Teen Trauma

Its really tough being a teenager, I should know I am one. Many times you set out to make changes in your life because you think somebody else will like you more. This is a stage where we go through a lot.Weight obsession, acne, peer pressure. The list is endless. You may brush your hair a hundred times or put lip-gloss, thinking maybe that cute guy in your class will notice you or you might starve yourself because your friends are losing weight and you want to fit in.

  Sharleen Khosravi

Making a change in your life may be a good thing, but if you are doing it for others instead of yourself, it has no meaning. If you want to change the way you look, do it if it makes you feel better, not for any other reason. If you want to lose weight don't starve your self or throw up, instead join a fitness program or play a sport.

It is not like only girls go through such teenage problems. So what if a guy does not try out for the football team. That does not make him a geek or any such thing. Be proud of whatever you are good at, be it chess or even your studies you do not have to be a metal head or a rapper to fit in. People cannot tell you what you like. Smoking, drinking, drugs and so on. Many people get pressurized into trying it and now they really regret it!!

Placing your self-esteem and self-worth in the hands of another means you rely on that person's approval to keep you going. If your friends do not give you the support and encouragement you hope for, you run the risk of giving up. When you make all those efforts for yourself you only need to look within to see if you like the results. You only need to prove that YOU have done a good job, YOU are doing better in school/college and YOU are getting stronger, because when you do anything for yourself you are bound to succeed.

Weight obsession and anorexia is usually common with girls. Almost every second Hollywood star whose figure many girls crave for, suffer from anorexia or are bulimic. Celebrities like Kelly Clarkson and others have well toned bodies, not skinny but at least they are not diseased and anorexic. Try a healthy diet and working out. It will definitely make you look healthier and good too, and above all it will make you feel good and not sick. And if you are trying to lose weight to impress a guy, then remember the good ones prefer someone with a clean and healthy mind, body and soul. A few years back I used to throw up what I ate to lose weight, but with the right kind of support from my mom and friends, I began to gain self-acceptance and today I love myself for who I am.

Being anorexic or bulimic does not make you attractive, instead you start losing your glow, develop puffy eyes and dry hair. Bulimia is when a person throws up whatever they eat to lose weight, but that reverses your whole system and can lead to chemical imbalance in your brain. Today my diet is quite healthy and sometimes I even eat junk food, but then work out to maintain my figure. So try this for a change, it may sound weird but it helps, stand in front of the mirror and say, "I AM BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVE MYSELF." Learn to accept yourself and do the things you want to and not what others tell you. At the end of the day your true friends will love you for who you are and not who you are trying to be. So remember you are perfect because God made you and God doesn't make mistakes...