Body image and addiction are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain addiction, and addiction frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Addiction
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives addiction
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary addiction trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as addiction
How Addiction Affects Body Image
Addiction can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Addiction Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by addiction
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and addiction