Last updated on September 28, 2020
Question:
Am I ever going to look different? I am 16 years old, but people tell me I look old. I hate myself for this, and I have tried many embarrassing remedies I found on the net and got rid of my acne, but still, my friends tell me I am older and make fun of me.
I always stay indoors in my room all the time because I’m super sensitive about people’s comments on my look. Whenever I’m going to school and I look outside, it’s like everyone is looking at me and I hate it. I don’t want anyone to see this person that I am right now because I dislike it.
Just today my mum’s friend came over, and he didn’t recognize me at all. He said I have changed, and I look like I’m a man. He said I looked like him when he was 18 years old. Whenever I am in a good mood people ruin it for me all the time. I feel unwanted because everyone, and I seriously mean, everyone has something to say about me, and it’s not always positive.
I really hate myself and the way I look. I just wish I looked different. To be honest, I don’t think people will be glad if I didn’t exist. Every day I’m in a bad and sad mood. I hardly eat anything because I spend all my time every day after school looking at myself and crying. I really can’t face many people or be the center of attention.
Answer:
I can’t comment on how you look since, obviously, I haven’t seen you. To look 18 at the age of 16 would only be a two-year difference. It may seem like a lot to you at the age of 16, but it really isn’t. So what is it about you that makes people see you as an adult? Have you simply matured sooner than most others?
In regards to the teasing, children will do this to other children, and it can be quite cruel. They all want to be alike so badly that any difference is not tolerated and even if there are no real differences, they will make one up. If they can see that it bothers a person, they tease them all the more. Thus, the real trick is to not let the taunters see that it bothers you.