Love Yourself: Self-Esteem Affirmations

 See also:
Using Affirmations
Self-Worth: The Unconditional Love of Self
Self-Esteem Tests

Self Love Quotes
Self Worth Quotes
Self Empowerment Quotes


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I Am Stronger Than Ever And I Am Going To Beat This

Dear Eating Disorder,

I’m writing to say how much I hate you and how much I want you out of my life. I hate the way that you make me feel and I hate the control you have over me. You make me feel like such a failure. You make me feel like I am so out of control. You make me think such bad things about myself, and you make me feel so hopeless and worthless. I hate always wishing to be thin. You always make me feel so incredibly fat, even when I am so underweight I have to be put in the hospital. I hate feeling like I constantly have to compare myself to everyone that I see. I feel like I am striving to be perfect, but nothing I do is ever good enough. I never want to hear your voice again. It is so difficult trying to go through life with your voice always nagging me in my head. I HATE YOU, I really do. Every single thought that goes through my mind is that I’m not good enough, skinny enough, pretty enough, or smart enough. I’ve dealt with you for over seven years now, and it has been the longest seven years of my life.

When I was little, I had no friends, no social life, and no fun. I always tried to keep a smile on my face, even though deep down inside, I was hurting so badly. I wanted to be beautiful, like all the models and actresses. I wanted to be thin so badly that I would rather die than be fat. You told me that I was being strong by not eating. I have never cheated, lied, or hurt anyone more than I have when I was with you. I have hurt my entire family and all of my friends. I have pushed people away when I needed them the most. You ruined my life and you were the worst thing that ever happened to me.

I thought I was doing the right thing, by restricting, purging, exercising, cutting, taking diet pills, laxatives, diuretics, anything that I could get my hands on. I thought I was doing something good by losing weight and hurting my body. I now realize how wrong I was by thinking that. I thought that by becoming thin, I would become happy; that was the biggest lie you have ever told me. I lost so much weight, and I was so unhappy. You hurt me so much. I wanted to feel pretty, to be popular, and have a lot of friends. I wanted to make the perfect grades, get accepted to the best college, and to impress everyone I knew. I wanted people to think, “That girl has it all.” I felt like I needed you most of my life.

You were my only friend that I could turn to, when no one else was there. When my life was falling apart, or something bad happened, you were always there to bring me back up. You were constantly there by my side through everything. You gave me comfort and control, and that’s what I wanted. It is so hard to let go of you, because you were my best friend. I have to be strong now and let go. You have made it so hard to get close to people. I feel like I don’t deserve anything anymore. You took away my life from me and now I want it back. You took away my friends, my faith, my family, my happiness, and you filled it with self-hatred, depression, and sadness. You took away every good opportunity in my life that I had. I couldn’t do anything anymore because I was so worn out over you.

I want to get rid of you completely. I have felt a little taste of life without you, and I was never happier. I smiled and laughed so hard when you weren’t in my life. Once everything seems to be okay, and in its place, you keep coming back into my life and taking everything from me again. You tore me to pieces. Every night that I cried myself to sleep, I was in so much pain, and I just wanted you to stop coming into my life and telling me all these negative things. I want you to stop, and never come back again. I am finally starting to let go of you, and let other people back in my life. People need me, and I need them more than ever. I have Jesus in my life, and He has helped me more than you ever did. I don’t need you anymore, and I never will. You have been in my life for way too long, and I don’t want to hear your voice in my head again ever.

I am drawing a line between us, and you may try to cross it multiple times, but I will never let you. God has shown me what great things I can do and I completely trust Him now. No matter how hard you try, I will never let you back into my life. You destroyed me, and I cannot be destroyed ever again. You may try to feed me lies and let me try to think awful things again, but I won’t believe you. I am better than this. I am trying to become a better person. I am starting to like who I am. It takes work, but I am really trying. I am so much better than what you ever told me. I realized that if I am going to be happy, then I need to be healthy, and I am not becoming your version of happy anymore. I need to end this now. I would like to say thank you though, because you have made me such a stronger person, and I can see reality now. I am so much happier without you, and I am so much closer to God than I was ever before, so thank you for that. You have made me realize who I want to be. Although those are good things, the bad you have shown me outweigh the good.

I am such a better person than this, and I realize that now. I hope and pray every day that you will never come back into my life. Please stay away from me. I am stronger than ever, and I am going to beat this. I am such a better person now and I couldn’t be happier.

Caitlyn Moore


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Recovery Quote Of The Week: July 19th, 2010

Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity.
Og Mandino



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Poll: Should The Door Be Closed To Pro-Ana Sites?

There are arguments for both sides when it comes pro-ana websites and the role they play in eating disorders. Are they dangerous for the health and well-being of those with an eating disorder, those teetering on the border, and those struggling with recovery? Or, do they play an important role, offering positive support for some? Should the door be closed on sites that promote anorexia? What is your opinion? What is your experience?

Please participate in the poll located in the sidebar and share your opinion/experience. If you'd like to elaborate on your choices with an explanation or discussion, please feel free to do so in the comments of this post.
Thank you.
MrsM


Looking for an alternative to pro-ana sites? Check out We Bite Back: Post Pro-Ana Has Finally Arrived

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*This poll has ended. Click here to see Completed Poll Results


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Recovery Quote Of The Week: July 8th, 2010

You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself be.
Lou Holtz


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Eating Disorders: Focus On Bone Health

Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. Some eating disorders greatly increase your risk for developing poor bone health/osteoporosis. Don't underestimate the importance of keeping your bones strong and healthy.

Risk Factors

• Female
• Older age
• Family history of osteoporosis or broken bones
• Being small and thin
• Certain race/ethnicities (Caucasian, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino ... African Americans are also at risk)
• History of broken bones
• Low sex hormones:Low estrogen levels in women, including menopause
• Missing periods (amenorrhea),Low levels of testosterone and estrogen in men
• Diet
• Low calcium intake
• Low vitamin D intake
• Excessive intake of protein, sodium and caffeine
• Inactive lifestyle
• Smoking
• Alcohol abuse
• Certain medications such as steroid medications, some anticonvulsants and others
• Certain diseases and conditions such as anorexia nervosa, rheumatoid arthritis, gastrointestinal diseases and others.

More info:

• More Risk Factors
• Risk Groups
• Prevention
• Treatment
• Bone Mass Measurement: What The Numbers Mean
• Anorexia and Osteoporosis
• What People With Anorexia Nervosa Need To Know About Osteoporosis
• What Parents Need to Know About Children's Bone Health
• Bone Density Test

Why Exercise Is Important To Bone Health:

• Bone is living tissue and becomes stronger by exercising (just like muscle does)
• Regular exercise will increase bone density
• Bone density begins to lessen when we reach our 30's (so starting a regular exercise routine in our 20's and continuing it throughout life can prevent bone loss)
• Increases balance, strength, and coordination (lessening our risk of falling)

Weight-bearing exercise is the best choice for bone health. You can vary your choice of exercises to get the best benefits and to keep it interesting.

* Please note that you should always check with your physician before starting any exercise routine. In addition, special care must be taken if you already have low bone density or osteoporosis and the advice of a professional /specialist should be sought and followed.


Examples Of Low and High Impact Weight-Bearing Exercises:

• Hiking
• Jogging
• Walking
• Climbing Stairs
• Dancing
• Tennis
• Weight-Training
• Jumping Rope
• Soccer
• Basketball

More on Exercise and Bone Health:
Bone Builders: Exercise
Childhood and Adolescence


Don't forget the importance of good nutrition. Eating properly is essential to not only bone health, but overall health as well.

A Sample Of Foods That Help Bone Health:

• Seeds
• Nuts
• Leafy Greens
• Oysters
• Beans
• Fish
• Dairy
• Fruit
• Molasses
  

A Sample Of Things To Avoid:

• Too much salt
• Alcohol
• Coffee (more than 2 cups per day can increase bone loss)
• Smoking
• Diuretics
• Sugary Drinks
• Poor Nutrition
• Purging
• Lack of Physical Activity

More on Nutrients Important To Bone Health:

Calcium Counts (pdf )
Other Nutrients and Bone Health At A Glance (pdf)

Check out these Bone Health Orgs/Sites for more Information, Resources, and Help:

• National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF.org)
• International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOFbonehealth.org)
• Bone Health For Life Org
• Best Bones Forever Gov
• Osteopenia.com
• Better Bones.com
• National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS)
  
• Promise To Me
  

sources linked above
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Inspirational Recovery Quotes: Inner Strength

Strength does not come from physical capacity.
It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi

There are admirable potentialities in every human being. Believe in your strength and your truth. Learn to repeat endlessly to yourself, "It all depends on me."
Andre Gide

Strength is Happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. When you wage a struggle, you might win or you might lose. But regardless of the short-term outcome, the very fact of your continuing to struggle is proof of your victory as a human being.
Daisaku Ikeda

Look well into thyself;there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.
Marcus Antoninus

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Storms make trees take deeper roots.
Dolly Parton

Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.
Katherine Dunham

He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.
Lao Tzu

Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong- sometimes it's letting go. Unknown Never give in.. never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force.. never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
Winston Churchill

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.
August Wilson

We acquire the strength we have overcome.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.
Corrie Ten Boom

Strength is born in the deep silence of long-suffering hearts; not amid joy.
Arthur Helps

What does not kill me makes me stronger.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If your senses are numbed with delusion and denial, you will stop looking for these true strengths and wind up living a second-rate version of someone's life rather than a world class version of your own.
Donald O. Clifton

When I dare to be powerful - to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Audre Lorde

Our strength grows out of our weaknesses.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
Christopher Reeve

Perhaps I am stronger than I think.
Thomas Merton

Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.
Unknown

In the darkest hour the soul is replenished and given strength to continue and endure.
Unknown

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Life is very interesting... in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths.
Drew Barrymore

He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.
Ben Jonson

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments...
Sandra Sturtz Hauss

True strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life, through devotion, to something beyond himself.
Henry Miller

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.
Maya Angelou

Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water!
Eleanor Roosevelt

I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our own power, it's an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I've learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them.
Sasha Azevedo

It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers,but for powers equal to our tasks,to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal.
Helen Keller

Strength is a matter of the made-up mind.
John Beecher

There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.
Booker T. Washington

Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.
Plato

Each of these strategies-get a little better at it, design a support system, use one of your strongest themes to overwhelm your weakness, find a partner, and just stop doing it-can help you as you strive to build your life around your strengths.
Donald O. Clifton

Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.
Helen Keller

What this power is, I cannot say.All I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want and are fully determined not to quit until you get it.
Alexander Graham Bell

We cannot learn real patience and tolerance from a guru or a friend. They can be practiced only when we come in contact with someone who creates unpleasant experiences. According to Shantideva, enemies are really good for us as we can learn a lot from them and build our inner strength.
Dalai Lama

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.
Norman Vincent Peale

The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.
Ayn Rand


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