HOW TO TREAT BODY DYSMORPHIA

 By Hajarah Adokutu

Should we talk about body dysmorphia? 

I don’t know, it is not like I made a huge title about how to treat it.

Heads up, I am not an expert on it nor am I licensed to. 

Nonetheless, here we go.

I am not quite a small woman(or so I like to think). For visualization, I am 5’1 and I weigh 9 to 14kg more than a standard bag of rice. The mental maths I am putting my readers through😂.

 I am currently giving the world problems we all hated back then in maths class. For example; John bought 51 apples.

MY DYSMORPHIA BACKSTORY

Let’s get back on track. In my teenage years, I was letter P, meaning I was top-heavy. 

It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but where I am from, big behinds are much nicer to look at.

  That isn’t to say I hate my décolletage (I say that word with all the Victorian flair in me). I just wish I had more junk to swing.

   I went through that stage where I couldn’t see I was skinny and wished to be heavier; After I gained weight, I wanted to be skinnier. The time when I felt my nose was too big and wanted my lips to be thinner.

  I was two cup sizes heavier than my mates. Boyyyy! Did the boys in my class make me hate that.

 Teenagers are devious creatures; Regardless of all the snide remarks and the unwanted attention, I was still very obsessed with my image in the mirror.

 I have broken more mirrors than I have looked into, not in rage but for the fact I couldn’t just stop looking at myself.

There is a tweet of mine which says:

  “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

  For nothing has ever made me feel disgustingly beautiful,

 Like my very own eyes looking into the mirror.”

I don’t know where my seeming self-confidence streams from, but I have it in spades. I might be a little worrier inside but when it is time to go, it is time to go!

This reads like a gloating post, though I feel like that is the best way to treat body dysmorphia.

WHAT IS BODY DYSMORPHIA DISORDER?

What does the term body dysmorphia mean?

According to MayoClinic, Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others. But you may feel so embarrassed, ashamed and anxious that you may avoid many social situations.

SEE TREATMENT PLAN

What better way to treat this than pride? 

Whatever you have as a “flaw”, you need to accept it and be proud of it. Be so proud of it to the extent that you gloat about it.

   My flat behind (this is by my associates' standards by the way, because to me it is humongous) is lauded and applauded by me. 

After seeing my image in the mirror, I turn back and give a quick twerk in respect and salute to how beautiful it looks.

 I have accepted that part of me and this is coming from a lady with a big shiny forehead and so many things I would rather not list.

While it is easier said than done, you will have to do the mental work. You need to gaslight your brain into believing it has its own junk in the trunk, and voila there you go. I remember saying I was not licensed nor the best person to talk on this.

ANECDOTES

 What brought about this post if I am so accepting of myself?

My cousin had masked her worries with humour and as an OG of doing that, I could see through it.

While in my eyes, she is beautiful. My compliments won’t stop it from being a sore spot for her.

  I wish to say I don’t worry or nitpick about my body sometimes. That would be a lie, but one thing I make sure of is to never leave the mirror without twerking. Even though I might look like a fish out of the water while doing it, It is a good mood booster.

  With time, I hope she and everybody else will find pride in their image and see their so-called flaws as inherently beautiful. And also, a twerk-therapy guide that works for them. 

 

IN CONCLUSION…..

This body of ours is the only home we have to house our souls. That is until the billionaires and mad scientists find a way to transfer our consciousness to another body. 

Until then, we shouldn’t furnish this home with complaints and inadequacy thoughts. We should always think of decorating ourselves as being enough, and not only that but as the best.

Therefore, I wish everyone good luck with their self-acceptance journey and more swing in twerking away their body dysmorphia❤️.