During her tumultuous childhood, Jinger Duggar was often forbidden from speaking her mind.
Their famous parents fiercely protected their privacy while putting on public spectacles with their children.
The result, for Jinger and her siblings, was a disorienting childhood, in which they were frequently asked to smile for the camera while simultaneously hiding dark family secrets.
Jinger Duggar tells her story
Now an adult, the fourth Duggar daughter decided to make up for lost time.
Jinger has already published a memoirand she has a second one on the way.
His new book, People Pleaser: Freeing Yourself from the Burden of Imaginary Expectationswill hit stores in January. And Jinger is already generating buzz by offering some of the most candid interviews of her career.
In a recent conversation with People magazine, the mother of two opened up about the insecurities and mental health issues that led her to isolate herself as a child.
“I was so consumed by what everyone around me thought about me,” she told the outlet on Tuesday.
“And a lot of times, I realized how serious it started to get when it started to affect my relationships or just made me reject certain relationships because I was afraid of what that person might think of me,” she continued.
Jinger reveals problematic relationship with food
Jinger went on to reveal that her need for acceptance led to eating disorders.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I’m so fat.’ Even though I wasn’t,” she said.
“I was afraid to overeat because I thought, ‘Oh no, my friends won’t like me because they’re thinner than me.’”
Jinger added that she was finally able to overcome her problematic relationship with food with the help of her family and friends.
Jinger’s message to fans
With his new book, Jinger hopes to offer guidance for fans who may be facing similar difficulties.
“We wake up, we roll over, we see everyone else’s perfect life, and we try to compare ourselves to the standards they expect us to be,” she said. People.
“A lot of those are just imaginary expectations. So I wanted to write a book that was more relatable, in a sense. Like, ‘Okay, we’re all in this place of people-pleasing.
“I don’t have it all figured out, but that’s what I’m learning on this journey of trying to break free from this. There is an answer, there is a solution.”
We’re sure that, like most people, Jinger still struggles with the burden of imaginary expectations from time to time.
But it seems she has made great progress on her healing journey. And we admire her willingness to help others do the same.