Signing you in

Sharing how the trolling impacted her mental health, she elaborated: “Over the last few weeks, the internet has had a lot to say about my body, my face, my scars, and honestly, whatnot. DMs are particularly cruel. And while hate has never really stopped me before, I’d be lying if I said the constant judgment doesn’t change something inside you.”

Sonal Khangarot, licensed rehabilitation counsellor and psychotherapist, The Answer Room, says that body shaming when identity and self-worth are still forming, can deeply wound a young person’s confidence. “Body shaming can lead to internalised shame and fear of judgment. Sometimes social withdrawal becomes a defense mechanism to escape scrutiny,” she said.

Over time, she adds that this can lead to chronic low self-esteem, anxiety, disordered eating, and difficulty asserting oneself in relationships or professional spaces. People start shrinking their presence in the world, believing they’re ‘not enough,’ unless actively supported to rebuild their self-image and safely reconnect with their sense of self and visibility.

According to Khangarot, even those who seem successful or conventionally attractive can struggle with body image because it’s less about how one looks and more about how one ‘feels’ about how they look.

So, the psychologist says that despite external validation, the internal narrative remains harsh, because true body acceptance comes from self-compassion and autonomy, not applause or approval.