How to deal with hating your body?

It is probably impossible to find a human being who thinks that his or her body is absolutely perfect. We all have something about the way we look that we absolutely hate. ‘If only my nose were like this’ or ‘I wish my skin were like that’ and more in the same vein are very common refrains among all of us, and that is normal. The problem begins to arise when we hate something about our body so much that it very nearly takes over our lives.

BDD or Body Dysmorphic Disorder

This is the condition that scientists call BDD or Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It is the condition in which a person becomes obsessed with some perceived flaws in the way they look. So much so, that they spend most of their time thinking about it. BDD can lead to serious conditions like depression and anxiety. It can even affect the way one lives their day-to-day lives.

Perception of the so-called flaw

According to Dr. S.P. Sharma, Life Coach and Counsellor, “It (BDD) is a very serious issue and people who suffer from it tend to get completely obsessed with tiny flaws in their body.” He explains how such people may even resort to several plastic surgeries to try and fix these flaws. “The problem is,” he goes on to elaborate, “that these surgeries rarely fix the problem, because the perceived flaw is usually very minute or even sometimes nonexistent. The bigger problem is in their perception of that so-called flaw.”

Bodily beauty and perfection has become a fad

What with the world’s constant and in-your-face obsession with beauty these days, it is hardly surprising that a lot more people suffer from BDD now than before. Mother of two teenage daughters, Mrs. Preeti Khanna of New Delhi understands the problem, “my daughters are constantly checking their hair and watching what they eat. Bodily beauty and perfection has become a fad these days,” she says. While Mrs. Khanna’s daughters may not yet be that deep into the problem, it is important to be wary.

Artificially fixing the body may not be the answer

And for those who suspect that they may be edging towards BDD or know someone who may be, it is never too soon to seek help. Artificially fixing the body may not be the answer; but taking a fresh perspective and learning to be comfortable in your own body may be it.