EATING DISORDERS SUPPORT SERVICE SCOTLAND

To the part of you that quietly struggles with body image..... The part of you that flinches at your reflection. That compares, critiques, and sometimes feels like your worth is measured in inches, pounds, or likes. You’ve learned to smile through it, to joke about it, to pretend it doesn’t sting when clothes don’t fit or when someone else’s body seems to get all the praise. You’ve tried to silence that voice—the one that whispers “not enough.” But it’s persistent. It shows up in dressing rooms, in photos, in moments when you just want to feel free in your own skin. And we want you to know: that voice isn’t the truth. It’s a story you’ve been told, maybe for years. A story shaped by culture, media, maybe even people you trusted. But stories can be rewritten. That’s where therapy and counselling come in. Not to fix you—because you’re not broken. But to help you untangle the knots of shame and self-criticism. To give space to the pain, the pressure, the perfectionism. To help you reconne

AN INVITATION TO TAKE UP SPACE Many of our clients worry that they are a 'burden', 'too much' or 'take up too much space'. It's an experience we hear a lot and an experience we work through with many clients who encounter this. These feelings can take on many guises: social anxiety; body image; eating disorders and more. Imagine living life feeling you are 'too much', a 'burden' or that you 'take up too much space'? Imagine how difficult life must be; imagine the impact and consequences of feeling like that and seeing yourself in that way? The little poem below comes from someone who writes about 'taking up space' and being proud of doing so. The motivational and inspirational poem below is by Annabelle Blythe and is called 'An Invitation to Take Up Space'. We hope you like it as much as we do. ** AN INVITATION TO TAKE UP SPACE ** By Annabelle Blythe I take up space For all the children Who have been made to feel small Be it by peers or parents. I invite you To prove them wrong. I take

DID YOU KNOW?........................ Did you know that many different types of body image concerns and problems exists? The main types of body image concern include: * Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) * Muscle Dysmorphia * Skin Disorders/Disfigurement * Eating Disorder-Related (over-evaluation of shape and weight) * Amputee Identity Disorder (AID) * Trichotillomania * Body Modification and Self-Mutilation * Psychogenic Excoriation/CSP/Dermatillomania We often consider body image only in terms of weight, shape and apperance, however, body image is much more than that and it's not just about appearance. When considering body image, especially in psychotherapy and counselling, we must also consider how one experience's their body physically, appearance-wise, spatially, emotionally/psychologicially, socially, and existentially. Body image concerns are often also aligned with eating disorders. However, they are not eating disorders and are more akin to anxiety disorders. Some people experien