I've struggled with a negative self/body image most of my life and this is the only self-portrait I've done to date. My reference was a selfie I took while I was putting dye in my beard. The first time I dyed my beard was the first time I liked who I saw in the mirror, so it felt appropriate for my first self-portrait.
I spent a big chunk of my life thinking I was repulsive and not believing someone could genuinely be attracted to me. I struggled with my weight and health issues a lot during my formative years, never quite feeling at home in my body.
Nowadays I'm pretty sure I'm at least kinda hot, which is a trip. It was a long road to get here but I think it boils down to a shift in perspective. I stopped being concerned with some objective measure of attractiveness (because it doesn't exist) and started asking myself what would make me look more like me.
Dyeing my beard was the first time I looked in the mirror and thought 'hey that looks like me'. I've pretty much been chasing that feeling since and I can't wait to see how much more like me I look down the line. Body image issues suck, but they absolutely can get better. Find out what makes you feel more like you and go do it.