Did your mental or physcial torment let your outer appearance age faster?

[noname223]

I recently read about a woman who struggled a lot with life. Sadly I cannot remember the full context. But the description was: She looked way older than she actually was probably because she suffered so much in her life.

I am no expert but many people say you get grey hair faster and more wrinkles when you have a lot of stress or sorrows. Not sure how much the real impact is.
Mentally and maybe spiritual I felt that I had aged very fasted after my first extreme major depressive disorder. But I really learned way more after my second one.

From my outer appearance I don't know. I often looked myself into the mirrow. I looked me in the eyes what suffering I had to endure after my first MDD. I felt like yeah my life is fucked up insane. I thought I was healed but instead I was just manic which led to the second MDD.

I don't know when I looked myself in the eyes I looked traumatized. My gaze was insecure and in general shocked about my own life. This is at least how I perceived it. I had huge problems with eye contact after my second MDD. I had to train it with my therapist.

I don't know I think I had my first grey hair with 18. After enduring my MDD. But not that many. I don't look often in the mirror. AndI don't care much. I also don't see way more wrickles. Maybe a little bit but I am not good at comparing that.
I think many eat a lot of food out of frustration. This can change the outer appearance. I am too obessive about my weight in order to do that. And my obsessiion got rather worse than in the past.

One of my teacher we had a good relationship called wise old men or something like that after my major depressive disorder. Lol. I am not sure. I think I look a little bit older than the average person in my age. But I could not say if my suffering really caused it.
Maybe I will see a bigger impact when I am older in case I am still alive.

 

[1000YellowDaffodils]

I'm constantly stressed about my stress affecting my appearance lol. I've had an eating disorder for over 10 years so I'm always hyper focused on myself. I feel like worrying, frowning, crying, etc. so often for years is making me age faster, along with bad diet and exercise choices. I've also been losing my hair since I was 16. The doctor says it's alopecia but I get so stressed about it I feel like I'm just making it worse. I'm 20 but on a rough day I could probably pass for 30. Appearance and aging is one of my biggest issues. :/

 

[Disappointered]

It definitely has an effect on your body. I have aged and degenerated much more quickly than I otherwise would have due to years of depression, social isolation, and anxiety (and one notable incident of serious physical damage due to living in a poor area during my early adulthood). I think there's scientific evidence for anxiety making people develop fat around their abdomen due to some sort of hormone that gets overproduced when constantly anxious. I'm sure that's not even that half of it Misery degenerates mind, body, and emotion, probably with irreversible effects. I remember when younger (around 30) I was in a situation in which people were trying to set up their lives, (life partners, careers, etc) and when something critical to a good future took place it was obvious that the person to whom it had happened looked different. Very subtle but noticeable. They looked the same, recognizable as obviously that person one already knew, except way better looking in ways that were difficult to isolate. Could just be in my mind but I don' t think it's implausible that happiness creates subtle changes that make you look better...and conversely...

 

[7b48hl]

I'd say so. And it's making me more miserable because I base my value on looks and end up wanting to die even more

 

[Lily (Osako)]

Definitely. I still look younger than I am but had i not gone through what I did, I know I'd look and feel much younger.
I think most of it aged my body more than my face. I won't even wear a swimsuit anymore.
And it has to be excruciatingly hot to get me in a pair of shorts and tank top.
I also have body dysmorphia so that could be a part of it, but it has definitely aged me.

 

[Foresight]

Oh yea. My gaze is disturbed. My eyes and face show trauma. I look like I just got out of a war zone.

 

[FuneralCry]

I wouldn't say that I look older than my age, but I know that I look very tired of existing. I find it horrifying the thought of getting older, as things can only ever get worse in a life like this.

 

[Un-]

I'm look younger than I actually am, but my eyes.. There's something wrong with them. I couldn't tell you what specifically. People who look at them always reflect a strained smile, if that makes any sense.

I have pillows under my eyes, too. And I find it difficult to smile - actually, moving my mouth is exhausting.

My body? It's rancid. Self harm scars everywhere. I can't wear shorts or short sleeved clothing anymore. My posture and body movement exude my low self esteem. My posture is fucked because of how often I look at the floor, and how often I make myself smaller than I really am.

Coupled with the fact that I'm skinny, paints the picture of someone you'd consider a loser. A real loser.

 

[NumbItAll]

I think it may have helped actually due to a lack of sun exposure from being inside most of the time. Hard to say.