Body-Image Disturbance
Signs of Body-Image Disturbance
Body-image problems occur along a continuum that ranges from mild dissatisfaction to severe body-hate. Body-image disturbance is generally seen in conjunction with self-esteem issues, depression, eating disorders, or sexual abuse. These warning signs may indicate that a problem exists:
- Unable to accept a compliment.
- Mood is affected by how he/she thinks he/she looks.
- Constantly compares self to others.
- Calls himself/herself disparaging names — "fat", "gross", "ugly", "flabby".
- Attempts to create a "perfect" image.
- Seeks constant reassurance from others that his/her looks are acceptable.
- Consistently overestimates/underestimates the size of his/her body or body parts.
- Believes if he/she could attain his/her goal weight or size, he/she would accept himself/herself.
- Allows his/her drive for thinness to supersede all of life's pleasure of goals.
- Equates thinness with beauty, success, perfection, happiness, confidence, and self-control.
- Compartmentalizes the body into parts — (thighs, stomach, buttocks, hips, etc.) rather than feeling connected to the whole body.
- Has an ever-present fear of being fat — even if he/she is slim.
- Has an overriding sense of shame about his/her self and his/her body.
Source: The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders
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Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Evening Hours by Appointment
Phone: (716) 829-7819 Kim Zittel, LMHC, NCC
Director, Personal Counseling Center
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
National Certified Counselor Tim Bronson, Psy.D., LMHC, NCC
Personal Counselor, Personal Counseling Center
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
National Certified Counselor Isabel Molina, APRN BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner