Body image and self harm

Body image is what you see when you look in the mirror or picture yourself in your mind.

It’s what you see and believe when it comes to your appearance and how you feel about your body. It is something that lots of people worry about, especially teenagers and young adults.

For example, you might worry about your shape or size, how you look in certain clothes or the condition of your skin. You may also worry about how you feel in your body or how you think you appear to other people.

There are several reasons someone might become concerned about body image. Most of us will start to pay attention to messages about appearance from a young age. These messages might come from our friends, family members or social media and form an idea in our minds about how we ‘should’ look.

Although it may be common to worry about body image, too much worry can get in the way and stop you enjoying your life. Body image concerns can sometimes lead to low mood and increased anxiety.

Find out more about body image and how to get help, on the NottAlone website.

Self harm

Self harm is when you hurt yourself intentionally. The reasons why people do this will be different for different people. Some people self harm as a way of dealing with difficult emotions or to supress upsetting experiences which may be happening now or have happened in the past.

There is lots of advice and support about self harm on the NottAlone website.

Eating disorders

Eating disorders are serious mental health illnesses and may be life threatening. They affect people both physically and emotionally.

Read more on the Health for Teens website.