You may feel self-conscious and worried about your cleft when you are with other people; for example, when you are with people you don't know well, or when starting an intimate relationship. This may affect your social confidence and you may even find that you sometimes avoid certain situations. You are not alone with these feelings and most people feel like this at times . Give yourself time and ask for support from a trusted friend, adult or the cleft psychology service.

How you feel and think about yourself is really important because it affects the way you cope with having a cleft condition and how confident you feel. There are many ways to overcome these issues, by looking at the Changing Faces and CLAPA websites or by speaking to psychologists in the cleft service.  If you are struggling, please tell someone such as a trusted adult or close friend and ask for advice, help and support if you need it. You are not alone.