I feel a little sheepish asking for advice from complete strangers, but I need to find an answer without revealing my identity. So here goes:
At what point is self-loathing unhealthy? I'm a 17-year-old girl and I know having low self esteem is common during the teenage years, but I can't help but feel mine may be atypical. I started dieting about a month and a half ago, and since then, I have been extremely negative about my body image. I can't look at my stomach without wanting to puke. But I think the clincher is - okay, I know this is extremely weird - I constantly tell myself that I hate myself...subconsciously. Let me elaborate; I'll be reading a book or making a coffee or driving somewhere, and then out of nowhere, I'll just say "I hate myself" out loud. I can't stop myself from saying it because it just kind of comes out without me thinking. This happens about 15 times a day. Its pretty ridiculous.
So I guess I want to know whether this behavior is normal, and if not, what I can do to deal with it, aside from seeing a therapist. Aside from appearance, I am pretty content with myself. I don't have an eating disorder and I don't mutilate myself, so yeah.
Tags: