A work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time | Amy's story of acceptance

5th January, 2022    |    By  Beyond Blue    |     704

Body image issues affect people of all ages, and all walks of life. In this video, Amy opens up on her ongoing recovery journey from anxiety and depression, and how it started with acceptance.

To understand more about body image issues and eating disorders, The Butterfly Foundation website is a fantastic resource. For immediate support, you can call their national helpline on 1800 33 4623 or access the chat/email functionality via their website.

About Beyond Blue Established in October 2000, Beyond Blue initially focused on raising awareness of depression and reducing the associated stigma. As our knowledge and impact on people’s lives broadened, through research and community engagement, we added the key issue of anxiety conditions in 2011 and, more recently, suicide prevention to our core purpose. Do you need support? If you need immediate support call us on: 1300 22 4636 For online support please visit: https://www.beyondblue.org.au Join in the conversations on our Forums anytime: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums


Also check the related topics:  

Eating Disorders Body Image

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A work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time | Amy’s story of acceptance

Hi, I’m Amy. From a young age, I’ve felt insecure about my body. Puberty and high school were a particularly tough mix. Trying to figure out who I was, what I was doing with my life, and where I belonged. Anxiety started to consume me, and soon depression followed. I felt like I was losing control of my own story, of my life. When I stared at myself in the mirror, I didn’t like anything about the person looking back. I started to eat less and less and avoid certain foods. My exercise routine became non-negotiable.

It consumed most of my days and left me completely drained with nothing else to give. Life became a series of rigid routines that I pushed and punished myself to fit into. If I could sum up my complex relationship with my body, it’s this: I disconnected from it because I no longer felt it was my own. I ignored its fundamental needs and cues, I ignored its vast capabilities. I projected my fear and self-loathing onto it. And so, my body stopped working as it should.

The turning point for me was rock bottom. I was closed off to all my friends, constantly fatigued, and had horrific muscle cramps and pains. Most of all, I was scared. When I finally asked for help, I cried to my parents for hours, and they took me to see my doctor. I’ll never forget what my GP said that day: “I know you feel like this is the worst day of your life, but I promise you, it will be one of the best, because today is the day you’re turning things around.” Something clicked. From a place of denial, I reached a place of awareness and acceptance. I decided to become the protagonist in my recovery.

With the guidance and support of my family and doctor, I began to rebuild my relationship with my body. For the first time in years, I felt hope. For me, recovery didn’t, and doesn’t, mean you’re fixed forever onwards. Recovery to me is a commitment to yourself, for yourself. My mirror went from being a source of great pain to a daily reminder that I am more than my appearance. It is literally covered in qualities and attributes that lift me up and go beyond how I look.

Today I know that 16-year-old Amy was lost and terrified, desperately trying to belong. If she were here now, I’d give her a big hug and tell her, “Your body is yours and yours only. And it’s a freaking one-of-a-kind miracle. You may not love it all the time, and that’s okay. You can be a work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time.”

Video by beyondblue