26 Mar Help With Body Dysmorphia Recovery
Living Beyond the Mirror
Body dysmorphia can feel like an endless battle with your reflection, but healing goes beyond the mirror. Inner child healing, coaching, and hypnotherapy can address the deep-rooted beliefs fuelling body image struggles and help with body dysmorphia recovery. Here’s how these methods can help, how to spot the signs, and my personal journey with body dysmorphia.
Potential Signs of Body Dysmorphia
- Obsessive mirror-checking or avoiding reflections
- Excessive grooming, tanning/whitening or makeup use
- Seeking reassurance about appearance and needing to look ‘perfect’
- Comparing yourself to others obsessively
- Avoiding photographs or being highly critical of appearance in photographs
- Anxiety or depression related to looks
- Excessive aesthetics, cosmetic surgery, body modifications (including tattoos and piercings), body building, dieting
- Tying self-worth to appearance
- Feeling uncomfortable in your body beyond aesthetics
- Avoiding social events due to fear of judgment
- Feeling self-loathing on a visceral level that is tied to perceived flaws
- Religiously hiding parts of your body that you deem unacceptable to society
What is Body Dysmorphia?
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is now under the umbrella term of BFRB ‘body focussed repetitive behaviours.’ Other BFRB’s include hair pulling, cheek, nail, biting, skin, excessive nose picking. BDD often includes one or more of these other behaviours and can also be linked to OCD and ADHD.
Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition where a person is obsessed with their appearance and self-perceived flaws. Having a distorted view of one’s appearance, leads to anxiety, stress, questionable life choices, feelings of isolation, self-loathing, guilt and shame to name but a few of the challenges this condition brings. If you relate to any of the above, then I urge you to speak to your doctor or health professional.
My Experience with Body Dysmorphia
Then…
From as young as I can remember (aged 4) I was full of self-loathing. Being made to have short hair I remember crying in the chair begging my mum not to let the hairdresser to cut it, and saying I hated myself and was ugly. By aged 8 I had decided that my face needed cosmetic surgery. Like many people born pre internet, there wasn’t the awareness or knowledge around many mental health disorders, so millions of people have slipped through the net without support.
As a teenager I was addicted to sun beds and would plaster my face with heavy makeup, just to step out of the house. I would hide my ‘hideous’ face behind my hands and hair whenever I could and try and distract people from my perceived ugliness by exhibitionist clothing. Promiscuity was one of the ways I sought validation for my appearance.
Aged 22 I had my first cosmetic surgery and since then I have had many more procedures, initially due to me wanting to fix my ‘flaws’. My healing journey began when I was finally diagnosed aged 32.
Now…
Through a combination of Hypnotherapy and Inner Child Healing, I have finally reached a point of peace, and been able to generate a sense of self love and worth, that transcends the part of me affected by body dysmorphia.
Like many of my struggles I recognised that reaching a point of acceptance is key and that the part of me struggling with body dysmorphia needs a huge amount of love and compassion.
For me freedom from BDD has been acceptance and management so that it doesn’t consume my life to a point I am now confident to hold my head high and put myself out there embracing my individuality while nourishing myself from within. Generating a sense of self love has been key to this.
How Inner Child Healing, Coaching & Hypnotherapy Can Help Body Dysmorphia Recovery
Inner Child Healing
- Uncovers childhood experiences shaping self-image
- Rebuilds self-worth beyond appearance
- Releases subconscious emotional wounds
Coaching for Body Image
- Guides practical mindset shifts
- Supports self-compassion and body acceptance
- Reinforces self-love through daily habits
Hypnotherapy for Transformation
- Reprograms negative thought patterns
- Reduces obsessive thoughts and self-criticism
- Instils inner peace and confidence
Embrace Healing Beyond the Mirror
Recovery isn’t about fixing your reflection—it’s about healing from within. Inner child healing, coaching, and hypnotherapy can help you embrace self-acceptance and confidence and help with body dysmorphia recovery.
Need Support?
Reach out for a free consultation and start your journey to self-love today!
https://rebeccadakin.com/contact-me/
https://calendly.com/rebeccadakin/30-minute-clarity-call
Further resources;https://bddfoundation.org