Body Image and Puberty

27th April, 2017    |    By  ReachOut    |     1.8k

Puberty can be a really confusing, uncomfortable and all together weird time. Your body goes through lots of different changes- and not all of them are welcome. ReachOut Producer, Dylan, spoke to some people on the other side of puberty about all things body-related. Turns out, puberty can actually leave you feeling pretty good about yourself. It might just take some time.


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Body Image: Puberty

This video was made by young people between the ages of 16 and 25 as part of the ReachOut produces program. Intensity, so everyone’s feeling insecure and you kind of feed off each other. It’s very simple, it comes in waves. They tell you in high school that once you reach a certain age, it will go away and everything will be fine, but that’s a lie.

I went to a very sporty school with a lot of, like, you know, the brick-shaped, rugby-player type. I was not that shape. I was like an arcade in high school, no response. I think I felt as though I was too fat or whatever, and I think a lot of young girls go through that. Yeah, I think for me, that was always a recurring thing. At least I felt like I was bigger than anyone.

I was teased for my weight growing up. My best friend in primary school was actually really skinny, so a lot of people would call us fatty and skinny, so it was pretty horrible. Kids can be pretty mean. So, I think it’s hard to be confident when you’re not too sure who you are as an individual.

Things like suddenly being hairy and things like that, where you’re like, “Oh, I wish I didn’t have that hair.” I remember girls wanting to shave their arms and things like that. It was like, “Whoa.” It’s quite normal. Then you later realize that I didn’t shave my underarms. Still don’t. I don’t shave my legs. Still don’t. I just wanted to be natural. Actually, no guy’s ever complained about the bush.

My nose, I used to hate my nose so much when I was younger. I’d say, “I hate it,” but now I’m totally fine with it. I like my smile. Yeah, my sister and my mom both have beautiful blue eyes. Growing up, I really wished I had blue eyes, but these days, I’m really happy with mine.

As a boy, I was like, “I’m going to have hairy legs,” but now my legs are interesting. My strongest body part because I do so much walking, running, and hiking. Yeah, it’s my legs.

I went and talked to a counselor, a sex therapist, who I really wanted to talk to about body stuff and terror. So, everything I brought to her about my fears and my body and any insecurities I had, she had some advice, like, “You’re just one of many people who have brought me these very normal things that they think are abnormal and scary.”

So, here are all the ways that it’s normal. I find it’s just kind of a good, slow process of self-acceptance. At 26, I’m actually working on my self-esteem issues from when I was a teenager.

Say someone speaks to someone. Don’t ignore it.

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Video by Reach Out