My Mad Fat Diary is just one British TV show that is filled with the definition of being a teenager: it speaks to the audience and viewers about Rae Earl, 16 years old and grappling with problems of mental disorders, body image, and friendships. In this paper, we identify the psychological constructs of Rae herself and her best friend, Chloe, to analyze how personality and experience have come to define their behavior.
Rae Earl: A Journey Through Mental Health
Rae Earl is the heart of “My Mad Fat Diary.” She portrays a poignant picture of a youngster who gets confused in the tangles of mental illness. Early on, it becomes clear that Rae suffers from some depression and anxiety coupled with self-esteem issues. All this can be perceived through her diary entries, which indicate what goes on in her mind and even reveals things.
The Impact of Body Image
Rae lives in a world where there is an onrush of societal standards of beauty. The show’s setting in the 1990s does more than just give a nostalgic glance at the past; it reflects the heavy pressure set on the female youth to try to fit into particular body ideals. Rae, for much of her life, compares herself to these ideals, compounding feelings of inadequacy and self-hate. She internalizes the collective messages of society, which have led to a warped sense of self about her own body, which in turn greatly affects her self-confidence and self-worth.
Negative body image helps to feed established feelings of self-condemnation and depression in Rae. She often criticizes her appearance and, in turn, has significantly lessened her self-esteem. This mindset makes it difficult for Rae to believe that she is deserving of love and friendship, leading her to push people away. This is because of the intense fear of judgment and rejection that mostly leads her into social withdrawal and isolation.
Media and Its Influence
Media and peer influence stand out in the development of Rae’s body image. She is often bombarded with images of perfect bodies from the magazines and the television, leading to unreasonable expectations attributed to the so-called perfect bodies. Also, sometimes the behaviors and comments from the peers reinforce these negative beliefs. Off-hand comments about her size or appearance can send Rae spiraling into an episode of self-flagellating shame and self-doubt.
Rae’s body image issues lead to problems with self-confidence and feelings of worthlessness. These feelings of worthlessness cause Rae to harm herself. Whenever she experiences an event that makes her feel particularly worthless, she takes out the pain on herself.
While she is taking courageous steps to heal and become a vibrant young person again, her confidence sometimes gets shattered, and she retreats back into her shell, which is her room. Rae’s desire to be loved is also very apparent in her mother. Growing up without a father, Rae and her mother, who were abandoned by the man she loved, share a common trauma. As Rae grows up, she tries to fill her insatiable hunger for love with food, but food can’t provide her with healthy affection. On the contrary, the weight she gains makes her even less confident.
Rae and Her Interpersonal Relationships
The individuals we surround ourselves with can significantly influence our psychological state and mood. In “My Mad Fat Diary,” Rae experiences varying psychological effects based on her social interactions. When she spends time with her close friends, whom she affectionately calls her “gang,” she feels part of a healthy and supportive environment. This group fosters a sense of belonging and emotional security, which positively impacts her mental health.
Conversely, Rae’s interactions with Liam leave her feeling isolated, hopeless, and mentally unwell. Liam’s worldview is characterized by rigidity and negativity by leading him to believe that people can’t change. His language often contains self-deprecating remarks, and he sometimes directs these negative comments toward Rae. This has a detrimental effect on Rae’s self-perception, reinforcing her body image issues and leading her to internalize a belief that she is rebellious, hopeless, and mentally unstable.
This dynamic highlights the profound impact that our social relationships can have on our mental well-being. Friends can either uplift and support us or exacerbate our insecurities and challenges. Therefore, cultivating healthy, supportive relationships is essential for maintaining a positive psychological state.
Rae and Finn
Rae’s skepticism of Finn’s emotions is closely linked to problems with self-worth. According to Self-Worth Theory, the extent to which individuals with low self-esteem are able to accept the positive affirmations and affections of others is relatively low. Perhaps one reason Rae cannot accept Finn’s love is that she feels unworthy of love. This inner conflict becomes an obstacle to experiencing and truly being able to believe in the authenticity of his emotions.
Rae’s incredulity toward Finn’s love can also be explained in terms of cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are thought patterns that are basically negative in nature and thus affect perceptions about personal experiences. Some of those distortions she may have are discounting the positive. These thinking patterns make it very hard for her to accept the love from Finn.
Chloe Gemmell: The Mask of Perfection
For Chloe Gemmell, Rae’s best friend, another set of problems crops up. All outward confidence and popularity, Chloe actually is mortally afraid of being inadequate, which makes her do some questionable things to seek validation. Chloe acts on the need to fit in, to be accepted. This need to fit in often pits her against Rae, as Chloe’s choices occasionally favor popularity over true friendship. Even when boys show interest in her, Chloe is emotionally empty most of the time. The superficiality of this contact, in which boys appreciate her solely as a physical object, leaves Chloe feeling empty. This experience illustrates a self-discrepancy, in that there was quite a remarkable disparity between Chloe’s perception of herself and others’ perception of her. This huge gap between self-esteem from within and from outside may create emotional pain.
At the same time, the differentiation that Chloe’s mother draws—prohibiting Chloe from consuming fatty foods while allowing her father to eat whatever he likes—makes a statement about worth and value. Such selective provision further solidify Chloe’s belief that she is worthy based on her ability to meet certain standards—like maintaining a certain body image or otherwise being perfect. This disparity reinforces a sense of conditional acceptance based on adherence to perceived standards of beauty and health.
Eating problems and body image issues often stem from deep-seated beliefs about self-worth and societal pressures. As a psychologist, I want to emphasize that every individual deserves to embrace their body with kindness and compassion. Healing begins with challenging negative self-perceptions and fostering a positive relationship with oneself. By focusing on nourishing both the body and mind, and rejecting harmful beauty standards, we can cultivate self-love and acceptance. Remember, your worth is not defined by appearance but by your intrinsic value as a person. Embrace the journey towards self-acceptance and celebrate every step forward. You are deserving of love, health, and happiness, just as you are.
Noachic Radio / Zehra Silci
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