Member-only story
A Letter to the Woman Hating Her Body Right Now
For whoever needs to hear this…
I was on a phone call with a friend, and she was distressed after having been shopping and coming to terms with the size of clothing she now needs to wear. She spoke about herself in a way that you would never want to be spoken to, in a way that you would never speak to a friend. This isn’t uncommon. I’ve done it to myself and I’ve heard other friends talk about their bodies in a similar way. We have been conditioned to hate our bodies.
When we speak to ourselves using language brimming with disgust, self-loathing, and anger, it feels acceptable. Perhaps we feel like we are bettering ourselves through our militant approach. We would be appalled, however, to hear someone talk to another person using the same language. Most of us could never imagine speaking to another human being this way.
Things like “I can’t believe this is my body now. I’m disgusting,” or “I don’t look good in anything. I doubt anyone finds me attractive.” How often do you say things like this to yourself? How often do you say things like this to others? Would you? How do you think it would make them feel?
When I got off the phone with my friend, my mind was cluttered with sadness and frustration for her, but also for myself and other women who endure the same…
