treatment possible. Rebecca’s House helps individuals by taking a more diversified approach in treating various eating disorders and explores alternative means to allow people to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We are available 24 hours a day at 1 (800) 711-2062. Be sure to connect with us on Twitter and Facebook!