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