What should I do if I feel like I hate my body?

We have all, at some point, said to ourselves “I feel like I hate my body.” It is not easy to love it every day or appreciate each of its imperfections and shapes. However, those moments pass and in the end we accept it as it is, because that fantastic physical envelope is what allows us to feel, breathe, hug, work, enjoy life and relate to others.

However, In recent years, more and more people have a bad relationship with their body image.. They reject and detest the being that is reflected in their mirrors, because it does not harmonize with the supposed “ideal bodies” of social networks or with those that are sold to us in the consumer society. How to address these situations? Learn more about it with the following article.

It is not necessary to love our body, it is enough to respect it, to accept it. However, culture, and even education, make more and more young people hate their image and lead to self-destructive behavior.

How to know if I feel like I hate my body

It is possible that every time you see yourself in the mirror or in your selfies You tell yourself “I feel like I hate my body.” What’s more, you may have a teenage son or daughter who you hear repeat it frequently. At what point do we start to worry about these own or other people’s perceptions? When does the line from “normal” to “pathological” cross?

In a work published in Indian Journal of Psychiatry It is highlighted that, although it is normal to have concerns about physical appearance, when these become excessive we could be within the spectrum of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

Consequently, It is important to detect those negative feelings and attributions towards one’s own image that are the most problematic.. So that you are more aware of these types of situations and negative feelings, we list them below:

When you look in the mirror you only see flaws. You feel ashamed of your physical appearance. You obsess over your face, hair, nose and skin.You constantly compare yourself to others.You experience feelings of insecurity and inferiority. You feel sadness and demotivation due to your body schema. Your sexual life is very limited by this problem. You persistently have the idea of ​​resorting to surgery. You restrict your social life due to displeasure with your own image. These worries about one’s own body take up a good part of the day.You lead to compulsive behaviors such as constantly looking in the mirror or brushing your hair.

How to help me stop hating my body

No matter how much they tell you to “accept yourself as you are,” doing so is not easy. It is not because the mind is dominated by cognitive biases that feed the negative view of one’s own body image.

Also from learned beliefs and many unconscious irrational ideas that are not easy to deactivate. Such reformulation requires time and work. Let’s see what strategies are useful if you feel like you hate your body.

Practice body neutrality

Realities such as body dysmorphic disorder, as well as one’s own persistent dislike for one’s physical image, partly have their origin in low self-esteem. Metanalysis such as the one disclosed in BMC Psychiatry They point out that this same factor is usually a transversal element.

One way to deactivate that rejection when you say to yourself “I feel like I hate my body” is by practicing body neutrality.. It is an emotional and motivational strategy aimed at improving the relationship you have with your physique. To do this, take note of the following recommendations:

Make a list of everything you can do with your body: breathe, see, walk, work, drive, hug, kiss, write, read, play with your pet, dance and much more.Do rewarding activities: walk, enjoy relaxing baths, dance, sing, etc. Carry out activities that allow you to enjoy every physical sensation that your body gives you. Accept your image without needing to love every part of it: just appreciate everything that your body allows you to do, which is no small thing. This task involves developing adequate empathy with yourself, allowing yourself to exist in your physicality without judging it.

One way to improve the relationship we have with our body is to practice body neutrality. It consists of stopping judging ourselves, learning to live with our body in an empathetic way, enjoying what it allows us to do.

It is advisable to regulate the use of social networks

We live in a society dominated by the tyranny of the image. Advertising, cinema, television and social networks are media that impose the distorted idea that there are “normative bodies.” Thus, the person who does not fit those ideal measurements, shapes and proportions feels rejected and even processes that there is something defective in them.

Research such as that published in Clinics in Dermatology narrow down this problem. The use of social networks and exposure to idealistic images of the body are behind many disorders and suffering. Therefore, It is essential that you improve your use of social networks and your exposure to their messages.

To achieve this goal, take note of the keys that can help in the process and that we will share below:

Rephrase social messages that urge you to perfection: Remember that ideal bodies do not exist, real bodies exist.Choose beads that celebrate diversity, body health and body positive: the moment you start following figures or celebrities that value and respect all types of bodies, the algorithm will continue to show you similar profiles.Limit or regulate your use of networks: Sometimes you can spend too much time exposing yourself to harmful messages and images that unconsciously reinforce rejection of your body. Make good use of technology.

Heal yourself from the messages you received about your body throughout your life

It’s possible that the first time you said to yourself “I feel like I hate my body” was in your early teens. Often, our closest environment reinforces in us a rejection of our own image. There are messages like “you would be prettier if you lost weight” that instill in us a very early discomfort with our own self-image.

To heal and build a good relationship with your body schema, you have to rephrase all those verbalizations that someone directed at you at some point. It is a complex psychological task that involves reviewing, even, beliefs that you considered valid. Consider the following actions:

Keep a diary and write pleasant phrases about yourself in it.Write down the beliefs you have about your own image.Turn those negative messages around, transform them into positive ones. Ask yourself where these messages come from (from your family, past partners, friends, etc.).Understand that dislike of your image is a constructed idea that must be healed.

If you reject your body image, you may have grown up in a family that judged you based on your physical appearance. The messages from our environment condition us.

Surround yourself with people who have a healthy body image of themselves

You may have a friend obsessed with their physique. Spending time with people who are fixated on losing weight, with always showing apparent perfection, can influence you in a negative way. One more time, The messages that come from your environment may distort, little by little, the relationship you have with your body..

It would be very beneficial to have the closeness of figures who accept themselves as they are and who also value you for who you are. Self-esteem is also built by the words that come from those around us. Therefore, Having friends who appreciate you, who validate you and do not judge you for your body, is something very healthy.

What to do if I feel like I persistently hate my body?

If you can’t stop thinking about your body and your psychosocial life is very limited, it’s time to ask for help.. In general, this persistent rejection often translates into self-harm and even suicidal ideation. Avoid reaching this point. There are people specialized in this area who can help you very effectively.

Research such as that published in Behavior Therapy suggests that cognitive-behavioral therapy, combined with antidepressants, is appropriate. Although this study focuses on the young population, it should be noted that its benefits can also be correlated to the adult population.

If I change my body, will the hate or dislike go away?

There are many people who resort to cosmetic surgery in order to achieve that physical appearance with which they can finally reconcile with themselves. Now, will that negative self-perception change if you transform your body?

We can all resort to physical exercise and go under the knife in order to look better. It is not denied that these changes often affect self-esteem. But we must be careful. Cosmetic surgery clinics should evaluate for the presence of BDD; In these cases, the changes do not guarantee that the person will look better. The hatred persists and they continue to need more and more operations.

In conclusion, If you are experiencing a poor relationship with your body image and those negative thoughts don’t go away, ask for help. In these situations, it will be of no use to change your body because the problem is in your mind. And there is help for it.

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