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