What is body dysmorphia?

Megan Fox for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s 2023 issue. (Photo via Instagram/si_swimsuit)

Body dysmorphia or body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health problem that leads to overthinking flaws and defects in your appearance.

The flaws are minor and mostly can’t be seen by others, but people with body dysmorphic disorder feel ashamed and embarrassed about those flaws and experience negative emotions and thoughts about how they look.

As a result, they face severe disruptions in life, which damages their mental and physical well-being. It’s estimated that about 2.4% of adults in the U.S. have body dysmorphia.

What causes body dysmorphia?

Body dysmorphia can be caused due to a history of childhood bullying, abuse and trauma. (Photo via Pexels/RDNE Stock project)

Body dysmorphia typically starts in teenage years and affects both males and females.

While there’s no exact cause of body dysmorphia, medical experts believe that several factors may be responsible for the same. These include:

• genetics
• cultural influence
• brain structure
• a history of childhood bullying, abuse and trauma

Megan Fox body dysmorphia

Megan Fox wants people to notice her aura. (Photo via Instagram/magaenfox)

In a video for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2023 issue, Megan Fox said

“I have body dysmorphia — I don’t ever see myself the way other people see me. There’s never a point in my life where I loved my body, never, ever.

The Transformers star explained that she had an obsession about her body from a very young age.

“When I was little, that was an obsession I had of, like, but I should look this way. And why I had an awareness of my body that young I’m not sure, and it definitely wasn’t environmental because I grew up in a very religious environment where bodies weren’t even acknowledged.”

Megan Fox believes that the journey of loving herself is going to be never-ending. During the video with Sports Illustrated, Fox also said that she wants people to know how genuine she is.

“What I most want people to know is that I’m a genuine soul who is hoping to actually belong to something and not always have to live as a misunderstood outcast. I want all people, not just women, to have respect for their bodies and for themselves.”

Megan Fox also added that the first thing she wants people to notice about her is her aura. The mother of three believes she has a rainbow aura, and that’s very special.

How to deal with body dysmorphia?

There are several ways that can help you cope with body dysmorphia and live a healthier and happier life.

One of the best ways is to avoid being alone, as that increases the chances of making a decision that you might regret making. So, talk to your loved ones, and lean on them for their support rather than being alone and suffering.

Keeping a daily journal and practicing meditation every day can also help you deal with body dysmorphia. Journaling will help you express your thoughts and emotions and also allow you to release stress.

Meditation, meanwhile, can ease your anxiety and negative thoughts and also help you gain more self-love, patience and positivity.

How to treat body dysmorphia?

Treatments for body dysmorphia may include medicines and talk therapies, but the best treatment is a combination of the two.

One of the best therapies used for the cure of body dysmorphia is cognitive behavioral therapy, which mainly focuses on teaching patients how to cope with emotional reactions and behaviors. They them learn different ways to handle urges to look into the mirror and teaches them behaviors and ways to boost mental health.

In cases where body dysmorphic disorder symptoms are severe, doctors may recommend hospitalization.