No matter who you are, feeling confident and attractive in today’s world can be a huge challenge. Images, voices and messages from mainstream media hold us up to impossible standards of looks and beauty. Sexual confidence can disappear if we get unrealistic ideas in our heads about what it takes to be deemed attractive. For… Read more »
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Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect? –Neff, 2018 (1) If you are like most Americans, you often view your body as an object, rather than… Read more »
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Would you rather be sane and satiated or dieting and deprived? The answer seems obvious, but we live in an age of extreme diets and fake foods. We watch television shows called The Biggest Loser and Extreme Makeover Weight Loss—along with commercials for gooey pizza, hot cheese stretched lavishly to the limits of our food cue… Read more »
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People often ask, “Is there such a thing as food addiction?” and the answer, for many, is a resounding “Yes!” Experts, dancing on the head of a pin, dismiss overeating as a “behavioral” addiction, much like gambling or Internet use. Substance use disorders are somehow more legitimate, garnering recognition and resources, i.e., insurance coverage. Meanwhile… Read more »
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In the age of selfies and social media, we hear a lot about the rise of narcissism in modern society. Yet, with this increased importance placed on appearance, we need equally worry about the epidemic of poor body image. A survey by Glamour Magazine found that 97 percent of women questioned had an “I hate… Read more »
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“Body image.” These are two words that have recently become commonplace in the media, whether they are used positively…or negatively. When you put the words together, what do they really mean? Do they conjure feelings of security, love, and value, or do they inflict feelings of shame and a desire to alter oneself? When I… Read more »
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We are called a narcissistic generation. We are told that technology and social media are giving us an inflated sense of self. But most of us don’t walk around feeling like we are all that great. In fact, there is one underlying emotion that overwhelmingly shapes our self-image and influences our behavior, and that is… Read more »
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We all have that friend(s) who we follow on social media sites who constantly posts selfies. If you know what I’m talking about, you may find yourself scrolling over those pictures absent-mindedly. These photos usually consist of up-close angles of a person’s face, which may come across as awkward. There tend to be various poses… Read more »
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Dr. Daniel Zamir, former Student Counselor at UCLA, discusses the role of body image issues and eating disorders on college campuses. Body Image and Eating Disorders The following transcript contains part of an exclusive interview with the Editor of PsychAlive and Dr. Daniel Zamir. Dr. Daniel Zamir: I see individual patients who have body image… Read more »
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In her first session with me, Rose exclaimed emphatically, “No offense to you, but I feel that I should be able to control my food and weight by myself without the help of a therapist!” Over the years, Rose had tried various ways to cure her food and weight obsession. Although she had been able… Read more »
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