Body image and adoption are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain adoption, and adoption frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Adoption
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives adoption
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary adoption trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as adoption
How Adoption Affects Body Image
Adoption 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 Adoption 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 adoption
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and adoption