Many people are affected by dysmorphophobia, this disorder which distorts the vision of the body. But how to explain that the most adored personalities are also subject to it?
“Pure self-hatred. “On July 17, Robbie Williams published a cartoon on his Instagram account. Commenting on this sketch arguing that his ideal weight was the one from which people worried about him, the British singer talked about his relationship to his body. “I could write a book about self-loathing about my body image,” he wrote. Through a few lines of honesty tinged with a form of violence, the artist confides that he suffers from “pure self-hatred” and “feels ugly”. In addition to this frankness on his self-esteem, Robbie Williams reveals in this text be prone to dysmorphophobia. Stating that he is “not looking to get compliments”, the interpreter highlights a widespread disorder, especially among celebrities.
The view of oneself shielded from the public
Before him, Billie Eilish, Megan Fox, Robert Pattinson or Marina Foïs had discussed their journey with this particular disorder. ” There dysmorphophobia is when we have a vision of ourselves that does not correspond to the reality of our body and that this vision makes us suffer”, summarizes the psychiatrist Marine Colombel. This disorder can affect the whole body or a small part. For example, a person may perceive themselves to be much thinner than they are or see their nose in a distorted way. This disorder can manifest itself in isolation or be one of the signs of a larger pathology, such as depression or anorexia nervosa. When it affects celebrities, dysmorphophobia can be confusing. Faced with personalities corresponding to many criteria of beauty and often put forward for their physique, how to explain a vision so far from reality ? “If dysmorphophobia affects public figures so much, it is because our image does not come only from the sensory, explains Marine Colombel. Certainly it is built by what we feel, what we see in the mirror, but it is also built by the gaze of others. “A star like Robbie Williams is constantly confronted with the “magnified vision of the fans” who “return something grandiose to him”. But once alone in front of his mirror, he is faced with reality. “There can be a shock of reality which can cause great suffering for artists”, details the psychiatrist. The gap between the idealized image of the public and the more severe image of the person can generate suffering.
The unconscious image of the body weighs on each of us. For some, it is a source of suffering. But this is not inevitable. Here’s why ? 👇 https://t.co/Ap0E73atxX
— Psychologies (@Psychologies_) March 16, 2022
Disorder tested by bodily transformations
In his publication, Robbie Williams also reveals that if he managed to be thin, it is now his age that seems to be the problem. Through his speech, he highlights the psychological extent of this disorder. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Megan Fox revealed she also suffered from dysmorphophobia. The actress, repeatedly voted the most beautiful or sexiest woman in the world by various magazines, insisted on the dichotomy between his vision and that of the rest of the world. “I never see myself as others see me. At no time in my life have I loved my body, ever,” she said. Although she has never admitted having had surgery or aesthetic medicine, the appearance of the 37-year-old actress has changed drastically over the years, without ever changing her vision of herself. “Dysmorphophobia is not a physical problem, it is a problem of mental representation, recalls psychiatrist Marine Colombel. Even if we visually improve things externally, internally the body image will not be modified. To get out of this vision, the accompaniment of a mental health professional, drug treatment, therapy and sensory activities, such as sports or meditation, can help. But, here again, for public figures the work can be more complicated. “When you are anonymous, the gaze of others is not as heavy, believes the specialist. No matter where a celebrity goes, people will recognize them and tell them something about them that isn’t necessarily real. But, famous or not, the suffering remains the same.
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