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