Question

Describe some of the earliest messages about yourself that you internalized from your significant others

Answer 1

I can recall my childhood experiences when my parents provided overprotective care to my elder sibling who was suffering from Tuberculosis at the time when she was around 10 years old. I myself was 5 years younger. However, my parents always gave me the feedback that I was physically healthier compared to my sibling who was declared as physically feeble. However other than the health reasons, their communication about my own supposed resilience to illnesses was attributed to my weight. I was heavier and bigger compared to other girls in my class, most of whom were dealing with childhood anemia or malnutrition. Somehow over the years, this ‘healthy’ overweight evaluation of my significant others got internalized by me to the extent that I could no longer see myself as physically fit and even underweight after I got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism which had led to excessive weight loss.