Worth Warrior App

About Worth Warrior

To hit a target of worth takes practice and courage. Believe you can do it, keep trying and you will get there.

Worth Warrior is a free app created for young people to manage negative body image, low self-worth, and related early-stage eating difficulties or disorders. It provides a range of helpful activities and information, based on the notion that eating and body-related issues can be helped through learning to challenge and change thoughts, emotions, behaviours and body image issues underlying low self-worth.

By identifying these underlying factors, and monitoring them over time, you can also start to identify what your triggers and maintaining factors are and work towards making positive change.

The Worth Warrior app, recommended for ages 12 and above, has been developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nihara Krause, in collaboration with young people, and uses principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E). 

The Worth Warrior app is private, anonymous, and safe. Please note the app is an aid in treatment but does not replace it.

About food & eating

To fully recover from an eating disorder, you need to learn how to eat to meet nutritional and physical requirements, rather than eating to cope with emotional issues. 

This means eating three balanced meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and at least 1 to 3 suitable snacks daily. The number of snacks is decided based on the form of eating disorder you have. 

Regular eating helps with:

• eating smaller meals;
• not losing control through hunger;
• keeping sugar levels stable, helping with mood;
• getting the full range of nutrients required for healthy functioning.

Some further steps to manage an eating disorder

Get help – speak to a professional and find out what eating plan is best for you.
For example:

• If you are undereating – a gradual increase in food quantities and varieties might work.
• If you are overeating – choose a safe reduction plan. 
• If you are a selective eater – gradually introducing new food groups and learning to tolerate difficult sensory experiences might work. 
• If you are binge eating – learning alternative behaviours around food and eating and managing emotions might help. 

Have a plan – this might include having regular meals, letting go of excess exercise, or eating new food groups.

Manage triggers – these include physically impactful situations such as extreme tiredness; hunger; a period of restriction; emotions such as stress, loneliness, or upset; weight-related triggers such as mirrors, scales, or clothes. 

Adapt your thinking and behaviours – learn alternative thoughts and behaviours to replace negative ones. For thoughts, this includes practising mindfulness rather than acting on each thought or challenging your thinking through a process of cognitive therapy. Emotion management might include journaling, speaking to someone, or releasing emotion in a positive way. Alternative behaviours might include carrying out a hobby or going for a gentle walk.