Dear dany:

I read all your recent posts. Here is my very short, condensed summary: you are 20 year old. You suffer from anxiety, depression and you have a very negative image of your body. You feel shame about your body, about your feelings, about … everything about yourself.

My input/ suggestions: your relationship with yourself has to greatly improve. As it is, it is a very acrimonious, antagonistic, hateful relationship. It has to change as soon as possible, as in immediately.

It cannot be fast or immediate, but an intent has to be formed immediately, an intent to improve your relationship with yourself, an intent to operate for your well-being and no longer against your well-being.

It is not and will not be easy. Far from it. But it can be done. A long process, start it now. In a few months of ongoing work, following forming such intent, and you will feel better. In a few years, you will still be in your twenties, your early twenties, and you will be in such a better place that you will not … recognize your old self.

You wrote that your father taught you that “emotions were for the weak minded” and that you believed him. Well, he was wrong. Look where this belief has led you.

Respect your feelings, make friends with your feelings. You need them, there is much information in them.

As you form the intent to operate for your well-being, there will be action to take, a bit of action at any one time, not too much too fast. Exercise will be one such action, part of the exercise will be such that will improve your posture, over time. Exercise will improve your body image, over time. So will healthful nutrition.

I hope your therapy is quality therapy. How long did you attend therapy and what progress has been made, if any, in your mind and life?

anita