Body Image Issues After Infidelity Trauma? Help from Your Therapist in Sugar Land, TX
You discovered your partner has been admiring someone else. It feels like a sharp pain, leaving you anxious and questioning your self-worth. You now see only the admirable qualities in the other person and what you believe you lack. You are constantly stalking the other person online; you're exhausted, but your desire to understand keeps you going back. Every scroll of their profile feels worse, but you cannot help it, for some reason, you feel like they have some code to attractiveness that you do not, and if you keep searching, maybe you can decipher it and fix everything.
After infidelity trauma, it is very common, especially for women, to feel like they are not enough. We often see our perceived flaws as the reason our partner stepped out or looked elsewhere. It is so common for us to blame ourselves and become hypercritical of how we look, causing us to feel ashamed. This then leads us to validate the idea that our flaws have somehow made us unlovable or inadequate as a partner. After an infidelity trauma, it is so common to feel as if you were younger, thinner, or better looking so that the infidelity could have been avoided, that you would not have to be experiencing infidelity trauma. This experience can give rise to what is known as Betrayal-Induced Body Dysmorphia (BIBD), which is a distorted and negative perception of one's own body and appearance following the discovery of infidelity. BIBD is a real phenomenon that is experienced by 40-50% of people after an infidelity. This sounds serious, and it is, but I want you to know that you are not alone.
When you feel insecure about yourself and how you look, it causes physical stress and anxiety within your body. You may notice that your hair is falling out, that you are getting more headaches, that you are getting indigestion, that you do not want to be touched, and that you are having trouble sleeping. You may notice big changes in your eating habits, like becoming more restrictive or eating more than you usually do. All of these symptoms are common signs that you are struggling with stress. On a personal level, it can impact your relationships; you may turn down invites to go out with friends because you do not feel like you deserve to go out, because you need to focus on your “diet,” or you do not feel like you have anything that is socially acceptable to be seen in. You feel like you have nothing to offer, so you withdraw from other people, and then when they stop calling, you feel worse, because you feel like you are totally alone, which then causes you to reinforce the idea that you are not lovable or likable. This often leads to a quicker downward spiral of your self-esteem, further robbing you of the joyful, happy person that you used to be. You do not want to be this person, but you feel stuck, you want to ask for help, but you do not know where to turn.
Seeking help for infidelity trauma in Sugar Land, TX, is important for moving forward. Alyssia at Southern Pine Counseling uses EMDR, DBT, and CBT therapies to help you untangle insecurities, recognize your self-worth, and see that your appearance was not the cause. She supports you in developing a nurturing self-care routine and rebuilding a stronger, more confident sense of self. Alyssia’s kind and gentle approach to therapy lets you be heard, explore your deepest fears and sorrows so that you can put your infidelity trauma behind you. At Southern Pine Counseling, your therapist in Sugar Land, TX, helps people just like you every day overcome infidelity trauma. She knows exactly what to do to support you and get you back on track. Your life has been derailed; it is not fair, and it should not have happened. It also should not have to stay that way. Set up a free consultation with Alyssia today to get your life back on track because you deserve to feel lovable.
