enterthechair
New Here
There are some triggers related to body dysmorphia that could cause me to have a panic attack for hours. I haven't fixed all of them, but I have overcame some of them, and it gives me hope that I can overcome more of them.
One of them for example was photos. If I look bad in a photo, I would take it extremely personally. I would keep looking at the pic, then look at myself in the mirror and cry.
What helped fix this was learning about photography. I learned about lighting, composition, angles, focal length and so on. This way, when I see an unflattering photo of myself, I know exactly why it's unflattering.
I know the lighting is facing the wrong way. The camera is too low. The angle could've been straighter. Or maybe it was a wide-angle shot taken up too close (as camera phones often are, unless you're zooming in), which causes a "dome effect" that distorts your face.
What helped wasn't just a positive mindset, but arming myself with knowledge. Not just knowing in vague terms that the photo didn't represent me, but knowing specifically what variable went wrong in the taking of the picture.
I also applied the same thought process to clothes, which was another trigger for my body dysmorphia. If clothes were too tight, I'd feel fat and sausagelike. If they were too big or boxy, I'd feel big heavy and bulky. Me going into fitting rooms many times, and trying hundreds of pieces of clothing have helped me learn what fits and fabrics work for my body.
And as I wrote before, it's not just having a positive mindset. But having the knowledge to know exactly why that piece of clothing wasn't flattering to me. And it helped me decouple that from my self-worth.
One of them for example was photos. If I look bad in a photo, I would take it extremely personally. I would keep looking at the pic, then look at myself in the mirror and cry.
What helped fix this was learning about photography. I learned about lighting, composition, angles, focal length and so on. This way, when I see an unflattering photo of myself, I know exactly why it's unflattering.
I know the lighting is facing the wrong way. The camera is too low. The angle could've been straighter. Or maybe it was a wide-angle shot taken up too close (as camera phones often are, unless you're zooming in), which causes a "dome effect" that distorts your face.
What helped wasn't just a positive mindset, but arming myself with knowledge. Not just knowing in vague terms that the photo didn't represent me, but knowing specifically what variable went wrong in the taking of the picture.
I also applied the same thought process to clothes, which was another trigger for my body dysmorphia. If clothes were too tight, I'd feel fat and sausagelike. If they were too big or boxy, I'd feel big heavy and bulky. Me going into fitting rooms many times, and trying hundreds of pieces of clothing have helped me learn what fits and fabrics work for my body.
And as I wrote before, it's not just having a positive mindset. But having the knowledge to know exactly why that piece of clothing wasn't flattering to me. And it helped me decouple that from my self-worth.
