I struggled with severe anxiety and depression for years. I couldn’t go a day without experiencing severe attacks and I ended up in the hospital several times because of them. It’s been over a year since my last anxiety attack. I just wanted to share that because I believe that no matter how deep your hole is there’s a way out.
Thank you for making this video! I've struggled with BDD ever since I can remember but I've only recently learned that it's an actual mental disorder and not just me being weird and privileged Btw, you have the most gorgeous hair!! And I love your smile and energy so much
You’re a very beautiful blue eyed red haired woman with a gorgeous personality , an amazing singing voice, you’re a bubbly lovely girl, be proud of yourself and love yourself. You deserve the world Janet. Keep up the great work and we’ll always be there for you
So grateful for your transparency, honesty and sense of humor around mental health. My issue is not body dysmorphia, but have close friends that do. For me it’s complex-PTSD partially from growing up in Belfast I the 60’s and 70’s as a kid without much in the way of parental support. So I do understand a lifetime of self-hatred, depression and dissociation. But finally got help in my fifties and life is possible again! Your voice really matters and I have a dream that one day I can come back to Northern Ireland to find reconciliation with myself.
Mental health has many faces, I have always struggled with it my self when I don't have anything to do or others to help. But after my sister suffered a brain damage I can see how many mental problems that follows, so hard to see how someone you love change in front of your eyes, they need so much help to manage not living in frustration. She knows her mental strength isn't there anymore, so it hit double, so I just try to bring so much happiness and support I can. Buts it's hard for every one
I really go from being quite happy with the way that I look, to absolutely hating it. It's like schizophrenic body disorder. Some days I'll take care of myself and be happy with how I am and other days I'm cutting myself. There's really no inbetween and I really need to fix it.
@@dannybuur6212 sometimes it gets to a point you can't take it anymore and result to self harm. It's best not to question their actions as its extremely difficult to deal with.
As someone who has struggled with body image for many years, in differents waves and bounds, it's always so good to know I'm not alone. Mental health issues do not wash away easily, but having the desire and motivation to want to be better is still a massive achievement to be proud of. I go through days where I love food, then others where I am physically scared of it! Getting therapy and support is difficult to get through, but I know that the goal is always worth it ❤
My goodness, it just shows you never know what people are dealing with and how they see themselves. I've always found you breathtakingly beautiful ever since I saw you on X Factor. On top of that you are such a wonderful person who is extremely talented. I can relate to your body issues so much, they are just horrible and so tough to live with at times. Keep being you, lovely. You are a shining star💖
I feel so grateful for you posting this. I resonate SO much with your teenage experience and I was bullied cause of my gangly weak-body (I was born 3 months premature and had always been very slim and assumed to be 'unhealthily' thin at school) PE was something that gave me lots of anxiety because of being unable to control people seeing my body. I felt so disgusted and unwanted because of my lack of "acceptable" female shape and was teased by other girls in my class for looking weird and had many names like ET, alien, the scream, Pinocchio, ugly, ghost, holocaust survivor. Had a lot of insecurity because of my face shape and just grew to believe I was hideous and not good enough. I developed severe anxiety and subsequently fought through 5 years of shit with anorexia. I still cannot believe people when they compliment me because of the hurtful and sarcastic mockery that I faced from peers at school. It feels truly isolating and so much self hatred grows from those experiences so I just want to give you hugs and let you know that talking about this is important and it's been a comfort knowing someone genuinely understands. It's been a long journey but we can do this
I’ve had body dysmorphia since I was 11 (I’m 17 now) and it’s literally the worst. When I was in middle school none of my friends knew what it was so when I would show signs at lunch like asking if I look fat in something they thought I was fishing for compliments and they just avoided me and moved to another table and wouldn’t let me sit with them🥺😭💔
The best thing to do is talk to them about it, I struggled with this exact same thing. I made sure the people who were in my friend circle were real friends, and once that was the case, they treated me well once I told them
I’m 11 and since kindergarten I’ve suffered from a social anxiety disorder and severe body dysmorphia and when I was in literally PRESCHOOL I didn’t know how to talk to other kids or adults and I refused to make friends and I hated my body. I still hate my body and have rlly bad anxiety I’ve started therapy and it’s kinda helping but I still am suffering. It honestly sucks but I have hope one day I will be treated 😔💜
Hannah...I will keep you in my prayers. Just remember it's ok to be you. I still struggle here in there but now that I'm older I realize how much time I wasted being unhappy with who I am. We get one life so be good to yourself. Much love. ❤ P.S. second guessing yourself can really steal your joy. Practicing possitive thoughts helped me. You are either your own best friend or worst enemy. Who cares what ppl say. We all have issues. Loving yourself is what's important.
Thank you for sharing this. I’m still struggling myself with accepting my autism and managing it and my anxiety. I’m not in a very good place self image wise and hearing someone I admire talking about how they’ve struggled and worked to overcome a lot of their pain is helping me realise that I can as well and that even though it’s difficult it’s worth it. ❤️
You have gone up in my estimation. Your honesty is so full of courage. I'm 61 and even your explanations explained some things to me I'd not realised so thank you, again thank you, anyone who aids my freedom is a friend or a good kind person to me. So I've decided to become a patreon and that will be my first and only one as I'm on benefits so I've to watch my enjoyable ability to shop or spend. You're very worth it. My dismorphia has been accaserbated by being older and feel almost as alienated from the world in general as I did in my puberty! NOT a fun time at all intact it was almost an ongoing almost never ending trauma. There is no money in the lottery that could compensate for my puberty it was awful. So my heart goes out to all the girls and boys having a tough time of their puberty and god bless you and give you the fortitude to get through it.
What I see when watching all of your videos is a person that people can look up to and learn from. You're very open and that's what people should realize is a way of dealing with many types of issues. You're what they call "an idol"
I'm sorry to hear how difficult things have been at times for you but you are a strong young woman. Regards my own experiences, I've had depression for the last 25yrs and also anxiety for the last 8-9yrs. The depression was difficult to deal with initially but it is now something that I am able to cope with, unfortunately the anxiety is a bit tougher to deal with. I've thing that had helped me at times had been your music, when I've had a prolonged period of increased anxiety your music helps me lower the level to something more manageable - Thank you for your music.
She cries, I cry, can't be helped. She learns, we learn, if you listen to the wisdom. The mind (brain) will follow the body. Treat the body right and the mind will be healthier. At the end, she smiles, I smile. I hope that Love finds Janet and in turn she may give Love to the people around her.
Took what you do, you exercise to help your mental health. So I started walking, because of your videos I stopped and realized the best way to feel better about myself is to get outside and enjoy nature! Thank you for being you!
Thank you Janet, I needed a good cry today. Your smiling and laughing through the discomfort got to me. We are all perfectly imperfect, loved by others despite our flaws.
Using food as a form of self harm. Eating to the point of being uncomfortably full. Can relate to that. Depending on if I'm anxious or feeling low, I can revert from binging to starving. Thank you for bringing a light to these important and serious topics!
MIND BLOWINGLY ,HONEST & SINCERE ,with morals to respect.Janet you are a breath of fresh air.Your parents must be brimming with pride,for you to realise your situation & come through the other side 💕 congratulations. Onwards and upwards ....😍
Rewind back to when I was a kid (1980's). I watched my dad restore a 56 T-bird, and paint my sister's Mustang and he even found time to fix up his old 68 Chevy truck. This got me into all things with wheels. By my early teens (1990's) I knew what I wanted to do. Buy old cars and truck and fix them up, make them new again and sell them (think Gas Monkey, Richard did EXACTLY what I wanted to do) So I spend every possible electoral class working on cars. My senior year I spend 4 of the 6 hours working on cars. I go to college for Auto Body/ Collision Repair. Doing the body work is the most time consuming and expensive part of the restoration or customization process. The mechanicals I had down pretty good at this point too. I graduate top of my class and a month out of college I am working as an apprentice at a local body shop. For the next 3 years I am a body man, I get pretty good at most of the work, but I always had my eyes on painting. I finally get an opportunity to move to the paint shop and I jumped on it. I was able to paint for 6 months. In that time I improved my painting skills to a journeyman level and found my place in the world. Now you would think all is going well with me, why am I saying all this. Well I started noticing some issues. Shaking hands, literally passing out once I got home, my temper flared for little or no reasons, and a few other issues. I went to my doc about this. He had no clue, off to another specialist... again no clue... finally an occupational health specialist figured out it was an issue with the paints I was spraying. Yes I wore all the respirators and paint suits and stuff but you cant get away from it, the paint smells and chemicals are everywhere. I quit that job and tried something else for a while... no dice. So I tried another body shop and after 3 days I started getting the same issues, only a bit worse. Ok fine I will move over to being a mechanic. I'm pretty good in that department, it should be an easy transition. I had no problem getting a job at a local dealership and a few weeks later we get gasoline spill. Whole shop stinks of gas and by lunch time I was so out of it I couldn't remember the name of the receptionist and her and I had been friends for over 10 years (I mean close friends not just "Hi" in the hallway friends) I was let go because I was a liability. Remember my dreams from the first paragraph?? at this point I had only flipped one car, and I didn't even get that much out of it after expenses. My childhood dreams were falling apart and I fell into a major depression. I fell pretty deep in too. It would eventually cost me my marriage. My breaking point came when I was baby sitting for my sister. I did odd jobs here and there but nothing important, and this was one of those jobs. I was reading a novel from a popular sci-fi TV show where the main characters were telling stories of their past. One of the characters left an organization, to pursue other adventures trying to make his life more meaningful and every time failing. This was what I was doing!! After reading this passage I came to the realization that I needed help. I had a nervous breakdown later that week that ended me up in the hospital, and by the end of it all I was able to seek counseling and get myself back on track. It took years to recover. I choose to not use medications, and that prolly didn't help the time frame, but I didn't want to feel fake good, I wanted to know when I felt better that I was truly better. In the end my depression didn't fully go away until December of 2001. Yes I have a date for it. I was better but not great. We all know what happened in September of that year and I enlisted in the US Navy. Boot camp came in December and I was finally back to making a difference. I served for 5 years active duty (5 of the best years of my life), and still serve today as a civilian working for the DOD. Mental health cannot always be cured, or helped in any one way, it takes time and effort. For any one still reading, I thank you. To Janet, you are beautiful not only in appearance but in personality as well.
Janet I am so glad you are free to tell others about How you feel and felt.No one knows how anyone else sees themselves,but them.God loves you the way you are.🙏🏻
Janet, this video has helped in so many ways. Obviously for yourself and others struggling like my self at the moment. You're an incredible person and I hope you have a happy life, don't let this destroy the happy ginger you are.
So amazing that you can talk about this, you have no idea how much you are helping others. Thank you for being so awesome, sending much love and kisses 😘😘😘♥♥♥
I know this an old video but I wanted to put a reminder that you're one of the most beautiful woman in the world sweetie Never forget that and thanks again for opening up.
Janet, I don't know if you will ever read this but I hope you do. It is true beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I wish you could see yourself through the eyes of many of us here. Personally, I think you are one of the most stunningly beautify young woman I have ever seen. When you add your wit, your charm, your humor, and all the other things that I know from watching you broadcast, I don't think I know another woman your equal in beauty other than my wife.
When I was a young man I fed on stress , I loved pushing myself beyond. I could not understand anyone that needed professional therapy. This was ironic because all through my teenage years I had a huge group of friends and we looked out for each other. I was ONE of the big brother guys everyone wanted to pour out there troubles on. Not as it turned out a truly great thing as it led to me being friend zoned by a lot of the girls I really fancied , but hey, I eventually found my wife, my soul mate , so everything turned out fine. Imagine my sense of fear and loathing when, in later life I was unable to cope with the combined stress of illness and death in my home life and more and more pressure in my work life. I spent at least 10 years putting on a brave face, trying to overcome my many (self perceived ) faults. I became obsessively analytical. I would analyse and rationalise everything, which was fine at work (at first) , not so good in my home life. OK cutting a very long story mercifully short, I had a breakdown. Well actually a series of breakdowns. It came to the point that I began seriously considering self harm including suicide. If I had not had such a loving wife and family then I probably would not still be around today. What is point of me revealing all this? I'm getting there I promise. OK, after many therapists, who listened carefully and complemented me on how well I manged to rationalise myself back to health, I was finally referred to one therapist that finally got me to admit how insecure I really was and how little I thought of myself. I don't know why, but I feel this one thing is REALLY important enough to share in case anyone out there feels the same way: I remember one session very clearly, I had gone very silent and thoughtful and my therapist said (something like): "Stop trying to analyse why you feel the way you do, stop trying to make sense of it all. Mental illness does NOT make sense. It is the opposite of rational thinking and that is why it is so destructive. It is the exactly the reason you cannot just 'put on a brave face', 'pull yourself together' and 'get over it'. Recovery is series of small steps , taking control of one thing, feeling good when you achieve something and not beating yourself up if you are struggling. Janet, Thank you for your honesty in all your videos, particularly this one. I believe that you are an inspiration to anyone recovering from any kind of mental illness. You are a performer, a singer, an entertainer and to some extent an actress. Some of your videos do show you putting on a brave face when perhaps your heart is breaking, that is part of your charm. You have the courage to say, I am not going to let this beat me and you have the heart to say, I am not going to let this bring anybody down. You ARE a beacon of hope and you ARE beautiful inside and out (Even early in the morning, without your face on :)
Thank you for this video. We have a foreign exchange student that’s going through this right now. Hearing your perspective helps a lot. We’ve tried so many things to help her, but I didn’t realize that it could actually be pushing her further into it.
That’s the best description of the feeling of ‘being comfortable’ in your own pain. I would suffer from various mental health problems and I wouldn’t want to get better because I would have to face it. I was ‘comfortable’, but in pain, and that lead to self hatred and guilt for not wanting to get better. That would lead to more spiraling and it was just such a horrid cycle. Now I face it head on and while I still have the moments of wanting to just slip back to comfort when the going gets tough, I can now understand that it’s so much better when I’m not ill
Omg, my sister called me string bean! I’d never heard of anyone even calling a skinny person string bean! I was the most self conscious person that I know of. I was abnormally skinny, and I ate all the time but never gained weight. I was so embarrassed to be that thin. I was an athlete as well, and didn’t start “my cycle” until I was 17! And then, it wasn’t regular at all. I relate to so much you spoke of in this video! I’m 42 now (or I will be in three days), and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for myself. I think I was about your age when my life and my confidence became better. I started to realize that who I was, was a good hearted person that would do anything for anyone. And that person deserves to be loved. So I learned to accept myself. And from that point, it wasn’t all about how I looked. It was about who I was. I could go on and on about my issues growing up, but ain’t nobody got time for that!
😥 can't handle seeing the crying.... So happy you're in a better place ❤ This is why I like the song "True Colours" so much, even thinking about the lyrics now and how it's still relevant 33 years after it's release it saddens me, that body shaming and bullying is still a thing.
Idk how to comment lmao but seriously listening to you talk describes my whole life/childhood The whole being uncomfortable with your body at such an impossibly young age and being so aware of yourself I really didn’t think anyone could rly understand tbh.. you’re a huge inspiration though like life is weird but you’re slaying it🙏🏻 Stay strong girl~
It's awe inspiring how you put your story into words so eloquently. Thank you for sharing, that takes guts and speaks volumes about your strength and your progress on this topic.
The definition of beauty has changed throught history, and culture. There are personal trainers, nutritionists, dermatologist, diets, vitamins, etc. All to help you be the best you. You can be. Own it, eventually you will find someone to love you for who you are 😍😍😍😍
Thank you for being such an awesome role model and tackling uncomfortable topics for the sake of helping people out. The world needs more people like you Janet.
@@janetdevlin I appreciate what you do. That's why I did that reaction video, is in the hope if someone hadn't heard of you they would. You're a role model to a lot of people and you deserve every bit of success you get.
Seeing your videos I'm realising that x factor was the worse thing for you having people judge and make you into their idea probably caused your anxiety about who you are. Youre so unique, your voice was and is mesmerising. In 2011 I got divorced and so never saw your x factor rise. I only saw your audition on top 10 audition videos, but your voice is what speaks loudest. Don't let anyone ever silence you or make you feel bad about yourself.
Very heartfelt and emotional video Janet! But i think lots of people can learn a lot from watching this! Suffering with certain mental health issues is not to be laughed at, and people should be more understanding of what that person is going through! Must have been very hard to talk about your issues, and try to explain to people how it affects you. But i think you put your message over very clear and precise! Stay strong Janet! 💖💖
I can sooo empathise with you on many levels. I am working through therapy and dedicated to healing my past . I've struggled with eating disorders my whole life. I am an intersexed ( hermaphrodite) female and experienced way too much abuse including being a victim of human trafficking at age 17 . I have complex ptsd , dissociative disorder , gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia. I went from being anorexic to morbidly obese back to anorexic but now I'm balancing myself. Food preparation of healthy meals and eating them is part of my healthy daily routine now . No matter the reasons , we can heal from our past . Thank you for sharing your time and energy with us all Angel hugs n Blessings to you and yours ~ 💜💜💜 ~
I think as humans we need to accept that our bodies change over life!! 5-10-15-20-25-30-40-50-60-death, we keep changing. I wish you great health, you are a wonderful, beautiful woman.
I think it's amazing how open and honest you are. Such important topics that most women would never talk about let alone telling their own personal stories. You are an amazing person and relate to so many people. Thank you for everything you do. I've loved your music for some time now but seeing videos like this really shows how beautiful you really are inside and out and how much you truly care. Never stop being you. 💛
How "very dare you" anyone who does not absolutely ADORE YOU! ❤ you are making a huge difference in aiding those who don't understand what might be going on inside and that there can be a huge light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you sweetheart
I applaud on the courage it takes to open up the way you have. Faith is not the answer for everyone, but it does give you a foundation to stand on when facing such tribulations. The biggest secret is realizing that you deserve love, and you have to start by loving yourself. You can be surrounded by admirers, swaddled in affection, but if you are not open to receiving the love, it leaves you empty and self loathing. I am so glad that you realized that your body image was affecting your younger fans and could be a huge impact. Our society lends way too much weight on celebrity appearances and opinions. Keep a good open dialogue with yourself. I know that sounds strange, but if you talk to yourself, you can work out your issues with yourself. Talking to oneself is not a sign of insanity, it has actually been proven to be a sign of extreme intelligence. You are your best friend when it comes to these issues. Keep up the good fight, and God bless.
I am 14 and I struggle with body dysmorphia. I workout 2-3 days for 2-3 hrs and I hate my body so much. Ty so much for opening up and I think ur a beautiful woman!
My daughter went through anorexia in her early teens, she went down to 87lbs was 5’-2” at 15 years old. We had to put her in the hospital to basically save her life. It’s a scary thing for a parent, the good news She is 36 now with 3 beautiful kids. She will always have to watch her mental condition it’s a horrible disease. I’m glad your doing better your such a beautiful person with a golden heart and voice. Please keep up your singing and Vlogs.
I struggled with anxiety, depression and BDD it all started when I was overweight I was generally disgusted. When I looked in the mirror, I started avoiding people, and I even thought of doing something to myself. Then I started going the gym. And talking to the right people who will listen to my problems. the whole time, when I was struggling at this. every one told me to be a man. I take comfort seeing that there people have gone through what I have gone through and knowing that am not along
Thank you for sharing this story. Especially for all the girls who are in the same situation as you were, where everybody tells them how pretty they are and they dont' believe them. I hope that this story can make them say: if she's so pretty and she couldnt believe, than maybe I have same situation.
It's really hard to believe that someone so young could be so brutally honest about their own journey, because let's face it, people your age are still in denial about being an alcoholic, and body dysmorphia. I'm really glad to see that you have overcome so much at such a young age. I hope that you continue on your present course( I'm 58 years old), and I am glad to see people, such as yourself, who think beyond themselves. Just continue to be the best version of you.
My Son is 14 and suffers from Body Dysmorphia/Dysphasia. Thank you for your honesty and frankness. It is difficult to understand as a parent as I feel he is perfect in every way. That is also a personal barrier to my own understanding as I am totally blinkered, and my eyes see the opposite to his eyes when he looks at himself! I know this video is 3 years old, but I do hope you get to read this. You are really helping other people with your fearless honesty about your own mental struggles. Thank you, Janet. PS I do love your music and I did vote for you back in the day on that show🙂
When I look in the mirror I always see a small guy looking back at me so I am always trying to get bigger, even though I’m 6’8”, 260lbs no fat. I hate it so much. Even went to the total opposite and felt I didn’t deserve to eat. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. You are absolutely perfect, mind, body and soul. Don’t change.
Thank you for your honesty and for your courage in sharing your story. I hope you continue to love yourself and to actively support your mental and physical well-being. Even as a man, I face images (on advertisements, commercials, television programs, etc.) of men with perfect bodies, and it's sometimes hard to feel OK about my normal, far-from-perfect body. It helps me understand how young women in particular must feel, when our culture presents them with unrealistic, unhealthy, often Photoshopped images of "perfect" female bodies. I am so grateful to you for addressing this issue in a public way and for encouraging young women (and a not-so-young man like me) to love themselves and to strive to be healthy and happy with how (and who) they are.
When checking how to spell Dysmorphia this video appeared and I watched it. Thank you that you speak so openly and honest about it. More people should be brave and open up.
I think I have body dysmorphia, people tell me I'm skinny but all I can see is how fat I am, I'm learning to trust people and trying to keep going. Maybe one day I'll be able to look at a photo of myself and not just critisise my weight but for now I'm just learning to eat. I also am vegan, it's kinda helpful to know exactly what's in what I'm eating, I'm getting there
Mental health is difficult. And for those of us with brains that tell us lies we are screwed! It takes a lot to get to the point where you are now and that is amazing dear! Keep fighting against your brains lies!
What a rollercoaster of emotions this video is “Who let the goblin out of the cellar” I nearly choked on my crisps the next minute I’m crying 🙃 *Gives all the hugs*💙
I suffer from body dysmorphia too, when I was a teen ,my breast grew so large, it made me feel like a freak, I was embarrased, i hated them. Ive struggled for many years feeling like I was not normal, I felt like everyone was looking at my chest, thinking i was a clown, or a weirdo. Im 41 now, and I'm finally getting a breast reduction in August. I really hope you, your mental and physical health get better and better!! You are special, you are worthy, you are important! And you are beautiful!!!!!
First of all, a big thumbs up for you because you’re telling your story. Being a role model in the best sence you can imagine. I’ve just seen this video of you and was almost looking into a mirror. Not that I’m like you at all since I’m an old man but for the experience of having a partner with body dismorphia, I can relate 100%. After a struggle of more than 15 years with anorexia and almost dying several times she had her wake up call. She fought her way back from moving in a wheel chair to riding a bicycle again and working 5 days/week. Having a lowest body weight of about 31 kg to a rather steady weight of 51-52 kg today. And please note it all started at an older age while having multiple children. Then the unprocessed feelings from her youth kicked in and made her feel bad which led to neglecting her nutricion and body. And she didn’t believe anyone telling her that her body wasn’t what she believed it looked like. So going to professionals for help is very important. And yes, we’re still married though there are some dents in our relationship which seems obvious. Once again, thank you for being the role model girls should have. A honest person telling her story with the same shyness as your audition. But pure and honest. As a father I can say platonically of course “I love you Janet”. Your father will be proud on his daughter for sure! I sure hope life treats you well because thats what you deserve.
Oh-my, Ms Janet. God bless you for your openness on such a heartwrenching topic. I think there is only a small minority who aren't freaking out daily about something related to their body. They may be fooling themselves as well. Rest sured that your visible emotions will continue to tug on many heartstrings and heal some too.
I struggle badly with self-image, depression, and anxiety. I have my entire life, but I didn't take notice till 2011 when I was moments away from actually trying to end it. To this day I still suffer badly from it.
I love you! Your energy and vulnerability is something I admire so much! I want to thank you for talking about such serious and overlooked topics. Watching your videos gives me this sense of strength and I want to thank you, again, for that.
Just wanna say Thank you for sharing - made me feel like I wasn't alone and that things can change.. I know for myself something like this doesn't ever go away but it CAN get better :)
I started cutting at around 5-6 years old. I hated myself and my life. Now in my 40's and I've gone 8 years without cutting. Sometimes it's baby steps to get through a bad day. If I slip I don't feel guilty or shame anymore. I just own it and keep going. Accepting the good and bad allowed me to make it to 8 years. I'm so glad that some of the stigma around mental illness is being confronted and accepted so those suffering don't have to suffer in silence afraid to get help. This is coming from an EMT of 17 years who dealt with everyone else's pain but my own. #loveyourself #imworthit #youreworthit
I know my words are not very helpful or something, much less what it is to have such a disorder, but if I know what it is and to your story today I could not help but feel a great need to embrace you and tell you that you are beautiful as you are, that there can not be someone else with such beauty, like yours. I have few days to know your channel and your videos, but without a doubt you have earned my respect and admiration, you will have a community that will be there to support you.
I've struggled ALOT with body image and I'm only 12 but when I had my first gf I didn't stop working out, doing tons of exercise, and I would never look at myself in the mirror until I thought I was good enough looking, and then when I did I still thought I looked overweight. It didn't help wheny brother and sister would tease me and gang up on me... But she's broken up with me like a month ago and it hurt, alot, seen as I had done so much and I used to body shame myself for her. But ever since I remembered you and your amazing singing it helped me get over it, and this really touched me Thanks for the openness of all your stressful times and stuff, Lol love your singing, ITS AMAZING!!!! 😍😍😍😍 keep up the good work 😍☺️😂
Oh Janet i can really feel you from the bottom of my heart. Growing up with acne in puberty made me feel very uncomfortable with myself for many many years... now im 21 and i recovered from those wounds made in earlier years just to become finally proud of myself. A very hurtful heartache brought me back to my lovely guitar and i am playing it since for over 5 years now every day. Things get better and Even if you hear this all the time i wanna Point out that you are beatiful by the very meaning of this word not only from the Outside but from the inside too. You can sing like an Angel you really made me Cry on your „hold the line“ Cover you have the ability to make people cry with your Voice and you are soooooo f****** brave to Talk about what you‘ve been Through. Please Stay just as beatiful as you are and dont let anybody ever Tell you the oposite. Stay tuned greetings from Germany
I worked as a Behavioral Health Technician in an acute care eating disorder clinic. It was a very difficult job emotionally but rewarding to make a difference in people's lives when they were at the lowest point of misery and despair. Viewing the comments here drives home the point that little has changed over the years. Some people are oblivious to the problem and have no clue how their words can hurt, seriously hurt the vulnerable. Also, how prevalent eating disorders and body image issues are in our society to this day. A little known fact is that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, even higher than depression. Many sufferers achieve recovery from their eating disorder only to die from physical complications caused by it. I receive notifications of the passing of past patients every year and it breaks my heart every time. It is difficult when you have held someone in your arms, caught their tears on your chest and had a personal connection, to hear they lost the battle. On a positive note, I know many that are in recovery and are some of my closest friends. We shared their near death experience and that creates a bond that lasts. Thank you for sharing this part of your life story. You have made a difference even if only one person is motivated to seek treatment. If you are reading this comment and are struggling, please reach out to someone and seek treatment. You cannot do this on your own. Janet, I wish you a lifetime of continued recovery. It's worth it!
I can relate to a lot of what you said. I believe that going to therapy is a good choice. As someone who also struggles with a lot of issues, I have found that having someone to help with talking through it can work wonders. Life is a lot of things, challenging, painful, and at times cruel to an unnatural degree. But it can also be quite wondrous. I hope that you are still doing well. And please do keep singing for us. I believe everyone here can agree that yours is a unique and very wonderful talent.
Thank you, we need honesty. Have you ever read James Dobson? (Focus on the Family) He writes that possibly the only prevention for Dysmorphia. Which is the father telling the daughter that she is pretty during the years that she thinks her mom is a beauty queen. We all go through a phase were we think that no one is prettier than our Mom. When Dad tells the daughter that she is pretty she has a reference to use. She knows that her mother is beautiful and dad chose her so he is an expert on beauty, thus she trusts his opinion on her own beauty.
I'm 19 since last year I've been suffering from strong depression and anxiety mostly it's because of myself alone .. I've always wanted to be something that I'm not and that is taking a toll on my social life basically staying at home every day just wondering what my life would be like if I get my way but the real issue Is that all of this is taking me to an early grave and I absolutely have to flip things around you just cannot afford yourself to waste your life and not trying live it to the fullest because some people can't ... Thank you Janet for sharing your story it's deeply inspiring you're an incredibly strong and resilient woman wish you the best ! ..... Sorry for being a little late :(
I am so happy to see that you are doing better and have a handle on the issue. Now hopefully you can take our comments for what they are, and that we would never lie to you. You are a beautiful young woman, with a wonderful Irish wit and a wonderful big heart. Just enjoy your gorgeous self and pursue your God given talent, because I'm sure He has a place for you in the choir (many years from now).
Thank you for being so openly with this. I have my own mental disorder with depression and good potion of selfhatred and I think it is rare to finde someone that open like you. But, to say it with Guns N Roses... "I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain"
Absolutely captivating. You tell your story in such a simple and genuine way that we can all FEEL parts of you in our own lives. Thanks for making mental health struggles feel human.
Your happiness is the most beautiful thing about you. To see that you have been such a painful place, and to see you smile now as a wiser and gentler woman is amazing. I had a terrible childhood. I did not look asian in a half asian family and was this white boy with an asian last name in school so no one knew what to make of me. Was picked on and made fun of outside of home then isolated and singled at home, it was tough. If any one gave me a compliment I felt a level of anger and contempt that they should not be complementing the freak. Now add a head injury due to bullying that damaged the part of the brain that deciphers facial cues, I now couldnt tell if they were serious or joking, angry or laughing. Though it did spark creativity, all the isolation led me to drawing and reading and study. It tought me that people are beautiful inside that their looks do not make who they are. My best relationships were oddly shaped women with incredible talents on an array of media, I loved them so much. The perfect women with no talents that did not inspire creativity were always one sided.. we both had to love how beatiful they were.. its so exhausting. You are such a treasure in this world, with a big heart. I am glad to see you smile, I cry when you cry.. you are so lovable. Worth supporting, worth loving, and even more.❤❤❤❤
Thanks you so much for sharing your real life. So many people think they are the only one's feeling and thinking this way. But life can be very challenging and the truth is we all have many ghost running around inside of us. We feel that no one else is feeling the way we are feeling. So good for you to allow others to hear your stories.
Noticed a trend of seeming surprised that people could get through the journey you're sharing. I could hardly imagine leaving part way through the honesty you offer is not something that many share, so than you for that, it really stacks with "You are not alone" to hear things, with the story to them. Otherwise (for me at least) it so easy to dismiss people who say things like that. Hope you are having a happy day yourself, and the world is able to keep up with you so it can treat you right!
Thank you for your honesty! ❤ I was bullied when I was in secondary school and used to struggle with an ED. It was incredibly hard. I still suffer from depression, anxiety and BDD but I'm better than I used to be. Sending you love! Your strength and resilience inspire me to keep trying everyday. You shine from the inside out! ❤
i did have a bit struggle with self image once, when i am getting older and older , going through many things in life, people around me especially the elder passing away one by one , one day in the future i will be the same; i realize nothing is for ever; self image is even nothing now, as long as i am still alive i want to make this life(my life) meaningful that is what i am thinking now ,because i only have one life and i do not want to waste it, i love animals esply dogs and cats, i do rescue a number of stray puppies and kittens and rehome them, the fulfillments and the happiness to help the helpless is making my world wonderful and i make a number of true friends who love animals too ; you see, you give love to the right way that will make you happy,
You are a wonderful role model for so many reasons. Most importantly you have shown there is life after bad decisions, mistakes, and/or mental health issues. I know you hear how uniquely beautiful you are often but your beauty seems to be far more than skin deep! I knew there was something special about you when I seen your audition the very first tim.
You are perfect as you are. I wouldn't change a single thing as far as physical appearance. So many people just do not like your body type on YOU but would probably be very happy to have it themselves if they were truly honest about it.
It is so interesting to hear about your insecurities as a late bloomer. I was early, and had all of the same body image issues! I hated it so much. I'm 32, have a 6 month old, and all of those insecurities are back because BOY OH BOY did my body ever change again! Thanks for sharing your story, it helps to be aware that these aren't bizarre or unique experiences!
Thanks Janet. hearing you talk about your problems has helped me understand some of the struggles I have always had with accepting compliments and feeling confident. Love and hugs.
Jeez did enyone else just wanted to give Janet a hug when her eyes got all watered up? Love the sincerity on you. I wish you good luck further on in both your career and your personal life!
Just wanted to say that I've been a fan for a while, but I only came across this video today. Its beautiful how honest you are about the good, and the bad, and tbh, whilst you make amazing music, if I'm ever lucky enough to have kids this will be one of the first things of your I show them. Thank you for being so open and brave, and please don't change. ❤️
I’m an alcoholic and you know the most important part of the program is honesty. I'm presuming you know WHO group eating disorders, alcoholism and compulsive gambling together. Auburn hair is the most beautiful in my mind, my sister was auburn until her hair regrew brownish after chemotherapy. More important than her though, and she is very important to me, is a little six year old granddaughter. I’ve seen two videos of yours and besides the fact you are a stunning lady you are an incredibly beautiful human being. I’ve watched your alcoholism video and this one about mental health. Gosh you are strong, I too live my life as an open book it isn’t in front of your half a million subscribers.
This is thought provoking and should be a real eye opener for some people - you never know what someone is carrying, how they're made to feel by a seemingly innocent comment. You're a brave girl Janet and I love you ❤️
Have loads of respect for you and your open spirit to confront mental illness. The pain of self hatred seems unimaginable to me. It is interesting in how you once felt about yourself and yet show so much compassion and kindness to others. The most important judgement one makes in life is how we judge ourselves. Have had times of depression in which i lost my appetite and would not eat much for months at a time, however it was not intentional. I'm better now.
I struggled with severe anxiety and depression for years. I couldn’t go a day without experiencing severe attacks and I ended up in the hospital several times because of them. It’s been over a year since my last anxiety attack. I just wanted to share that because I believe that no matter how deep your hole is there’s a way out.
I love your openness. What you are talking about is so important.
Thanks lovely! xxx
@Janet Devlin I don’t know what to do as I feel fat ( I hate it ) and I’m struggling with being more healthy
I’m a 73 year old man and I love your singing and you as a person. I learned a lot about you watching this. You have my total respect. Good job.
I struggle with PTSD and my own self image. Thank you for speaking out and helping me and others know we are not alone! 💜
im 60 suffered for years with mental health issues-each day fighting suicidal thoughts-i love your songs and an inspiration to all
Stay strong! ❤️🙏🏻
Janet you are an incredibly talented artist, as well as a breathtakingly beautiful woman. Don’t let anyone, including yourself, tell you differently.
Thank you for making this video! I've struggled with BDD ever since I can remember but I've only recently learned that it's an actual mental disorder and not just me being weird and privileged
Btw, you have the most gorgeous hair!! And I love your smile and energy so much
You’re a very beautiful blue eyed red haired woman with a gorgeous personality
, an amazing singing voice, you’re a bubbly lovely girl, be proud of yourself and love yourself. You deserve the world Janet. Keep up the great work and we’ll always be there for you
So grateful for your transparency, honesty and sense of humor around mental health. My issue is not body dysmorphia, but have close friends that do. For me it’s complex-PTSD partially from growing up in Belfast I the 60’s and 70’s as a kid without much in the way of parental support. So I do understand a lifetime of self-hatred, depression and dissociation. But finally got help in my fifties and life is possible again! Your voice really matters and I have a dream that one day I
can come back to Northern Ireland to find reconciliation with myself.
Mental health has many faces, I have always struggled with it my self when I don't have anything to do or others to help.
But after my sister suffered a brain damage I can see how many mental problems that follows, so hard to see how someone you love change in front of your eyes, they need so much help to manage not living in frustration.
She knows her mental strength isn't there anymore, so it hit double, so I just try to bring so much happiness and support I can. Buts it's hard for every one
I really go from being quite happy with the way that I look, to absolutely hating it. It's like schizophrenic body disorder. Some days I'll take care of myself and be happy with how I am and other days I'm cutting myself. There's really no inbetween and I really need to fix it.
Oof same
Why would cutting help you
I have the same problem ...
@@dannybuur6212 sometimes it gets to a point you can't take it anymore and result to self harm. It's best not to question their actions as its extremely difficult to deal with.
As someone who has struggled with body image for many years, in differents waves and bounds, it's always so good to know I'm not alone. Mental health issues do not wash away easily, but having the desire and motivation to want to be better is still a massive achievement to be proud of. I go through days where I love food, then others where I am physically scared of it! Getting therapy and support is difficult to get through, but I know that the goal is always worth it ❤
My goodness, it just shows you never know what people are dealing with and how they see themselves. I've always found you breathtakingly beautiful ever since I saw you on X Factor. On top of that you are such a wonderful person who is extremely talented. I can relate to your body issues so much, they are just horrible and so tough to live with at times. Keep being you, lovely. You are a shining star💖
You're looking very Janet today, good Janeting, carry on 😎
Beware what you think, light or dark, because what you think, of you have created it...Janet, you are...you are the best.
I feel so grateful for you posting this. I resonate SO much with your teenage experience and I was bullied cause of my gangly weak-body (I was born 3 months premature and had always been very slim and assumed to be 'unhealthily' thin at school) PE was something that gave me lots of anxiety because of being unable to control people seeing my body. I
felt so disgusted and unwanted because of my lack of "acceptable" female shape and was teased by other girls in my class for looking weird and had many names like ET, alien, the scream, Pinocchio, ugly, ghost, holocaust survivor. Had a lot of insecurity because of my face shape and just grew to believe I was hideous and not good enough. I developed severe anxiety and subsequently fought through 5 years of shit with anorexia. I still cannot believe people when they compliment me because of the hurtful and sarcastic mockery that I faced from peers at school. It feels truly isolating and so much self hatred grows from those experiences so I just want to give you hugs and let you know that talking about this is important and it's been a comfort knowing someone genuinely understands. It's been a long journey but we can do this
I’ve had body dysmorphia since I was 11 (I’m 17 now) and it’s literally the worst. When I was in middle school none of my friends knew what it was so when I would show signs at lunch like asking if I look fat in something they thought I was fishing for compliments and they just avoided me and moved to another table and wouldn’t let me sit with them🥺😭💔
The best thing to do is talk to them about it, I struggled with this exact same thing. I made sure the people who were in my friend circle were real friends, and once that was the case, they treated me well once I told them
I’m 11 and since kindergarten I’ve suffered from a social anxiety disorder and severe body dysmorphia and when I was in literally PRESCHOOL I didn’t know how to talk to other kids or adults and I refused to make friends and I hated my body. I still hate my body and have rlly bad anxiety I’ve started therapy and it’s kinda helping but I still am suffering. It honestly sucks but I have hope one day I will be treated 😔💜
Hannah...I will keep you in my prayers. Just remember it's ok to be you. I still struggle here in there but now that I'm older I realize how much time I wasted being unhappy with who I am. We get one life so be good to yourself. Much love. ❤ P.S. second guessing yourself can really steal your joy. Practicing possitive thoughts helped me. You are either your own best friend or worst enemy. Who cares what ppl say. We all have issues. Loving yourself is what's important.
you are so brave and so loved angel, please remember that
Thank you for sharing this. I’m still struggling myself with accepting my autism and managing it and my anxiety. I’m not in a very good place self image wise and hearing someone I admire talking about how they’ve struggled and worked to overcome a lot of their pain is helping me realise that I can as well and that even though it’s difficult it’s worth it. ❤️
You have gone up in my estimation. Your honesty is so full of courage. I'm 61 and even your explanations explained some things to me I'd not realised so thank you, again thank you, anyone who aids my freedom is a friend or a good kind person to me. So I've decided to become a patreon and that will be my first and only one as I'm on benefits so I've to watch my enjoyable ability to shop or spend. You're very worth it. My dismorphia has been accaserbated by being older and feel almost as alienated from the world in general as I did in my puberty! NOT a fun time at all intact it was almost an ongoing almost never ending trauma. There is no money in the lottery that could compensate for my puberty it was awful. So my heart goes out to all the girls and boys having a tough time of their puberty and god bless you and give you the fortitude to get through it.
What I see when watching all of your videos is a person that people can look up to and learn from. You're very open and that's what people should realize is a way of dealing with many types of issues. You're what they call "an idol"
I'm sorry to hear how difficult things have been at times for you but you are a strong young woman.
Regards my own experiences, I've had depression for the last 25yrs and also anxiety for the last 8-9yrs. The depression was difficult to deal with initially but it is now something that I am able to cope with, unfortunately the anxiety is a bit tougher to deal with. I've thing that had helped me at times had been your music, when I've had a prolonged period of increased anxiety your music helps me lower the level to something more manageable - Thank you for your music.
She cries, I cry, can't be helped. She learns, we learn, if you listen to the wisdom. The mind (brain) will follow the body. Treat the body right and the mind will be healthier.
At the end, she smiles, I smile. I hope that Love finds Janet and in turn she may give Love to the people around her.
Took what you do, you exercise to help your mental health. So I started walking, because of your videos I stopped and realized the best way to feel better about myself is to get outside and enjoy nature! Thank you for being you!
Thank you Janet, I needed a good cry today. Your smiling and laughing through the discomfort got to me. We are all perfectly imperfect, loved by others despite our flaws.
"Life will keep on Life-ing" is right. Wishing you well in all you do, Janet! xo
Would you consider doing some kind of hair tutorial, just about what you use/do to your hair to make it look as awesome as it does?
I think Janet has a more important story to tell than her hair.
@@erik5374 I know she does it was just a question because I admire her style as well as her story
Using food as a form of self harm. Eating to the point of being uncomfortably full. Can relate to that. Depending on if I'm anxious or feeling low, I can revert from binging to starving. Thank you for bringing a light to these important and serious topics!
I'm sorry to hear lovely! :( X
MIND BLOWINGLY ,HONEST & SINCERE ,with morals to respect.Janet you are a breath of fresh air.Your parents must be brimming with pride,for you to realise your situation & come through the other side 💕 congratulations.
Onwards and upwards ....😍
Rewind back to when I was a kid (1980's). I watched my dad restore a 56 T-bird, and paint my sister's Mustang and he even found time to fix up his old 68 Chevy truck. This got me into all things with wheels. By my early teens (1990's) I knew what I wanted to do. Buy old cars and truck and fix them up, make them new again and sell them (think Gas Monkey, Richard did EXACTLY what I wanted to do) So I spend every possible electoral class working on cars. My senior year I spend 4 of the 6 hours working on cars. I go to college for Auto Body/ Collision Repair. Doing the body work is the most time consuming and expensive part of the restoration or customization process. The mechanicals I had down pretty good at this point too. I graduate top of my class and a month out of college I am working as an apprentice at a local body shop. For the next 3 years I am a body man, I get pretty good at most of the work, but I always had my eyes on painting. I finally get an opportunity to move to the paint shop and I jumped on it. I was able to paint for 6 months. In that time I improved my painting skills to a journeyman level and found my place in the world.
Now you would think all is going well with me, why am I saying all this. Well I started noticing some issues. Shaking hands, literally passing out once I got home, my temper flared for little or no reasons, and a few other issues. I went to my doc about this. He had no clue, off to another specialist... again no clue... finally an occupational health specialist figured out it was an issue with the paints I was spraying. Yes I wore all the respirators and paint suits and stuff but you cant get away from it, the paint smells and chemicals are everywhere. I quit that job and tried something else for a while... no dice. So I tried another body shop and after 3 days I started getting the same issues, only a bit worse. Ok fine I will move over to being a mechanic. I'm pretty good in that department, it should be an easy transition. I had no problem getting a job at a local dealership and a few weeks later we get gasoline spill. Whole shop stinks of gas and by lunch time I was so out of it I couldn't remember the name of the receptionist and her and I had been friends for over 10 years (I mean close friends not just "Hi" in the hallway friends)
I was let go because I was a liability. Remember my dreams from the first paragraph?? at this point I had only flipped one car, and I didn't even get that much out of it after expenses. My childhood dreams were falling apart and I fell into a major depression. I fell pretty deep in too. It would eventually cost me my marriage. My breaking point came when I was baby sitting for my sister. I did odd jobs here and there but nothing important, and this was one of those jobs. I was reading a novel from a popular sci-fi TV show where the main characters were telling stories of their past. One of the characters left an organization, to pursue other adventures trying to make his life more meaningful and every time failing. This was what I was doing!! After reading this passage I came to the realization that I needed help. I had a nervous breakdown later that week that ended me up in the hospital, and by the end of it all I was able to seek counseling and get myself back on track. It took years to recover. I choose to not use medications, and that prolly didn't help the time frame, but I didn't want to feel fake good, I wanted to know when I felt better that I was truly better.
In the end my depression didn't fully go away until December of 2001. Yes I have a date for it. I was better but not great. We all know what happened in September of that year and I enlisted in the US Navy. Boot camp came in December and I was finally back to making a difference. I served for 5 years active duty (5 of the best years of my life), and still serve today as a civilian working for the DOD. Mental health cannot always be cured, or helped in any one way, it takes time and effort. For any one still reading, I thank you. To Janet, you are beautiful not only in appearance but in personality as well.
Janet I am so glad you are free to tell others about How you feel and felt.No one knows how anyone else sees themselves,but them.God loves you the way you are.🙏🏻
Janet, this video has helped in so many ways. Obviously for yourself and others struggling like my self at the moment. You're an incredible person and I hope you have a happy life, don't let this destroy the happy ginger you are.
you absolute sweetheart, thanks Eve ❤️🙏🏻
So amazing that you can talk about this, you have no idea how much you are helping others. Thank you for being so awesome, sending much love and kisses 😘😘😘♥♥♥
Thank you so much Dave! ❤️❤️
I know this an old video but I wanted to put a reminder that you're one of the most beautiful woman in the world sweetie Never forget that and thanks again for opening up.
What I hear is a beautiful voice☆
what I see is an awesome person♡
You've taken the words from my finger tips (word's from my mouth )
Love Janet so much as a person, and her personality shines so bright xx
You're a sweetheart Janet, twig thighs or thunder thighs or anywhere in between. You've a heart of gold and a voice of platinum :-*
Janet, I don't know if you will ever read this but I hope you do. It is true beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I wish you could see yourself through the eyes of many of us here. Personally, I think you are one of the most stunningly beautify young woman I have ever seen. When you add your wit, your charm, your humor, and all the other things that I know from watching you broadcast, I don't think I know another woman your equal in beauty other than my wife.
When I was a young man I fed on stress , I loved pushing myself beyond. I could not understand anyone that needed professional therapy. This was ironic because all through my teenage years I had a huge group of friends and we looked out for each other. I was ONE of the big brother guys everyone wanted to pour out there troubles on. Not as it turned out a truly great thing as it led to me being friend zoned by a lot of the girls I really fancied , but hey, I eventually found my wife, my soul mate , so everything turned out fine.
Imagine my sense of fear and loathing when, in later life I was unable to cope with the combined stress of illness and death in my home life and more and more pressure in my work life. I spent at least 10 years putting on a brave face, trying to overcome my many (self perceived ) faults. I became obsessively analytical. I would analyse and rationalise everything, which was fine at work (at first) , not so good in my home life.
OK cutting a very long story mercifully short, I had a breakdown. Well actually a series of breakdowns. It came to the point that I began seriously considering self harm including suicide. If I had not had such a loving wife and family then I probably would not still be around today. What is point of me revealing all this? I'm getting there I promise.
OK, after many therapists, who listened carefully and complemented me on how well I manged to rationalise myself back to health, I was finally referred to one therapist that finally got me to admit how insecure I really was and how little I thought of myself. I don't know why, but I feel this one thing is REALLY important enough to share in case anyone out there feels the same way:
I remember one session very clearly, I had gone very silent and thoughtful and my therapist said (something like): "Stop trying to analyse why you feel the way you do, stop trying to make sense of it all. Mental illness does NOT make sense. It is the opposite of rational thinking and that is why it is so destructive. It is the exactly the reason you cannot just 'put on a brave face', 'pull yourself together' and 'get over it'.
Recovery is series of small steps , taking control of one thing, feeling good when you achieve something and not beating yourself up if you are struggling.
Janet, Thank you for your honesty in all your videos, particularly this one. I believe that you are an inspiration to anyone recovering from any kind of mental illness. You are a performer, a singer, an entertainer and to some extent an actress. Some of your videos do show you putting on a brave face when perhaps your heart is breaking, that is part of your charm. You have the courage to say, I am not going to let this beat me and you have the heart to say, I am not going to let this bring anybody down. You ARE a beacon of hope and you ARE beautiful inside and out (Even early in the morning, without your face on :)
Thank you for this text.
Thank you for this video. We have a foreign exchange student that’s going through this right now. Hearing your perspective helps a lot. We’ve tried so many things to help her, but I didn’t realize that it could actually be pushing her further into it.
That’s the best description of the feeling of ‘being comfortable’ in your own pain. I would suffer from various mental health problems and I wouldn’t want to get better because I would have to face it. I was ‘comfortable’, but in pain, and that lead to self hatred and guilt for not wanting to get better. That would lead to more spiraling and it was just such a horrid cycle. Now I face it head on and while I still have the moments of wanting to just slip back to comfort when the going gets tough, I can now understand that it’s so much better when I’m not ill
Omg, my sister called me string bean! I’d never heard of anyone even calling a skinny person string bean! I was the most self conscious person that I know of. I was abnormally skinny, and I ate all the time but never gained weight. I was so embarrassed to be that thin. I was an athlete as well, and didn’t start “my cycle” until I was 17! And then, it wasn’t regular at all. I relate to so much you spoke of in this video! I’m 42 now (or I will be in three days), and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for myself. I think I was about your age when my life and my confidence became better. I started to realize that who I was, was a good hearted person that would do anything for anyone. And that person deserves to be loved. So I learned to accept myself. And from that point, it wasn’t all about how I looked. It was about who I was. I could go on and on about my issues growing up, but ain’t nobody got time for that!
😥 can't handle seeing the crying....
So happy you're in a better place ❤
This is why I like the song "True Colours" so much, even thinking about the lyrics now and how it's still relevant 33 years after it's release it saddens me, that body shaming and bullying is still a thing.
Idk how to comment lmao but seriously listening to you talk describes my whole life/childhood The whole being uncomfortable with your body at such an impossibly young age and being so aware of yourself I really didn’t think anyone could rly understand tbh.. you’re a huge inspiration though like life is weird but you’re slaying it🙏🏻 Stay strong girl~
It's awe inspiring how you put your story into words so eloquently. Thank you for sharing, that takes guts and speaks volumes about your strength and your progress on this topic.
The definition of beauty has changed throught history, and culture. There are personal trainers, nutritionists, dermatologist, diets, vitamins, etc. All to help you be the best you. You can be. Own it, eventually you will find someone to love you for who you are 😍😍😍😍
Your compassion blows away all their negativity
Thank you for being such an awesome role model and tackling uncomfortable topics for the sake of helping people out. The world needs more people like you Janet.
Thank you so much lovely, I really appreciate it!
@@janetdevlin I appreciate what you do. That's why I did that reaction video, is in the hope if someone hadn't heard of you they would. You're a role model to a lot of people and you deserve every bit of success you get.
Seeing your videos I'm realising that x factor was the worse thing for you having people judge and make you into their idea probably caused your anxiety about who you are. Youre so unique, your voice was and is mesmerising. In 2011 I got divorced and so never saw your x factor rise. I only saw your audition on top 10 audition videos, but your voice is what speaks loudest. Don't let anyone ever silence you or make you feel bad about yourself.
When i see you cry in a video just makes me wanna give you a big hug.
Very heartfelt and emotional video Janet! But i think lots of people can learn a lot from watching this! Suffering with certain mental health issues is not to be laughed at, and people should be more understanding of what that person is going through! Must have been very hard to talk about your issues, and try to explain to people how it affects you. But i think you put your message over very clear and precise! Stay strong Janet! 💖💖
I can sooo empathise with you on many levels.
I am working through therapy and dedicated to healing my past . I've struggled with eating disorders my whole life.
I am an intersexed ( hermaphrodite) female and experienced way too much abuse including being a victim of human trafficking at age 17 .
I have complex ptsd , dissociative disorder , gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia.
I went from being anorexic to morbidly obese back to anorexic but now I'm balancing myself.
Food preparation of healthy meals and eating them is part of my healthy daily routine now .
No matter the reasons , we can heal from our past .
Thank you for sharing your time and energy with us all
Angel hugs n Blessings to you and yours ~ 💜💜💜 ~
I think as humans we need to accept that our bodies change over life!! 5-10-15-20-25-30-40-50-60-death, we keep changing. I wish you great health, you are a wonderful, beautiful woman.
I think it's amazing how open and honest you are. Such important topics that most women would never talk about let alone telling their own personal stories. You are an amazing person and relate to so many people. Thank you for everything you do. I've loved your music for some time now but seeing videos like this really shows how beautiful you really are inside and out and how much you truly care. Never stop being you. 💛
How "very dare you" anyone who does not absolutely ADORE YOU! ❤ you are making a huge difference in aiding those who don't understand what might be going on inside and that there can be a huge light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you sweetheart
I applaud on the courage it takes to open up the way you have. Faith is not the answer for everyone, but it does give you a foundation to stand on when facing such tribulations. The biggest secret is realizing that you deserve love, and you have to start by loving yourself. You can be surrounded by admirers, swaddled in affection, but if you are not open to receiving the love, it leaves you empty and self loathing. I am so glad that you realized that your body image was affecting your younger fans and could be a huge impact. Our society lends way too much weight on celebrity appearances and opinions. Keep a good open dialogue with yourself. I know that sounds strange, but if you talk to yourself, you can work out your issues with yourself. Talking to oneself is not a sign of insanity, it has actually been proven to be a sign of extreme intelligence. You are your best friend when it comes to these issues. Keep up the good fight, and God bless.
I am 14 and I struggle with body dysmorphia. I workout 2-3 days for 2-3 hrs and I hate my body so much. Ty so much for opening up and I think ur a beautiful woman!
My daughter went through anorexia in her early teens, she went down to 87lbs was 5’-2” at 15 years old. We had to put her in the hospital to basically save her life. It’s a scary thing for a parent, the good news She is 36 now with 3 beautiful kids. She will always have to watch her mental condition it’s a horrible disease. I’m glad your doing better your such a beautiful person with a golden heart and voice. Please keep up your singing and Vlogs.
I struggled with anxiety, depression and BDD it all started when I was overweight I was generally disgusted. When I looked in the mirror, I started avoiding people, and I even thought of doing something to myself. Then I started going the gym. And talking to the right people who will listen to my problems. the whole time, when I was struggling at this. every one told me to be a man. I take comfort seeing that there people have gone through what I have gone through and knowing that am not along
You’re not alone! I’m so proud of you x
Thank you for sharing this story. Especially for all the girls who are in the same situation as you were, where everybody tells them how pretty they are and they dont' believe them. I hope that this story can make them say: if she's so pretty and she couldnt believe, than maybe I have same situation.
It's really hard to believe that someone so young could be so brutally honest about their own journey, because let's face it, people your age are still in denial about being an alcoholic, and body dysmorphia. I'm really glad to see that you have overcome so much at such a young age. I hope that you continue on your present course( I'm 58 years old), and I am glad to see people, such as yourself, who think beyond themselves. Just continue to be the best version of you.
My Son is 14 and suffers from Body Dysmorphia/Dysphasia. Thank you for your honesty and frankness. It is difficult to understand as a parent as I feel he is perfect in every way. That is also a personal barrier to my own understanding as I am totally blinkered, and my eyes see the opposite to his eyes when he looks at himself! I know this video is 3 years old, but I do hope you get to read this. You are really helping other people with your fearless honesty about your own mental struggles. Thank you, Janet. PS I do love your music and I did vote for you back in the day on that show🙂
When I look in the mirror I always see a small guy looking back at me so I am always trying to get bigger, even though I’m 6’8”, 260lbs no fat. I hate it so much. Even went to the total opposite and felt I didn’t deserve to eat. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. You are absolutely perfect, mind, body and soul. Don’t change.
Thank you for your honesty and for your courage in sharing your story. I hope you continue to love yourself and to actively support your mental and physical well-being. Even as a man, I face images (on advertisements, commercials, television programs, etc.) of men with perfect bodies, and it's sometimes hard to feel OK about my normal, far-from-perfect body. It helps me understand how young women in particular must feel, when our culture presents them with unrealistic, unhealthy, often Photoshopped images of "perfect" female bodies. I am so grateful to you for addressing this issue in a public way and for encouraging young women (and a not-so-young man like me) to love themselves and to strive to be healthy and happy with how (and who) they are.
When checking how to spell Dysmorphia this video appeared and I watched it. Thank you that you speak so openly and honest about it. More people should be brave and open up.
I think I have body dysmorphia, people tell me I'm skinny but all I can see is how fat I am, I'm learning to trust people and trying to keep going. Maybe one day I'll be able to look at a photo of myself and not just critisise my weight but for now I'm just learning to eat. I also am vegan, it's kinda helpful to know exactly what's in what I'm eating, I'm getting there
Mental health is difficult. And for those of us with brains that tell us lies we are screwed! It takes a lot to get to the point where you are now and that is amazing dear! Keep fighting against your brains lies!
What a rollercoaster of emotions this video is “Who let the goblin out of the cellar” I nearly choked on my crisps the next minute I’m crying 🙃 *Gives all the hugs*💙
The thoughts of Janet 😂😂 Sorry for the tears!!! love you! x
Janet Devlin love you more weirdo 😁
I suffer from body dysmorphia too, when I was a teen ,my breast grew so large, it made me feel like a freak, I was embarrased, i hated them.
Ive struggled for many years feeling like I was not normal, I felt like everyone was looking at my chest, thinking i was a clown, or a weirdo. Im 41 now, and
I'm finally getting a breast reduction in August.
I really hope you, your mental and physical health get better and better!! You are special, you are worthy, you are important! And you are beautiful!!!!!
First of all, a big thumbs up for you because you’re telling your story. Being a role model in the best sence you can imagine. I’ve just seen this video of you and was almost looking into a mirror. Not that I’m like you at all since I’m an old man but for the experience of having a partner with body dismorphia, I can relate 100%. After a struggle of more than 15 years with anorexia and almost dying several times she had her wake up call. She fought her way back from moving in a wheel chair to riding a bicycle again and working 5 days/week. Having a lowest body weight of about 31 kg to a rather steady weight of 51-52 kg today. And please note it all started at an older age while having multiple children. Then the unprocessed feelings from her youth kicked in and made her feel bad which led to neglecting her nutricion and body. And she didn’t believe anyone telling her that her body wasn’t what she believed it looked like. So going to professionals for help is very important. And yes, we’re still married though there are some dents in our relationship which seems obvious.
Once again, thank you for being the role model girls should have. A honest person telling her story with the same shyness as your audition. But pure and honest. As a father I can say platonically of course “I love you Janet”. Your father will be proud on his daughter for sure! I sure hope life treats you well because thats what you deserve.
Oh-my, Ms Janet. God bless you for your openness on such a heartwrenching topic. I think there is only a small minority who aren't freaking out daily about something related to their body. They may be fooling themselves as well. Rest sured that your visible emotions will continue to tug on many heartstrings and heal some too.
I struggle badly with self-image, depression, and anxiety. I have my entire life, but I didn't take notice till 2011 when I was moments away from actually trying to end it. To this day I still suffer badly from it.
I love you! Your energy and vulnerability is something I admire so much! I want to thank you for talking about such serious and overlooked topics. Watching your videos gives me this sense of strength and I want to thank you, again, for that.
You're so kind! thank you so so much! ❤️🙏🏻
Just wanna say Thank you for sharing - made me feel like I wasn't alone and that things can change.. I know for myself something like this doesn't ever go away but it CAN get better :)
I hope you’re okay lovely! 💓💓💓🙏🏻
I started cutting at around 5-6 years old. I hated myself and my life. Now in my 40's and I've gone 8 years without cutting. Sometimes it's baby steps to get through a bad day. If I slip I don't feel guilty or shame anymore. I just own it and keep going. Accepting the good and bad allowed me to make it to 8 years. I'm so glad that some of the stigma around mental illness is being confronted and accepted so those suffering don't have to suffer in silence afraid to get help. This is coming from an EMT of 17 years who dealt with everyone else's pain but my own. #loveyourself #imworthit #youreworthit
I know my words are not very helpful or something, much less what it is to have such a disorder, but if I know what it is and to your story today I could not help but feel a great need to embrace you and tell you that you are beautiful as you are, that there can not be someone else with such beauty, like yours. I have few days to know your channel and your videos, but without a doubt you have earned my respect and admiration, you will have a community that will be there to support you.
I've struggled ALOT with body image and I'm only 12 but when I had my first gf I didn't stop working out, doing tons of exercise, and I would never look at myself in the mirror until I thought I was good enough looking, and then when I did I still thought I looked overweight. It didn't help wheny brother and sister would tease me and gang up on me... But she's broken up with me like a month ago and it hurt, alot, seen as I had done so much and I used to body shame myself for her. But ever since I remembered you and your amazing singing it helped me get over it, and this really touched me
Thanks for the openness of all your stressful times and stuff, Lol love your singing, ITS AMAZING!!!! 😍😍😍😍 keep up the good work 😍☺️😂
That's so sad, you're so young. I think it's really scary that really young kids (7,8) are getting eating disorders! And talking about being fat etc.
@@missbelladonna24 thanks 🙂
Oh Janet i can really feel you from the bottom of my heart. Growing up with acne in puberty made me feel very uncomfortable with myself for many many years... now im 21 and i recovered from those wounds made in earlier years just to become finally proud of myself. A very hurtful heartache brought me back to my lovely guitar and i am playing it since for over 5 years now every day. Things get better and Even if you hear this all the time i wanna Point out that you are beatiful by the very meaning of this word not only from the Outside but from the inside too. You can sing like an Angel you really made me Cry on your „hold the line“ Cover you have the ability to make people cry with your Voice and you are soooooo f****** brave to Talk about what you‘ve been Through. Please Stay just as beatiful as you are and dont let anybody ever Tell you the oposite. Stay tuned greetings from Germany
I worked as a Behavioral Health Technician in an acute care eating disorder clinic. It was a very difficult job emotionally but rewarding to make a difference in people's lives when they were at the lowest point of misery and despair. Viewing the comments here drives home the point that little has changed over the years. Some people are oblivious to the problem and have no clue how their words can hurt, seriously hurt the vulnerable. Also, how prevalent eating disorders and body image issues are in our society to this day. A little known fact is that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, even higher than depression. Many sufferers achieve recovery from their eating disorder only to die from physical complications caused by it. I receive notifications of the passing of past patients every year and it breaks my heart every time. It is difficult when you have held someone in your arms, caught their tears on your chest and had a personal connection, to hear they lost the battle. On a positive note, I know many that are in recovery and are some of my closest friends. We shared their near death experience and that creates a bond that lasts. Thank you for sharing this part of your life story. You have made a difference even if only one person is motivated to seek treatment. If you are reading this comment and are struggling, please reach out to someone and seek treatment. You cannot do this on your own. Janet, I wish you a lifetime of continued recovery. It's worth it!
I can relate to a lot of what you said. I believe that going to therapy is a good choice. As someone who also struggles with a lot of issues, I have found that having someone to help with talking through it can work wonders. Life is a lot of things, challenging, painful, and at times cruel to an unnatural degree. But it can also be quite wondrous. I hope that you are still doing well. And please do keep singing for us. I believe everyone here can agree that yours is a unique and very wonderful talent.
Thank you, we need honesty. Have you ever read James Dobson? (Focus on the Family) He writes that possibly the only prevention for Dysmorphia. Which is the father telling the daughter that she is pretty during the years that she thinks her mom is a beauty queen. We all go through a phase were we think that no one is prettier than our Mom. When Dad tells the daughter that she is pretty she has a reference to use. She knows that her mother is beautiful and dad chose her so he is an expert on beauty, thus she trusts his opinion on her own beauty.
I'm 19 since last year I've been suffering from strong depression and anxiety mostly it's because of myself alone .. I've always wanted to be something that I'm not and that is taking a toll on my social life basically staying at home every day just wondering what my life would be like if I get my way but the real issue Is that all of this is taking me to an early grave and I absolutely have to flip things around you just cannot afford yourself to waste your life and not trying live it to the fullest because some people can't ... Thank you Janet for sharing your story it's deeply inspiring you're an incredibly strong and resilient woman wish you the best ! ..... Sorry for being a little late :(
I am so happy to see that you are doing better and have a handle on the issue. Now hopefully you can take our comments for what they are, and that we would never lie to you. You are a beautiful young woman, with a wonderful Irish wit and a wonderful big heart. Just enjoy your gorgeous self and pursue your God given talent, because I'm sure He has a place for you in the choir (many years from now).
Thank you for being so openly with this. I have my own mental disorder with depression and good potion of selfhatred and I think it is rare to finde someone that open like you. But, to say it with Guns N Roses... "I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain"
Absolutely captivating. You tell your story in such a simple and genuine way that we can all FEEL parts of you in our own lives. Thanks for making mental health struggles feel human.
Thanks so much for your support my dear! ❤️🙏🏻x
Your happiness is the most beautiful thing about you. To see that you have been such a painful place, and to see you smile now as a wiser and gentler woman is amazing. I had a terrible childhood. I did not look asian in a half asian family and was this white boy with an asian last name in school so no one knew what to make of me. Was picked on and made fun of outside of home then isolated and singled at home, it was tough. If any one gave me a compliment I felt a level of anger and contempt that they should not be complementing the freak. Now add a head injury due to bullying that damaged the part of the brain that deciphers facial cues, I now couldnt tell if they were serious or joking, angry or laughing. Though it did spark creativity, all the isolation led me to drawing and reading and study. It tought me that people are beautiful inside that their looks do not make who they are. My best relationships were oddly shaped women with incredible talents on an array of media, I loved them so much. The perfect women with no talents that did not inspire creativity were always one sided.. we both had to love how beatiful they were.. its so exhausting. You are such a treasure in this world, with a big heart. I am glad to see you smile, I cry when you cry.. you are so lovable. Worth supporting, worth loving, and even more.❤❤❤❤
It takes a lot of guts and self-insight to make such an honest and self-reflecting video - my deepest respect!
Thanks for taking the time to watch ❤️
Thanks you so much for sharing your real life. So many people think they are the only one's feeling and thinking this way. But life can be very challenging and the truth is we all have many ghost running around inside of us. We feel that no one else is feeling the way we are feeling. So good for you to allow others to hear your stories.
Noticed a trend of seeming surprised that people could get through the journey you're sharing. I could hardly imagine leaving part way through the honesty you offer is not something that many share, so than you for that, it really stacks with "You are not alone" to hear things, with the story to them. Otherwise (for me at least) it so easy to dismiss people who say things like that.
Hope you are having a happy day yourself, and the world is able to keep up with you so it can treat you right!
Thank you for your honesty! ❤ I was bullied when I was in secondary school and used to struggle with an ED. It was incredibly hard. I still suffer from depression, anxiety and BDD but I'm better than I used to be. Sending you love! Your strength and resilience inspire me to keep trying everyday. You shine from the inside out! ❤
i did have a bit struggle with self image once, when i am getting older and older , going through many things in life, people around me especially the elder passing away one by one , one day in the future i will be the same; i realize nothing is for ever; self image is even nothing now, as long as i am still alive i want to make this life(my life) meaningful that is what i am thinking now ,because i only have one life and i do not want to waste it, i love animals esply dogs and cats, i do rescue a number of stray puppies and kittens and rehome them, the fulfillments and the happiness to help the helpless is making my world wonderful and i make a number of true friends who love animals too ; you see, you give love to the right way that will make you happy,
You are a wonderful role model for so many reasons. Most importantly you have shown there is life after bad decisions, mistakes, and/or mental health issues. I know you hear how uniquely beautiful you are often but your beauty seems to be far more than skin deep! I knew there was something special about you when I seen your audition the very first tim.
You are perfect as you are. I wouldn't change a single thing as far as physical appearance. So many people just do not like your body type on YOU but would probably be very happy to have it themselves if they were truly honest about it.
It is so interesting to hear about your insecurities as a late bloomer. I was early, and had all of the same body image issues! I hated it so much. I'm 32, have a 6 month old, and all of those insecurities are back because BOY OH BOY did my body ever change again! Thanks for sharing your story, it helps to be aware that these aren't bizarre or unique experiences!
Thanks Janet. hearing you talk about your problems has helped me understand some of the struggles I have always had with accepting compliments and feeling confident. Love and hugs.
Jeez did enyone else just wanted to give Janet a hug when her eyes got all watered up? Love the sincerity on you. I wish you good luck further on in both your career and your personal life!
Just wanted to say that I've been a fan for a while, but I only came across this video today. Its beautiful how honest you are about the good, and the bad, and tbh, whilst you make amazing music, if I'm ever lucky enough to have kids this will be one of the first things of your I show them. Thank you for being so open and brave, and please don't change. ❤️
I’m an alcoholic and you know the most important part of the program is honesty. I'm presuming you know WHO group eating disorders, alcoholism and compulsive gambling together. Auburn hair is the most beautiful in my mind, my sister was auburn until her hair regrew brownish after chemotherapy. More important than her though, and she is very important to me, is a little six year old granddaughter.
I’ve seen two videos of yours and besides the fact you are a stunning lady you are an incredibly beautiful human being. I’ve watched your alcoholism video and this one about mental health. Gosh you are strong, I too live my life as an open book it isn’t in front of your half a million subscribers.
Love it when your hair is like this, the orangy red and fluffy curls suit you so well😍😍
This is thought provoking and should be a real eye opener for some people - you never know what someone is carrying, how they're made to feel by a seemingly innocent comment. You're a brave girl Janet and I love you ❤️
Have loads of respect for you and your open spirit to confront mental illness. The pain of self hatred seems unimaginable to me. It is interesting in how you once felt about yourself and yet show so much compassion and kindness to others. The most important judgement one makes in life is how we judge ourselves. Have had times of depression in which i lost my appetite and would not eat much for months at a time, however it was not intentional. I'm better now.