'I Dislike My Body': Steps to Take When You're Feeling This Way

If you're battling negative feelings about your body image, know that you're not alone.

Living in a body is a complex experience. Like our minds, our bodies are something we can't easily escape. Just having a body can be challenging, but feeling love and appreciation for it can be even harder. This could be due to its functionality not meeting our expectations, or dissatisfaction with its shape or size. It's natural to have moments of not fully embracing your body, as these feelings can fluctuate over time.

However, there's a significant turning point when negative feelings towards one's body become overwhelming. This excessive dissatisfaction can profoundly affect one's life, damage self-relationship, and may even lead to serious health issues, including eating disorders.

At a Glance

Disliking your body not only affects your mental well-being but understanding the root causes, acknowledging the adverse impacts, and taking proactive steps towards body appreciation can make a significant difference. Let's explore how to identify whether your complex feelings towards your body are impacting your mental health and what actions you can take to address these issues.

Signs of Negative Body Image

Feeling negative towards your body or harbouring complex emotions about your physical shape, size, or appearance can manifest in several signs indicative of a poor body image. These signs include:

• Avoiding activities because of dissatisfaction with your shape, size, or appearance.
• Concealing your body to prevent others from seeing what you dislike about it.
• Frequently checking your body through actions like weighing yourself, looking at your reflection, or pinching certain body parts.
• Undertaking extensive beauty routines to cover up disliked body parts.
• Harbouring negative thoughts about your body.
• Using harsh or demeaning language when describing your body.
• Experiencing negative emotions such as anger or sadness when thinking about your body.
• Desiring to look like someone else.
• Undergoing multiple plastic surgeries in an attempt to alter your appearance.

It's common for many to engage in some of these behaviours occasionally. Actions like enjoying makeup application, choosing clothes that you feel good in, and looking at oneself in the mirror don't inherently indicate a poor body image.
The key difference lies in the intensity and frequency of these behaviours. A person struggling with body image issues might engage in these actions to an extent that it disrupts their daily functioning and negatively impacts their relationships.

What Causes You to Hate Your Body

The development of a negative body image is often the result of a complex interplay of factors, not just a single cause. The way individuals perceive and feel about their appearance is influenced from early childhood, with experiences and perceptions shaping their relationship with their physical selves over time. It's noteworthy that research has found a significant portion of children, around 40% to 50% of those aged between six and twelve, express dissatisfaction with some aspect of their body's size or shape.
Several factors contribute to the development of a negative body image, including:

• Exposure to unrealistic body images and ideals promoted through movies, television, and social media, which can set unattainable standards for beauty and physique.
• Negative experiences in childhood, such as being teased or criticized for one's appearance.
• Experiences of social rejection or criticism related to physical appearance.
• Low self-esteem or a poor self-image, which can amplify dissatisfaction with one's body.
• Bullying is related to weight, which can leave long-lasting impacts on how individuals view their bodies.
• Being in environments or around people who frequently express dissatisfaction with their own bodies, which can reinforce negative body image perceptions.
• Experiencing depression, which can negatively affect how one views their appearance and self-worth.

Mental Health Effects of Hating Your Body

The repercussions of negative body image extend broadly, significantly affecting various aspects of life. Research highlights that dissatisfaction with one’s body can pave the way for numerous adverse mental health conditions. According to a study by Yazdani N, PhD Candidate, Hosseini SV, MD, Amini M, MD, Sobhani Z, PhD, Sharif F, PhD, and Khazraei H, PhD, titled "Relationship between body image and psychological well-being in patients with morbid obesity," published in the International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery in 2018, issues associated with poor body image include:

• Eating disorders, which encompass a range of conditions characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or shape.
• Low self-esteem, where individuals hold a persistently negative and critical view of themselves.
• Mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder, where a person's emotional state or mood is distorted or inconsistent with their circumstances.
• Anxiety disorders, marked by excessive fear or anxiety that affects daily living.
• Self-harm, behaviors where individuals intentionally cause harm to themselves as a way to deal with emotional pain.
• Body dysmorphic disorder, a mental health condition where a person can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in their appearance, which may be minor or not observable to others.

These conditions illustrate how a negative perception of one's body can deeply impact mental and emotional well-being, underscoring the importance of addressing body image issues.

How to Develop Love for Your Body

Feeling trapped and without hope regarding your body is a common experience, but it doesn't need to define the entirety of your narrative. There are numerous strategies to embark on a path towards loving, or at the very least, appreciating and accepting your body.
Cultivating positive perceptions of our bodies is crucial because harbouring solely negative views about something integral to our existence can lead to heightened stress and discontent. This mindset serves no productive purpose in our lives. By shifting towards a stance of love or acceptance of your body, you can significantly reduce overall stress. This change not only improves your well-being but can also contribute to a more joyful existence.

Make a List Of What Your Body Can Do

In moments when we're overwhelmed by feelings that our bodies don't measure up, it's all too easy to overlook the remarkable capabilities our bodies possess. Shifting focus to recognize and enumerate the ways in which your body excels can be a transformative exercise. It encourages a sense of pride in your body, acknowledging its efforts and successes in supporting you.
To initiate this shift in perspective, consider reflecting on the following inquiries:

• Breathing: Are you able to breathe? Given that you're alive and reading this, the answer is likely yes. Have you ever paused to marvel at this? Your lungs are continuously at work, drawing in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. This relentless effort by your body to sustain you is extraordinary. Your body dedicates itself to your survival — a unique commitment that deserves gratitude.
• Sight: Can you see? If you can, that's wonderful. If not, consider the ways you've adapted to navigate the world without this particular sense. Adapting to and overcoming the absence of sight is an incredible achievement.
• Mobility: Are you able to walk or even run? If so, celebrate this ability. If walking is not possible for you, reflect on how you've adapted to move through life differently. Finding ways to navigate daily activities without the ability to walk is an admirable accomplishment.

Treatment for Body Image Issues

If issues related to body image are causing distress, affecting your day-to-day functionality, or manifesting as symptoms of mental health concerns, it's important to consider reaching out to your doctor or a mental health professional. Shifting towards a more positive perspective about your body can be challenging, yet there are effective treatments and strategies available that can facilitate this transition. Engaging with healthcare professionals can provide the support and guidance needed to navigate these feelings and work towards a healthier relationship with your body.

Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for body image and self-care (CBT-BISC) is a specialized form of therapy designed to counteract the negative thought patterns that significantly impact one's self-perception. This therapeutic approach focuses on identifying harmful thoughts and beliefs about one’s body and self-worth, and then systematically challenging and replacing them with more positive, realistic, and compassionate perspectives. By working with a therapist experienced in CBT-BISC, individuals learn techniques to recognize these detrimental thought patterns and develop strategies to cultivate a kinder, more accepting attitude towards themselves and their bodies. This can be a powerful tool in building a healthier relationship with one’s body and enhancing overall mental well-being.

Medication

Your doctor might recommend medication as part of your treatment plan to address symptoms of anxiety or depression that often accompany body image issues. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drugs commonly used in this context. It's important to have a comprehensive discussion with your healthcare provider about the best treatment approach for your specific needs, including the potential benefits and side effects of medication.

Keep in Mind