Ask Amy: Friend’s gifts are really burdens
Dear Amy: “Shattered” was a woman who gained significant weight after a bad break up. Even though she had lost a large portion of it, she still couldn't stand looking in the mirror or taking photos of herself.
Your advice was sound, but it seems like a good place to also offer advice on practicing body neutrality.
We tend to get trapped in a cycle of feeling "ugly," "gross," or "unworthy" when our bodies aren't what we wish they were. It's so freeing to walk the path of a body being good simply because it is a body.
As someone who struggled with their looks for years, when I began to recognize that my body was good simply because it did the things bodies are made for, I found myself freed from negative emotions connected to its form and began to develop positive feelings toward its function.
– The Owner of a Good Body
Dear Owner: I love the way you expressed this. Thank you!
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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
©2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
