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