You guys know Roz Purcell right?
She’s one of Ireland’s most successful models ever and so beautiful she will burn your eyes.
Yesterday, in honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, Roz posted two side by side pictures on Instagram sharing the challenges she has had with her own mental health, self-acceptance and body image.
It really highlights the difference between perceived perfection, and the real true beauty of confidence, which only comes with having a healthy mind.
On the left hand side, Roz looks very thin, in an image which many young women and girls would have seen as “aspirational”. However, it didn’t bring happiness or contentment. In the caption Roz says “For a lot of years I based my self worth on my weight and believed reaching certain numbers would bring happiness and success – it doesn’t work like that and I guess I had to live it to realise it.” On the right, Roz looks healthy and happy, with bright eyes and radiant skin.
The change didn’t happen overnight, and Roz had to do a lot of work:
“Firstly a realisation that I wasn’t ok and that I didn’t want to waste anymore time hating myself & feeling I didn’t deserve the things I wanted because of how I looked. I sought help through counselling (cbt) and going to a nutritionist ( even though my eating disorders never really had anything to do with food it was just something I could control) it was really helpful in helping me tackle my ”fear” of certain foods and food groups.
Talking to my friends and family, mostly my family at the time because I feel ashamed but more than anything It gave me a responsibility to see it through and learn to manage it because I had let someone else in.
In a world of beautiful strangers and comparison try remember what this place is the highlight reel, that split second you see of someones day, that good angle or edited photo. That’s all it is – nothing more.”
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Those with a platform have a responsibility to use it to help those who consider them to be role models.
What an amazing role model she is, Thanks Roz 💖💖💖💖
