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