is cosmetic surgery a solution to body dysmorphia?

[deadwinter]

Hi,

I've been struggling with body dysmorphia lately. It's extremely disheartening, exhausting, and constantly agonizing. Existing becomes difficult when you feel sick every time you look at yourself or even think about how you look (which I do 24/7). I know a lot of people deal with this, and I'm truly sorry if you do.

I know this is a mental disorder, but would cosmetic surgery help? I can't help but feel that the only solution is surgery--I genuinely feel like there's something wrong with my face. However, I'm worried that I would just find another feature of myself to pick apart, and still be just as miserable. I know antidepressants can help treat body dysmorphia, but they've never helped me at all.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Life_and_Death]

like lots of things it depends on the person. ive read stories where people are for it, it completely destroyed their lives and everything in between.

 

[CasTheFriendlyGhost]

i think that depends and is impossible to judge from afar. do you think your body dysphoria is a baseless obsession, or can you actually name something about your body you don't like?

i know what it's like to feel unattractive and uncomfortable in your own body and constantly thinking and worrying about it (although i never experienced it to the point of mental illness). what helped me back then was getting in the best shape i possibly could, because even though i still wasn't particularly attractive or good-looking i still received positive feedback and noticed that some people were attracted to me. that helped me stress a lot less about my body. generally it can be determined that people with a lean, fit body, will be perceived as attractive and desirable even if they're far from conventionally beautiful.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think it's maybe good to work on both at once. If you know it's dysmorphia- then you recognise that what you're thinking and feeling about yourself is distorted. I agree that- changing your outward appearance may not help that. You may simply find new things to focus on and hate. People can become addicted to surgeries.

I don't have dysmorphia but I was obsessive about my weight at one point and it's kind of frightening how crazy it can become. I lost 5 stone. I could see the vertebra sticking out my back, I could see the tops of my ribs, my periods stopped and I was constantly cold. Still though- I was unhappy because my thighs were still fat.

I think it's very easy to feed an obsession to the point you actually start to damage your health further. (Plus- there have been awful accidents with cosmetic surgery because it isn't so well regulated- so- you'd need to be careful there.) On the other hand, it gave me so much more confidence to feel like I looked more acceptible.

I really think you could work on both together. I'm sure there must be therapists who specialise in this. It's probably best to ask them in fact on whether surgery is a good idea. They must know the best way of treating it. Good luck.

 

[TheLastGreySky]

Personal opinion... I think body dysmorphia is 100% a mental thing. Sometimes I think my eyes aren't spaced right, or one is slightly lazy. There are times where I think my nostrils are too big.
The only actual basis for any part of my body that I dislike is my arms used to be skinnier than most people.
So I worked out a lot and got a lot bigger and I can flex but...

I still see them as twigs.

If it's actual dysmorphia you're seeing things differently than reality.

Hypothetically let's say all your dysmorphia is from actual flaws and cosmetic surgery wasn't an option. ... Could you love and accept yourself as you are now? And if the answer is no...
Then it's not any part of your body that needs changing, it's how you see yourself.

I'm just going to end with this little note...
Talk good to yourself even if you feel like you're lying at first. Things will get better.

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

I had slight nose job and it has helped me. But you got to be careful. Some people take it too far with surgery.
I wish I could have cosmetic surgery for my brain too

 

[NumbItAll]

It might help if you have a specific thing that you want to change. Keep in mind you can also make things worse, and some people go down the rabbit hole of endless surgeries until they eventually look disfigured. I would only do it if you know exactly what you want and can derive a clear benefit from it that outweighs the risks and financial cost.