Damaged Goods

A few years ago, I was put on medication that caused me to gain a lot of weight. I felt like a freak, like an unattractive woman. I hated my body. I considered myself "damaged goods" in terms of dating, and ended up dating someone who treated me poorly, who made me very unhappy. I thought I was lucky that someone was at least interested in me. That relationship came to a painful ending, and I was heart-broken. Since then, I have come to realize that there are people who find my new body shape and size to be sexy, good people who know how to treat me with respect and admiration. If I had had healthy self-esteem to start, I would not have tied my sense of self with my weight gain; I never would have taken such a negative view of myself; and I would never have gotten involved with the guy who ended up being so bad for me. Sad, isn't it?