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It is natural to be dissatisfied with some physical characteristic, but what is the difference between simple dissatisfaction and having physical complexes? Do you know any disorders related to body image?
Physical Complexes
In the society we live in, it is common to feel familiar with expressions like „physical complexes” or „complexes about one’s appearance.” These refer to the emotional discomfort caused by subjective perception, fixation, and dissatisfaction with one or several physical traits. While these physical complexes are usually present in the daily lives of those who suffer from them, certain times of the year can further exacerbate the discomfort they generate. For example, at the beginning of the year when people set new goals and/or try to compensate for holiday indulgences, or with the arrival of warm weather when the body is more exposed due to the heat. Some of the most frequent complexes that people experience are caused by weight (especially feeling fat), height (both excess and deficiency), baldness, lack of muscle, breast size, cellulite, wrinkles, scars… and an endless list of other possible physical complexes. In most cases, the perception of the physical trait that causes discomfort is distorted. This means that the person, by obsessing over this trait, does not see it as it truly is in reality but exaggerates its importance. In other cases, the physical characteristic is not distorted, meaning that the person has a certain trait (for example, baldness), but the distress it causes is excessive, leading to feelings of self-consciousness. A physical complex can directly influence a person’s daily life, affecting the formation of emotional bonds or the engagement in social and leisure activities. For example, a person who wants to go to the pool but doesn’t because of cellulite is avoiding doing something they enjoy due to the psychological discomfort caused by that physical complex.
How do Physical Complexes Arise?
The formation of self-concept, the ideas one has about oneself, is undoubtedly influenced by a person’s life history, so it is important to note that there is a wide variety of factors related to the emergence of physical complexes. Clinical evidence highlights the following factors as clearly influential:
– Experiencing humiliations related to the trait causing discomfort: Having been insulted or humiliated in childhood or adolescence due to the physical characteristic that one is dissatisfied with can result in the person re-experiencing the distress years later, even in circumstances unrelated to the particular physical trait. This can manifest as a physical complex.
– Feeling ashamed due to this trait in significant individuals: Another factor associated with the emergence of physical complexes is the shame often experienced during childhood for a particular physical trait of a significant attachment figure, such as a parent or primary caregiver. For example, a child feeling ashamed of a parent’s weight or skin color. The individual may continue to obsess and worry about possessing that characteristic that caused them distress as a child, resulting in the development of a physical complex.
– Being exposed to derogatory remarks: The fact that others criticize or judge a particular trait, being exposed to derogatory comments about one’s physical appearance, can also contribute to the development of physical complexes.
– Focusing on specific parts and not seeing the body as a whole: The body is composed of numerous parts and characteristics (height, weight, skin color and type, limbs, hair, eyes, nose, etc.). Paying excessive attention to each one of these parts and perceiving them as very distinct from each other can lead to an overemphasis on each part and, perhaps, a distortion in the perception of a specific characteristic, resulting in the development of a physical complex. In this regard, it would be important to analyze the person’s relationship with perfectionism.
– Not feeling loved and valued enough: Growing up with feelings and perceptions of lack of love and affection can have a significant impact on self-concept, often resulting in self-esteem problems. This situation can lead to insecurity and lack of self-confidence, thus facilitating the emergence of specific internal conflicts that give rise to physical complexes.
– Desiring to achieve an ideal of beauty: Wanting to achieve a „perfect body” can lead to many frustrations, as well as anguish and discomfort. Pursuing an ideal of beauty, often unrealistic, can generate feelings of dissatisfaction and lack of acceptance of one’s own body, resulting in physical complexes. Although it can occur from late childhood, it has been observed that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to this „pursuit of the ideal of beauty”.
– Influence of current society: Regarding the desire to achieve an ideal of beauty, it is important to highlight the enormous influence exerted by social media and advertising campaigns in today’s society. Models, actors, athletes, bloggers, influencers… display their semi-naked bodies, their routines related to sports and physical exercise, as well as numerous ways and means to achieve a „perfect body”. This accessibility and excess of information just a click away, combined with the desire to have a good physique, encourages many people to want to be like them. This situation can lead to a constant struggle to change certain physical aspects, followed by great frustration if the desired characteristics are not achieved. However, in certain cases, increasingly more often, the admired photos due to the „perfect features” of the individuals portrayed are edited with computer programs, thus distorting the reality of the image. Spanish actresses such as Inma Cuesta or Cristina Castaño denounced the unauthorized use of Photoshop in their magazine cover images, advocating for being able to be „themselves” without being subject to stereotypes or beauty standards set by advertisers and media. There are many media personalities who support this idea, but there are also many who encourage the correction of their imperfections in the photos published on social media and in the media. The latter is truly detrimental for those who adopt them as role models because they compare themselves and desire to achieve characteristics that are not real.
– Body Dysmorphic Disorder: In the most limiting and extreme cases of body non-acceptance, we talk about „Body Dysmorphic Disorder”, also known as „BDD” or „Imagined Ugliness”. This disorder is characterized by persistent concern about one or more perceived defects in one’s physical appearance, which are not evident or are slightly visible to others but cause excessive distress in the patient, leading to compulsive behaviors to alleviate this concern. In other words, in many cases, these defects are imaginary, and even when they are real, these individuals assign them excessive importance, experiencing disproportionate anxiety. Those who have this disorder experience intense suffering, which creates difficulties in social, work, academic, familial, or other functional areas. According to the review article on Body Dysmorphic Disorder by Salavert et al. (2019), „BDD is a very common disorder, especially in its milder forms, with no significant gender differences, and described worldwide, with prevalences ranging from 1.7% to 2.5% in general population samples.” This study also reveals that two-thirds of cases start in adolescence. The presence of body dysmorphic disorder is high in dermatology and plastic surgery patients. This makes it difficult to identify this pathology as these individuals do not usually seek help from psychologists or psychiatrists. For this reason, it is essential for both surgeons and dermatologists…
