Body Image and Anxiety

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope

Anxiety is a reality that many people face and battle on a daily basis.

Anxiety can be an intense feeling of nervousness, uneasiness, or worry about a looming event or any situation with an unclear outcome. While it is common to experience some bouts of anxiety or distress, anxiety disorders are severe mental complications that can interfere with a person’s ability to live their lives and carry out normal daily functions.

Signs of anxiety disorders include:

• Intense feelings of panic and fear
• Muscle tension
• Difficulty sleeping or eating
• An inability to be calm and composed
• Dizziness and nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations, and more

Anxiety disorders can range from specific phobias, panic disorders, social anxiety disorders, and even generalized anxiety disorders.

Dealing with an Anxiety Disorder

If you or a loved one is dealing with an anxiety disorder, you have likely found it difficult to truly thrive in life, to participate in normal activities that you enjoy, or to simply carry out daily functions and tasks. Coping with anxiety or any anxiety disorder can be a tremendous feat, particularly is a person lacks an ability to deal with anxiety in an appropriate and healthy way.

For some individuals, the struggle with anxiety can be internalized and projected through poor body image. Other people may even feel intense anxiety about their bodies or find that body distortions trigger anxiety and worry. Understanding these possible correlations between poor body image and anxiety are fundamental for finding healing and to be able to separate emotions from how one treats and cares for himself or herself.

Finding Help for Anxiety

If you have found yourself suffering with intense anxiety about your body or the way you look to the point that it interferes with your ability to live, it is important to seek out professional help and treatment.

Some individuals may actually be struggling with body dysmorphic disorder, which is a severe mental illness is which a person believes that their own appearance is unusually defective¹. Body dysmorphic disorder is not just poor self-esteem; this mental illness involves beliefs that are intrusive and invasive, to the point that a person struggling with this disorder will go to great lengths to try to change themselves or their perceived “flaws”.

Anxiety’s Connection to Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder is also characterized by anxiety and a fear of interacting with other people or engaging in social activities. If you think you may be in fact struggling with body dysmorphic disorder, it is crucial to seek out professional help and treatment.

Anxiety that often comes with this disorder will not simply subside on it’s own. There are forms of treatment that can help a person dealing with body dysmorphic disorder recover and effectively deal with any subsequent anxiety.

How the Body Is Used to Cope with Anxiety

There may also be individuals who perhaps hyper focus on body image as an unconscious way of coping with anxiety. When issues in life seem too difficult or overwhelming, internalizing feelings towards oneself can become a negative way of coping when there are no alternatives.

For example, a person who feels bad about something that may have happened in a relationship with someone or anxious about an outcome of an unknown situation may channel those feelings towards themselves and how they feel about their body. Thoughts may evolve such as, “If I only looked a certain way, this would not have happened”, or “If only I were thinner, I would be loved, accepted, wanted….”, etc.

Separating anxiety and feelings from body can be challenging, especially if this is a pattern that you have learned to live with some time. If this is the case for you, know that there are resources and professional help available for guiding you through the recovery from an anxiety disorder. Rebuilding body image is possible with the support of professionals who can help you effectively deal with anxiety.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

What has been your experience with anxiety and poor body image? What has been helpful to you in rebuilding a positive body image and learning appropriate and healthy ways to cope with anxiety?

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References:

1. Cororve, Michelle; Gleaves, David (August 2001). “Body dysmorphic disorder: a review of conceptualizations, assessment, and treatment strategies”. Clinical Psychology Review 21 (6): 949–970. doi:10.1016/s0272-7358(00)00075-1.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on July 7th, 2015
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com