Off your chest: What do you wish they knew about your body image issues?

What is the one thing you wish your parents, your significant other, siblings, or your friends understood about your body image issues? Related to body image issues are eating disorders, perfectionism, and addictions to things like alcohol, drugs, work, and shopping.

I ask because MamaVision asked a similar question of her audience comprising mostly of teen to college girls, "What do you wish your parents knew about your eating disorder?" Reading the comments was eye opening and brought back many memories of my own challenges. Back in my 20's the one thing I wished my loved ones knew is that it's not about the food. My head is immersed with, "I'm not good enough."

Issues start compiling over time

The Back in Skinny Jeans audience is a bit older, and as some of you who have had similar paths as me understand is that when you don't deal with one thing, the inner pain gets worse, and you can start developing other issues as you get older. Like for me, it started with bulimia in college, then came addiction to work, then came anxiety issues, and then alcohol issues which was the tipping point for me to finally say, "Enough! I'm done living in pain."

Over time, the issues can quickly compile, grow, and take over, and healing becomes an even bigger mountain to tackle. I learned that the sooner you deal with things today, the less you will have to deal with later. I spent a good hard 3 years working on my stuff, and it paid off, but along the way, you bet I thought, "Climbing this mountain to recovery is grueling. Why do I have to do this? Oh yeah, I helped build this mountain in the first place."

Yesterday, when I thought to myself, "Okay, what do you want to get off your chest? Which someone do you wish knew something about you?" And honestly, I could not think of one person or one thing, and it really hit me, it's because my efforts to create an authentic life have come to fruition. Wow! This is wonderful. I am real with everyone, and in cases where I've had conflict with someone, I've asked myself "Does it matter to me? Is this worth fighting for?" And in most cases, it wasn't. I don't mean that in a bad way, just in a way that I have let go of attachment to this person or myself being any different than who we are today. Not everyone has to stay in your life, and the ones that love you, truly love you will stick around no matter what, and vice versa.

Letting out what is festering in you

In order to heal, you need to start voicing to yourself and others what is going on inside you. Again, I know that sounds way easier in theory than in practice, but even taking tiny steps to start opening up will help you immensely in the big picture.

So, for those of you wanting to start taking those first steps or for those of you further along who want some added support, I'm giving you a safe and supportive place today to get something off your chest. What is your truth? What do you wish your parents, your significant other, siblings, or your friends understood about your body image issues? And feel free to sign as anonymous if that makes you feel safer, what matters is that you know, and you are amongst other who "get it."