braces ruined me

Hey i usually never post online but this has been bothering me too much and frankly i dont think ill ever be at peace with it

mind you ive been pretty skinny my whole life, but i got braces end of 2023 for an overbite with 4 extractions (two bottom and two top) while my face was decent, not too round but not too slim as well. fast forward to 2024, my face was pretty snatched and defined and i loved it, my cheek bones were so sharp, i had a jawline and a small chin for practically the entire year. main point- i loved how i looked especially my face shape (minus my teeth cause of course it still wasn’t completely fixed).

Then towards the end i went to my normal appointments to get my wires tightened right- and i swear im NOT exaggerating but when the appointment was over and i got in the car i looked in the mirror like always and all of a sudden there was just a lump of fat beneath my chin, literally all of a sudden i swear, please believe me. at the time i didn’t gain any weight, everything was normal besides that and i was so confused, then slowly i noticed my face becoming wayy rounder and wide and i couldn’t help but constantly compare myself to the 2024 me

i now have my retainers and i thought about the theory of not wearing them so i can get back to that 2024 me again you know? but the thing is i really do love how my teeth look, its just the face shape, and im scared for the consequences of not wearing your retainers (teeth going back to overbite)

also I’ve worn my retainers consecutively but decided to stop to test the theory and the recessed chin/double chin/fat literally reduced so much but was still visible

now this double chin or whatever it is, is the only thing i think about and i cry endless tears every night and my weight and appearance is all i care and worry about now, ive fallen off my studies and religion and basically all my values trying to change my appearance and i’ve done my research and I’ve seen so much down-sides to extractions and i think that may have caused it?? idk i regret all this so much and its changed my life, i feel ugly every second, cry too much, became so negative and ill never feel pretty or loved knowing i used to look like how i did in 2024

I’ve thought about excessive considerations (TW)

such as jaw surgery, chin surgery/chin lipo, ozempic/wegovy (i’ve blamed my weight and i dropped around 5kg but the lump is still there), ed’s, tons of face massages/ gua sha’s/face rollers with much force

you guys get the hint, im way too afraid to bring this up w my dentists and i genuinely don’t know what to do anymore (17F)

if you read it all thank you so much and im so sorry to rant, if willing please send advice