Mental health is one of the things that worries the Spanish population the most, according to the study Global Health Service Monitor 2022. Evidence that we care more and more about our emotions, about what we feel and about our thoughts. But still, there are certain disorders that in recent years have experienced an increase, especially among women and, we are not referring only to the well-known impostor syndrome or the ‘superwoman’ syndrome, but also to the one known as ugly duckling syndrome.
A syndrome directly related to The insecurity and low self-esteem, which unfortunately is closely linked to the traditionally imposed beauty canons and the well-known gender stereotypes established in today’s society. A factor that has increased in recent years and above all due to tools such as Instagram, in which these often unrealistic beauty ideals. We tell you everything about ugly duckling syndrome and how to deal with it.
What is ugly duckling syndrome
The ugly duckling syndrome, also known as body dysmorphic disorder, refers to the excessive concern that the person who suffers from it has about some “defect” that she perceives in herself. A “defect” that can be imagined or that may not be as serious or notorious as the person considers.
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Does this mean that all people who are not happy with some part of their body or who want to change something suffer from it? The answer is no, since to identify the presence of this syndrome, people have to also have Other features.
Among them we find an excessive concern for the physical defect, to the point that it deteriorates different aspects of the person’s life, for example in their social, labor, affective, school area, etc..
The ugly duckling syndrome is therefore considered a problem, when it interferes in some way in the life of the person with some type of extremist behavior to solve that “defect”, trying to minimize or eliminate it. In some serious cases, some people with this syndrome have even put their lives at risk in order to camouflage it.
A syndrome, therefore, of limiting perception, which distorts the physical image of the sufferer and isolates you from the environmentaffecting the perception we have of ourselves in front of the mirror and building an unreal image that enhances those traits that generate insecurity.
How to know if you have ugly duckling syndrome
Under any suspicion that someone in your environment or even yourself may be suffering from this syndrome, the best thing to do is always go to a specialized professional that can help you identify if you suffer from ugly duckling syndrome and can give you the best tools and advice to overcome it.
Still, there are some common features among the people who suffer from it and that we are going to detail below:
- Do you have the feeling of want to be invisible and going unnoticed is your daily mission.
- You envy other people’s physique and you compare yourself to see what they are better at.
- You try to comply model stereotypescelebrities or people socially considered attractive.
- you don’t feel attractive for those supposed physical “defects”.
- Negative attitude.
- Disbelief to praise from other people.
Why is ugly duckling syndrome more common in women?
The proliferation of this syndrome among the female gender has a lot to do with advertising, social networks and high standards of beauty that for years have been establishing themselves in society and the media.
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All these gender standards and stereotypes tend to generate more complexes in women, especially in the stage of adolescencebeing less frequent during adulthood, although they can also appear at any stage and unfortunately they are occurring at earlier ages.
Beyond these complexes, what worries the most in this regard is the management that we can manage to do with them and that can make us see them as something worrying or, on the contrary, totally insignificant.
Precisely for this reason, it is important that we always count on the help of a professional in these cases and that we are aware that the ideal and often unreal beauty that we see on social networks at any time of day should not influence us excessively, let alone to the point that it has a negative impact on our well-being.
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And it is that often this type of complexes can be accompanied by other severe eating disorders, vigorexia, obsessions, depression and anxiety. Hence, it is crucial to keep track of this emotional management and how this type of media and screens influence us.
How to overcome ugly duckling syndrome and see the swan that you are
As we have already told you, seeking the help of a specialized professional will always be the best way to leave this syndrome behind, but there are some guidelines They can also help you reduce that anxiety.
- Works at words of affirmation that reinforce your most evident virtues.
- Try to do not compare your physique with what you see on social networks like Instagram or magazines and that often distances itself from a real beauty.
- Work on finding a Personal style with which you can feel comfortable without following imposed standards.
- Dedicate time to you. Between work, studies and daily tasks, it is sometimes difficult to find time for yourself. But we encourage you to do it without obsessing and to incorporate healthy habits such as physical exercise or a balanced and complete diet that can help you gain physical health and energy.
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