The Outcry of a Teenage Girl: The Unmasking Experience

In The Outcry of a Teenage Girl, Cayla Chase points out her battles with self-esteem, depression, isolation and lust. In an effort to conceal her struggles she began to put on “masks”. Masks allowed her to temporarily be whomever, whatever and however she wanted to be. Cayla became addicted to the feeling of wearing masks. She felt she was able to please God, her church and family. Cayla wore these masks because she was comfortable and did not want to be embarrassed.
 
For Cayla, it was about upholding the image that she felt had been placed upon her. With an image to uphold, she felt there was no room for error or flaws. Instead of being transparent and honest she hid behind her masks and became content with wearing them. The masks slowly suffocated her self-confidence, identity, and purity. She had a false sense of worth and identity. Her strength and joy were slowly vanishing.
 
Once coming to the realization that God’s plan for her life was greater than her masks, Cayla had no choice but to remove them. She had to be honest with herself and others about her masks. Slowly she identified and removed every one of them, exposing all that they were hiding. In a state of vulnerability and transparency is where she began to become true to herself and build confidence. Cayla found her identity and purpose and attended to the areas of her life that needed healing