‘My scars are a mark of courage'

Trainee psychologist Jo Brookes, from middlesex, tells us how she overcame her body anxiety

- Kirstin Chaplin

Walking into the British Heart Foundation in my black backless dress I felt incredible – something I never would have dreamed possible just a few years earlier.

Throughout my teens and twenties, the 20in scar down the middle of my back made me incredibly self-conscious. now, at 35, I see it as a mark of courage.

Back brace

I was diagnosed with scoliosis, also known as curvature of the spine, aged 11, after my swimming teacher noticed I was swimming slightly sideways.

Up until that point, I hadn’t experienced any pain, so the diagnosis was a shock. I spent the next four years in an uncomfortable back brace, which I hated.