I want to be beautiful, or painful desire for perfection
What concerns and traumatizes modern women most of all? Undoubtedly, one of pressing problems - «how do I look?».
It happens so, that not only young girls, but also aged ladies seek out some flaws in their face or body and as if pass them through a magnifying glass. They not only use affordable means trying to improve their appearance, but also go to drastic measures and even make plastic surgery. Unfortunately, such zealous striving for perfection is not always reasonably safe for physical and mental health.
We and they
We all know that for boys childhood lasts longer, than for girls. Girls feel and understand their sexual identity earlier than boys, hence increased interest in their appearance, painful perception of their physical imperfections. In all times, as shown by archeology and anthropology, a woman tried to be beautiful and attractive, draw the attention through clothing, cosmetics, decorations, manners, movement, dancing and singing.
A man will be offended, if he is called a fool and a woman will take offence due to a negative estimate of her appearance. A woman reveals new wrinkles on face with pain in heart and thinks not about how to bring her ambitions in line with age, but how to smooth out this goddamn wrinkle. However, it is very surprisingly, that women evaluate their appearance more self-critical than men. As we know, most part of men thinks they are attractive and only a small percentage of women do so.
Real and imaginary disadvantages
Perhaps, no woman is totally satisfied with her appearance. Someone does not like her nose, someone - breast, someone - stomach, hair, etc. But most of these ladies remembers these «troubles» just in front of the mirror, and the rest of the time they live in their pleasure. But there are also such ones whose whole attention is drawn to their physical imperfections.
Disadvantages can be real or imaginary. A woman can be upset due to a large birthmark on her face, which, of course, does not give her beauty. In this case, it is a true shortage. Since alleged deficiencies are another matter. For example, a girl of average height may think she is a pudge, a married woman with 46 size can be pursued by an idea of starting obesity. In addition to suffering from such «ugliness», unfortunate ones have to encounter with close friends’ derision.
Exaggeration of defects in appearance (sometimes with a desire to make plastic surgery) belongs to the category of dysmorphophobia. Dysmorphophobia is a disorder, also expressed in a distorted perception of a separate part of one’s body, accompanied by depression. Women suffering from dysmorphophobia try to improve their appearance by all means: bring themselves to exhaustion in a gym; squeeze pimples, injuring skin; apply makeup for hours, turning face into a mask, often dye hair, making a lifeless «tow» of them, etc. They importune offices of beauticians, nutritionists and plastic surgeons.
Youth maximalism
Almost all of us suffer from dysmorphophobia during transition age. The most common teenage dysmorphophobia involves just showing signs of maturation. The path from ugly duckling to a graceful swan is long and exciting. This is natural: a teenager’s body is changing, and you need some time to get used to it and find it natural. In addition, each girl imagines herself as an enchanting princess in future, and every young girl believes at heart she is about to turn into Angelina Jolie. Such miracle happens not always. It’s not a secret that many girls are crying in a pillow due to excess weight, leg length and size of nose. In doing so, almost all of them are suffering because of breast size.
Teenage dysmorphophobia usually disappears to a graduation class. But sometimes it remains, and gains truly painful forms. A girl is fully focused on her «defect», and getting rid of it becomes her obsession. As a result, life becomes a torture: she is scared to take up work related to communication, has fear to make friends, forgets about personal life. This girl spends enormous efforts, time and means to eradicate her «problem».
It is known that it is always easier to prevent a disease, than deal with it. Prevention of dysmorphophobia in youth age includes correct attitude of close people, their desire to raise a girl’s self-esteem. But the main thing - suggestion that naturalness is beautiful, rather than plastic face or silicone breast.
Causes of dysmorphophobia
There are two groups of causes, leading to dysmorphophobia in adult years. First - psychological traumas. For example, a man parting with his wife said angrily: «You, fat cow, look at yourself!». And a woman, in fact, even non-overweight, begins to worry in this regard. Another example: a young man of great sympathy with a girl, once joked about an unfortunate shape of her nose. She survived this stress and as a result acquired complex.
Glossy magazines or TV can also be a traumatic factor. These days, there are transfers of plastic surgeries, built on a principle: she had a physical weakness, she did operation, she is now beautiful and happy, and she never would be happy without it. For girls, worried of their external imperfections, failed in personal relationships, or just impressible enough, such transfer may become a button, launching dysmorphophobia mechanism.
The second possible reason of dysmorphophobia - a serious mental illness. Usually it is an anxiety disorder that leads to intrusive thoughts. Even if you convince such patient she has a magnificent figure, and resembles a Greek goddess, she will not be calmed down. Indeed, an anxiety disorder is still inside of her. Instead of old obsession she will have a new one. She will not like form of her ears, eyes or lips - no matter, object to grievance is not a problem. Also dysmorphophobia may be associated with schizophrenia. In this case it is a part of sick person’s raving.
To the psychologist or psychiatrist?
Dysmorphophobia is treated, one can get rid of it. Of course, methods of treatment of dysmorphophobia caused by mental illness, and that which is an unpleasant consequence of stress and general self-doubt, differ.
Dysmorphophobia associated with psychopathology cannot be treated by itself, because it is based on a more serious disease. One should treat the disease first of all, and discontent with appearance is only a symptom.
In the second case, when dysmorphophobia is caused by low self-esteem, self-doubt, stress, psychotherapy helps a lot. In particular, cognitive therapy: correction of emotions, relation of logical and illogical behaviors, recognition of own individual characteristics. A psychologist’s task is informing a patient of crucial role in his behavior. Changing of negative way of thinking requires careful individual work, which aims at developing of more realistic and optimistic look on oneself, peace and future.
It should be noted that in some developed countries, a surgeon, whom a patient turns to do plastic surgery to, is obliged to consult with a psychotherapist or his client for a consultation. Even if there is no suspicion at dysmorphophobia, a patient should necessarily talk to an independent psychologist. Sometimes, if discontent is caused by a real defect (big wart on face, scars, etc.), a specialist recommends plastic surgery - to improve self-esteem.
However, this condition is not always respected. And in vain. Operations are done, but a woman continues being disaffected with her appearance. Without doctor’s influence a patient may not be limited to one operation and will begin improving all parts of his body. In addition, there are cases when a woman is sent to a psychologist, who works in the same hospital, where operation is planned. Conclusion of such psychologist is quite predictable. Problem of dysmorphophobia can not be solved here.
Think seven times…
If you are unsure of yourself, have low self-esteem, your own body seems inadequate or ugly, do not rush to make drastic changes in your appearance. Talk to loved ones, your favorite person, listen friends’ advice. When changing body through surgical intervention, you will break identification with your own ego. Psychological and physical image of «I», which is in the mind of every person in the form of a set of representations of themselves, will be destroyed, and you’ll have to re-create it. Sometimes it’s painfully difficult.
In addition, plastic surgery often have painful consequences due to unprofessional medical personnel or patient’s body’s characteristics.
Food antidepressants
It is spring now, and your prolonged winter depression does not want coming to its logical conclusion?
Bananas, nuts and chocolate help overcoming depression. The point is that these products contain a lot of hormones, which are good conductors of nerve impulses. Because organism is a self-regulating system, which too often tries to heal itself.
Bananas make one feeling happier
If you want to quickly restore the reduced level of energy in your body - there is no better snack than a banana. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an immediate, substantial support of energy. Studies proved that just two bananas provide energy, sufficient for 1,5 hours of vigorous work. There is nothing surprising that banana is number 1 fruit among world’s leading athletes. But energy is not the only thing that helps us maintaining shape. They also help overcoming or preventing a substantial number of diseases or disease states and thus make the necessary addition of daily diet.
In accordance with recent observations of people suffering from depression, many felt better after consumption of bananas. This is because bananas contain tripoto fan, one of protein types, which body converts into serotonin, known to the fact that it relaxes, improves mood and generally makes people feeling happier.
Nuts are most useful
Anyone understands clearly what is nut: a strong shell with edible contents. We know walnut, pine, hazelnut, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, chestnuts. However, in terms of botany, there are only two real nuts in the list: cashew and hazelnuts (filbert), and maybe pine nuts. All the other are not nuts. What, however, does not make them less useful. And today we’ll talk about benefits of these wonderful gifts of nature. Nuts contain all basic classes of nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates), their caloric value is not inferior to most foods, but, unlike many of them, they, with rational use, do not contribute to weight gain.
Black chocolate provides energy and good mood
Use of black chocolate can improve mood and help getting rid of chronic fatigue. It turns out that daily consumption of 45-50 grams dark chocolate for 2 months helps coping with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Bitter chocolate is rich in polyphenols, which control level of serotonin hormone. Lack of this hormone leads to depression and so-called “chronic fatigue”. Milk chocolate does not possess such properties, as it contains less polyphenols, experts say.
Although, of course, parents whose children started consuming sugar in large quantities should not forget about depression. Not necessarily chocolate. These can be any sweets.\
Generally, parents consider that sweets affect child’s appetite, but it is not true. If children or adolescents have been eating only sweets, and often refuse from other food - this is the first sign of possible depression. If your child has become more closed, sleep less, you should seriously think about his condition and refer to a specialist.
We should say that sweets contain a substance which helps body producing serotonin, a so-called hormone of joy and happiness, which deficit leads to depression.
There is no a specific list of products that can not be used during depression. The only thing is that there may be different approaches to alcohol. Typically, alcohol beverages burden depression. However, there is a category of people whom alcohol, on the contrary, helps fighting depression. But you should not check this on yourself. You can only do harm.
Note that in the U.S. they established a direct link between nutrition and mental disorders long ago. Therefore, depression is often treated with various diets. Which means against depression could be nicer, than good things having beneficial effects on health?
