Читать книгу The Self-Esteem Team's Guide to Sex, Drugs and WTFs?!! - Grace Barrett Natasha Devon & Nadia Mendoza - Страница 5

I have been lucky to have fallen into a career that inspires others all over the world. Of course, I am eternally thankful, but anyone who watches my YouTube channel will know I also struggle with anxiety. It doesn’t matter how successful you are, or how happy you might appear on the outside, everyone battles secret demons from time-to-time. It’s just part of being a human being.

Since talking about my own struggles, thousands of teenagers have contacted me to tell me that they too are fighting feelings they find hard to understand. Whether it’s because they have been bullied, have lost someone they love, have problems at home, or they simply don’t know why, when I described how anxiety felt to me, a lot of people could relate.

It’s for that reason I’m so thrilled The Self-Esteem Team (and this book) exist. The Self-Esteem Team give the message that it’s OK to be you, that individuality is cool, and that you don’t have to face your troubles alone. They are tackling the mental-health crisis head-on in a way that is accessible, down-to-earth, and even fun. Most importantly, they base what they say not only on personal experience, but having spoken to (and continuing conversation with) tens of thousands of real teens. They are a megaphone for the voice of young people and are answering real concerns on what they hear.

Without the Internet, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Yet it also presents unique challenges. It’s hard to remember that you are a great and beautiful human in a never-ending world of Photoshopped selfies and trolls who have direct access to your phone. Sometimes, we all need to be reminded that nobody is perfect and that we are loved and valued just as we are.

I hope this book will help you to remember those things. It’s a survival guide for the modern age, packed with pearls of wisdom, real anecdotes and witty musings. At times it will make you laugh out loud, but it might also make you cry. Either way, carry it with you; there’s a strategy or word of advice for almost every dilemma faced by today’s teens. And even I, at twenty-five, can continue learning from it.

Enjoy, and be proud to be you.

Love Zoella