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Successfully Recognizing and Treating Body-Image Issues Are you uncomfortable with your physical appearance?   Do you think you look fat even though others tell you you're slim?   Are you constantly telling yourself you're unattractive?   Do you refuse to go out without being fully made up and impeccably dressed? It's not uncommon, or even unhealthy, to want to look your best. But, if your concerns about how you look disrupt your ability to think or function, if your perceptions of how you should look are radically different from what is humanly possible or healthy, you may have a bigger problem than you realize: body dysmorphic disorder.

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Whether you're suffering from body dysmorphic disorder or are just concerned about your looks and would like to feel better about yourself, overcoming body-image issues involves acknowledging and resolving the negative perceptions you have of yourself, which is exactly what professional therapy can help you achieve!

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Signs and Symptoms

How can you tell if you have body dysmorphic disorder or are simply aware of all the aspects of your physical appearance — both good and bad?

Several behaviors typically indicate a deeper problem than just being mildly concerned about your image or weight.

You may be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder if you:

• Negatively compare your self-image to others;
   
• Keep track of, or measure, specific body parts you think are flawed (your hair, nose, skin, tummy, or tush);
   
• Attempt to hide your flaws from others, including close friends and family members;
   
• Feel anxious and self-conscious in social settings;
   
• Avoid leaving the house unless you absolutely have to;
   
• Call yourself names like "ugly duckling," "fat body," "disgusting," and "monster;" or
   
• Seek cosmetic surgery, and are unsatisfied with the results;

It is not uncommon for women with body dysmorphic disorder to have grown up with highly critical and judgmental parents or siblings.

If you were told you're fat and ugly often enough, you'll likely grow up believing it — regardless of your actual weight or appearance. Fixing body image issues involves acknowledging what you heard in the past and recognizing what's true today.

However, given the young age at which these negative self-perceptions begin, even once you realize that the image you have of how you "should" look is an impossibility, you'll likely continue to struggle with feelings of inadequacy.

Successfully Treating Body Image Issues and Body Dysmorphic Disorder

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, the most effective eating disorder treatments involve some form of psychotherapy. Therapy can help you uncover and address the underlying issues that trigger your negative self-image.

However, therapy must go hand-in-hand with careful attention to your specific medical and nutritional needs. For this reason, I work with a team of professionals that can help you determine a healthy weight, monitor your health, and help you learn about your body, your nutrition options, and discover what physical activities you enjoy.

Every treatment plan I create is individually tailored to each client and your treatment will depend on the severity of the problem you're facing and your individual strengths and needs.

That having been said, some common goals of the work I do with clients suffering from negative self-image and body dysmorphic disorder include:

• Accepting the possibility that you may suffer from this condition;
   
• Identifying the underlying issues that trigger your negative self-perceptions;
   
• Increasing your self-esteem and your ability to solve problems in a healthy manner;
   
• Developing a positive, healthy body-image;
   
• Finding healthy ways to cope with anxiety, stress, and depression;
   
• Gaining awareness of the societal triggers for obsessing about your looks;
   
• Educating family members about body-image issues and developing a support system to help speed your recovery; and
   
• Reconnecting you with the things in life that bring you joy so you can reclaim your life and replace your food and weight obsessions with meaningful and rewarding activities.

In a supportive, compassionate, and confidential setting we can work together to determine if you need help, uncover and resolve the issues that keep you focusing on your body image and eating issues, and create a treatment plan that makes the most sense for you.

I consider it vitally important that mothers and daughters in our society learn to accept their bodies, understand their weight and eating issues, and create healthy lifestyles that meet their personal needs.

Your body is not an "enemy" that needs to be controlled. You can develop a positive self-image and learn to eat anything you want… just not everything you want.

And, by learning to spend less time obsessing about food and weight, you'll find more energy to focus on all the aspects of life there are to enjoy and truly be thankful for!

Once you value who you are — regardless of your figure, your hair, your nose, or your weight — you can move forward with your life and follow your dreams. It is possible to move beyond body-image issues, but first you have to learn to love yourself for who you are, no matter what you look like!

For more information about body-image issues and the prevention and treatment services I offer, I encourage you to call me at 650-854-4631 with any questions you have or to schedule a free, initial phone consultation.

 

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