'It's not just you'
Insecurity & Self-Worth
Young people anonymously share their experiences with self-worth and feeling insecure. To anonymously share your own journey, send us an email with your testimony.
Trigger Warning: these testimonials discuss sensitive topics such as eating disorders, addiction, abuse, suicide and self-harm.
“My biggest insecurity used to be about how much I cared about what others thought of me. I was always so insecure about whether I was weird, geeky (just not cool). But I’ve been able to overcome that, and now I can say “this is me, and I’m happy with who that is”. I think that’s something that I am the most proud of.”
Anonymous
“When I look in the mirror I see all the old versions of myself. I feel like I have been with a lot of people, often fake people. I used to look in the mirror and see someone else, and now I can still see them, but the spotlight is really just on the real me.”
Anonymous
“Dr. Seus said “Today you are you. And that’s truer than true, because there’s no one else out there that’s you-er than you.” I adapted it for myself and use it as my mantra for when I forget where I come from and things are hard; “Today I am me, and that’s good as can be, because there’s no one else out there that’s me-er than me”.”
Anonymous
“I don’t think I’ve really overcome any insecurities, I have a long list of insecurities that I think will always be there. I guess its about learning how to deal with them and affirm myself”
Anonymous
“My biggest insecurity is body image which I think is such a standard one that so many people have. I find that the hardest one to talk about.”
Anonymous
“I always feel like I’m a burden when it comes to telling someone how I’m feeling. I’m always so stressed about the fact that they might think I’m such a burden, they must think I’m annoying and they are only helping me because they feel like they are obligated to and they don’t really care about me.”
Anonymous
“I cried yesterday because I was so tired and I was feeling so insecure. I was convinced that I was incapable of living up to all these expectations that only I seem to put on myself and I had a meltdown. Went to bed at 8pm, woke up and did yoga and today has actually not been bad.”
Anonymous
Anonymous
“I don’t know how I lived for almost seventeen years with literally zero self-respect. I just didn’t think that I was worth anything. I didn't know how to stand up for myself, and I didn’t feel like I had permission to tell someone if they made me feel a certain way or disrespected me. It took me so long to learn how to tell someone when I’m not okay with something. Honestly, I still really struggle with it.”
Anonymous
“I felt all these expectations growing up to do well in school. I’m dyslexic and I have ADHD and it was so hard for me. In my depression I just lost interest in everything and couldn’t focus.”
Anonymous
"I feel like my self-worth is entirely dependent on my own achievements. I don't know why, but a part of me just feels like I'm not okay just as myself"