Your Therapist in Sugar Land talks about How Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Mental Health are All Related

Body image is the combination of thoughts and feelings you have when you think about your body. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines body image as “the mental picture one forms of one’s body as a whole, including its physical characteristics and one’s attitudes toward these characteristics.”

There is a complex overlap between emotions and self-perception, so body image is not always an accurate representation of how an individual actually appears. Just like self-esteem, body image can be distorted, inflated, inaccurate, or ignored depending on the person. 

As a therapist in Sugar Land these are my thoughts on a negative body image

Coming up with how you feel about your body, or your body image is usually impacted by several factors including:

• Your perception of how you look in the mirror

• Your understanding of what your body can do

• Your awareness of how your body moves

• Evaluation of individual parts of your body

• Feelings about your body and body parts

• Your estimated body size

• Culturally driven beliefs about what bodies should look like

Thoughts about a negative body image can creep in at a surprisingly early age! According to research, 40-50% of first and second graders already don’t like something about their bodies. And when their bodies begin to change during puberty, this is exaggerated.

Depression and/or body image issues can easily begin in adolescents in response to their body changes. There is also a heightened sense of attention to appearance and critical appraisal of the body that accompanies these hormones. Females tend to put more pressure on the body’s appearance, whereas males place a higher value on the effectiveness of their body (ie. strength and performance).

Your therapist in Sugar Land discusses body image, self-esteem, and mental health

Feeling dissatisfied with your body can lead to physical and emotional unhealthy habits. Negative body image is associated with health issues and many people that suffer from it tend to be at greater risk of developing the following:

• Mood disorders

• Eating disorders

• Body dysmorphic disorder

• Muscle dysmorphia

• Low self-esteem

• Relationship problems

• Self-harm tendencies

People with depression, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder may also have a distorted or negative body image.

Your therapist in Sugar Land explains creating a more positive and healthy body image

Despite what society tells you, body image and self-esteem start in the mind, not in the mirror. They change the way you understand your worth and value and are a big part of your well-being.

It’s both mental and emotional because it’s the mental picture you have of your body and the way you feel about it when you see yourself in the mirror.

A healthy body image is more than simply tolerating the way you look, or not hating your body. It means accepting the way you look right now and not trying to change who you are. It means recognizing your strengths and qualities that make you feel good about yourself beyond what you weigh, how you look, or what you think the “perfect” body on you looks like.

Self-esteem is how you value and respect yourself–the opinion you have of yourself on the inside and out. And believe it or not, your self-esteem correlates to how you take care of yourself emotionally, physically, and spiritually. 

When you have good self-esteem you value yourself and demand respect from others. You can appreciate your strengths and you feel confident. You still feel good or like yourself, even when you are dealing with hard situations or trials.

Overcoming a negative body image can be stressful and difficult, but therapy can help! With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a form of talk therapy, I can help you change your body image over time. This type of treatment can help you identify harmful or faulty thinking patterns and restructure your thoughts so they are kinder, more positive, and more accurate.

This might incorporate learning to revise self-critical language and learning relaxation techniques to relieve stress that can go along with negative body image.

Southern Pine Counseling helps people who are overwhelmed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma feel better and improve the way they view their body image so they can be happier and feel more confident in their skin.

We work with individuals, couples, and families. We partner with you to make a custom plan to improve your mental health, body image, and even your relationships. 

Southern Pine Counseling gets to know you as an individual, we listen to your needs, and your experiences and we create a plan that you feel confident you can achieve. 

We care about each individual client and view each one as a friend. We hold you in our hearts as we help your heart heal from any emotional, physical, or mental struggles in your life.

Call us today to learn more or to sign up for our July New Client special!