Almost a third of 2,000 UK teenagers, polled for a body confidence campaign by Be Real, avoid activities like PE because of fears about their looks and the campaign says schools have a key role in combating body anxiety.
According to the report, fears about they way they look are ‘having a profoundly negative effect on a significant number of young people in the UK’ and while some young people are able to reject the pressure to look perfect, ‘those who cannot often suffer in silence, too afraid to share their insecurities with others’.
It warns that a ‘a sense of hopelessness often dominates these individuals’ and research shows that more than half (52%) of 11 to 16-year-olds regularly worry about their looks – 60% of girls and 43% of boys, the BBC reported.
The stress and anxiety caused by bullying and lack of self-esteem is widespread and, in extreme cases, has even led to suicide. And bullying is no longer limited to face-to-face situations as cyber or online bullying has become more prevalent in recent times.
As recently as December last year an American teenager shot herself in front of her family after suffering relentless cyber bullying.
The Be Real research showed that 79% of teens said their looks were important to them while 63% said others’ opinions of their looks were important and 36% said they would do whatever it took to look good. A total of 57% would consider dieting to change their looks while 10% would consider plastic surgery.
While there are several organisations that deal with bullying issues, 11% of boys felt unable to discuss the issue with friends, compared with 5% of girls.
But talking about such issues is often the best from of treatment and clinical hypnotherapy has success in dealing with such issues and the National Council for Hypnotherapy has more than 1,800 qualified hypnotherapists across the UK who can help.
Talking to a hypnotherapist will help ease the burden and the therapist will discuss a plan of action that can be followed through a variety of techniques to achieve a goal the teenager hopes to meet for their life. Usually this is being free from anxiety and living a fulfilled and happy life, free to do things that they want.
Says the NCH: “More and more people are showing signs of over-anxiety, which leads to stress, which can make a significant impact on the quality of life and well-being.”
Hypnosis can be extremely effective, adds the NCH. “Your therapist, as a member of the NCH, is committed to helping you as swiftly and effectively as possible. They may well be able to give you a fair assessment of how much improvement you can expect and how many sessions may be needed by the end of the first session.”
Clinical hypnotherapy is effective in that it works with the sub conscious mind to change behaviours and can help build self-confidence and eliminate unnecessary anxiety and stress. Another plus is that it is non-invasive and does not entail taking any medication.
If you are having problems with bullying and low self-esteem, contact an NCH therapist near you (by clicking here). It will be worth the effort.
Photo by Ludovic Migneault on Unsplash