I have done it all! Applied haldi, besan and dahi paste on my face to get rid of acne and dark spots, hydrated myself, tried all sorts of beauty creams, applied lemon and potato starch for glowing skin, taken steam to get rid of pollutants that sit on the face, eaten right and also spent heavily for a facial clean up. I have done it all to get flawless facial skin, but all in vain. Whenever my acne pops up, I end up thinking, how do these influencers manage to have it all, just perfect?
This doesn’t just stop here, I also bury my head thinking how photogenic all of them are, they also have a perfectly toned physique, and don’t even get me started with the stunning tresses that fall perfectly on their back with the perfect bounce. This is followed by me standing in front of the mirror and pointing out every flaw that I carry.
Sounds pretty sad, isn’t it? I am sure most of you’ll too, will be doing the same. Today, there are hardly few select individuals who feel they look impeccable. The rest of us are busy correcting or getting rid of different kinds of flaws.
Each one of us is struggling to eliminate some or the other flaw. This obsessive need to look a certain way which we consider to be ideal is driving us nuts. Feelings of dissatisfaction and negativity towards our own bodies are on the rise. For many, it has turned into a disorder so severe that it comes in the way of their day-to-day functioning. This is an actual mental health disorder commonly known as Body Dysmorphia.
Those suffering from this disorder find it very difficult to stop thinking about their body defects and flaws. They also find it extremely embarrassing and anxious to appear in front of people and in public spaces carrying those defects with them. These defects, in most cases, even though appear larger than life in their minds is very minor and even unnoticeable to others.
There are certain common symptoms associated with this disorder.
- You always find yourself standing in front of the mirror spotting every flaw there is
- Carrying a strong belief that you have a defect in your appearance
- Having a fear in mind that others mock or dislike you because of the defect
- A constant and desperate need to hide or rectify the defect
- Constantly needing reassurance and validation from others about looking or being just fine
- Dreading and avoiding social events
There are multiple factors that lead individuals towards body dysmorphia, all of them beginning with society. Feeling negative about your appearance can begin from childhood itself. Kids with heavyweight, crooked teeth, verbal defects or those having specks are usually subjected to mocking by their peers. This gives birth to insecurities which many a time gets carried in the latter years of life.
Further, we are constantly surrounded by the media through movies and advertising which has encouraged unrealistic beauty standards. People today put themselves through a lot to achieve the desired look or body type. To add fuel to fire, social media has further made the situation grave. We are constantly exposed to someone or the other posing and flaunting their sleek slim bodies, ‘perfect’ jawlines, toned muscles, abs, and whatnot.
This is has made us believe and change our perception of ‘beauty in various twisted ways.
We are coming across words like ‘self-acceptance’, ‘self-care and ‘self-love’ more than ever, especially on social media, because the dissatisfaction we have attached with our own appearances has risen to such levels that the heart has stopped feeling happy.
While it is okay to feel a little dejected at times about it, letting it affect you to the extent where you find it difficult to carry out your daily routine, needs to be dealt with. Seek help, consult a therapist if you feel this negativity is coming in the way of life, because anything that comes in the way of living a good life isn’t worth it.
