Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Has anyone heard of this? Maybe not, but I bet almost everyone of us goes through it.
Body dissatisfaction.
We know that the way we feel about ourselves is largely influenced about how we feel about our bodies. If we perceive any flaws in our body, we believe we are flawed overall.
These are some excerpts taken from an article I used in my Sociology class by Melissa Mason.

Preoccupation with physical appearance may permeate into all aspects of her well-being and reduce her ability to appreciate her talents and her individual power.

BODY DISSATISFACTION KEEPS WOMEN (AND MEN) IN SILENT AGONY AND LIMITS THEM FROM EXPERIENCING THEIR OWN LIVES TO THE FULLEST.

Now get this ladies:

The internalization of objectification, termed self-objectification, causes women to view themselves as objects, valued for use by others. This causes women to contribute to their own oppression!

A negative body image acts like a cage that limits women from enjoying the full quality of their lives.

THIS REALLY HIT ME:

The real self, or inner self, contains all the real thoughts and feeling society tells them to repress. The false self is the self exhibited to the world. This self is a reflection of the qualities that are expected by society. As girls continue to use their false self, it overrides their real self and they become disassociated from their selves. Girls then begin to rely on forces outside themselves for self-definition. They receive messages from society about what is expected of them. Topping this list of expectations is attainment of physical beauty that for most girls is OUT OF REACH. The model of perfection, or the ideal woman that is presented to girls is unattainable. Because of this, girls begin to devalue themselves. They pay great attention to their external selves, while ignoring their inner selves. Instead of feeling upset, they feel fat.

Ideal standards of beauty as prescribed by society are restrictive and incredibly hard, if not impossible, to meet. If a woman does not feel she has the ideal body or appearance, she may be reluctant to participate in social activities. Women begin to value themselves less because their inner thighs tough, and become preoccupied with developing their abs instead of developing themselves as individuals.

Beauty becomes the ultimate goal for girls, and intensifies as girls become women.

Arms jiggle, breasts sag, skin wrinkles. Instead of focusing on what she brings to the table, she is focused on how she looks at the table.
She is oppressed.

I think we need to change this. We need to value who we are, despite how we see ourselves in the mirror.
To all that feel this way -

I am struggling with this on a daily basis, and only when I read this article did I realize, for my whole life.
I have always considered myself somewhat of a feminist and definitely a strong, rebellious woman that would never allow myself to be brought down by anyone. Yet, I allow my life to be led by how I feel about my body. I also find myself keeping quiet when I have an opinion, and when I'm around men, I have even felt INFERIOR! This makes me furious - but unfortunately it's not as easy as telling yourself "Just knock it off."
I definitely put up a front, and even my closest friends and my family members don't know the whole of me. I think this would be a good place for that kind of support, as well! Support for being YOU!

So there is a very thin line. How do we continue our lives without blurring it? I wear make-up, and I try to be fashionable, and (obviously) I am trying hard to lose weight. So can we win, ladies?
Of course every one of us has talents and special characteristics that make us who we are. There shouldn't be any reason that we can't love ourselves inside and allow it to radiate outside through whatever is available to us. Cosmetics, etc.
I definitely have major issues with this. I find myself holding back from so many activities that I thoroughly enjoy for fear of the way I look.
Have you ever observed other women? I do this often, and even some women who are very overweight still seem to move comfortably with their bodies. I have envied this for a long while, and after posting pieces of the article and seeing your responses, I am thrilled (and devastated) that so many others understand what this is like.
I encourage everyone who reads this thread to post a time(s) when they struggled with Body Dissatisfaction.
Just as ali106 said, this is like therapy, but at 0% of the cost!
Maybe by sharing our experiences and allowing them out of ourselves and into the world, we can try to let them go and move on with our goals! :flowerforyou: