Accepting Your Body

Learning to love yourself

Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash

Whom do you see looking back at you when you look in the mirror? Is your body as you would like it to be, or do you always find fault with it? If not, you are in good company, as most people feel somewhat ashamed of their appearance.

This article discusses body shaming, ACEs, and how the two interact with complex trauma.

Body Shaming

Many people feel deep-seated shame over how they look. We spend billions each year on spa treatments and beauty products. A driving force in how we respond to our bodies is the existence of body shaming.

Body shaming is saying something negative about your or someone else’s body. The comment may be about your size, hair, eating habits, clothing, or age. It only takes one of the negative statements said to a person who has experienced complex trauma to ruin their day or leave an indelible scar.

Indeed, body shaming causes several negative consequences to your mental health. Below are only a few adverse effects that occur because of body shaming.

· Significantly elevated risk of depression

· Eating disorders forming

· Worsens the outcome for people who are trying to lose weight