So many things contribute to our mental health, but there's one thing that we don't talk about enough: negative body image. When we feel insecure in ourselves, that has a heavy impact on how we view ourselves and others.
At Punk Rock Saves Lives (PRSL), PUNK stands for Positivity Unity Nurture Kindness. When you overlook kindness for yourself, you hurt yourself just as much as it hurts others.
So, why is body image so important?
Mental Ramifications
Having a negative body image can go beyond just feeling a little bad about your appearance. Mental manifestations of negative body image can include anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphic disorder. These can have lasting effects on your mental health, and can even lead to harmful physical symptoms.
It Has Physical Manifestations
Physical results of a negative body image can include illness and elevate to the point of disordered eating. There can be long-term health damage as a result of these things, and can even prove lethal if left unaddressed.
If you or someone you love is struggling, please get the help you need to take care of your physical health! Remember that you are not alone, this is not uncommon, and there are people who are professionally trained to help you navigate this battle.
It's Not Just Women
While women are central to the body positivity movement, men are just as likely to experience insecurity about their bodies. Men also have unrealistic standards of appearance set on them, even if they aren't always as blatant as for women. Examples include hair loss, weight, the Hollywood implication that "heartthrobs" have to have defined abs, and particular standards of grooming.
We also can't neglect our non-binary and trans friends. Constantly being expected to present a certain way is exhausting for them, and harmful.
Why We Care
At PRSL, we care about you and your mental health. We collaborate frequently with Carly Someplace, a professional boudoir photographer and body positivity educator, to promote healthy body image and self-love. We know that body positivity--or, at the very least, body neutrality--can lighten a load that we don't even always know that we're carrying.
We know that being body positive isn’t a fix-all. But we also believe that all bodies are good bodies, and hope that you can find love and appreciation for yourself...because you deserve it.
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