How a Mirror Can Help People Who Hate Their Bodies

How a Mirror Can Help People Who Hate Their Bodies

Talking with a therapist in front of a mirror can help patients work through their emotions and gain new perspective

Studies have shown that a mirror can help people who are unhappy about their bodies. Mirrors allow them to feel better about themselves. An article published information stating that “mirror exposure therapy is effective for treating people with eating disorders and a negative attitude towards their body.”

Mirror exposure is designed to decrease distress because it allows sufferers to confront things that are causing their negative feelings. Some therapies involve participants to observe themselves in a mirror and then describe their bodies with nonjudgmental language. Other therapies involve participants to stand in front of a mirror and describe their emotions while they are observing themselves and their bodies.

The article mentions that people should not try to treat themselves with mirror exposure therapy. This can allow therapy clinics to target people who are unhappy with their bodies and promote this new type of therapy, which acts as their service. I find it interesting because psychology disorders are very difficult to diagnose as well as treat because everyone is different, and they can be experiencing things in very different ways than other people. Everyone thinks differently and does things differently. That is why this mirror exposure therapy is not recommended to be done by oneself. For this therapy, it is important to have guidance from a professional who can stop negative talk about oneself and redirect thinking. It is important in the healthcare field to continuously seek new treatments because everyone is different, and a treatment may work for one person but maybe not another person. It is also good to give patients a variety of treatment options for them to decide which one they feel most comfortable with that will allow them to receive the amount of help they need. Experts should even ask each person who wants to participate a certain set of questions to determine if he/she is eligible for this type of treatment.

By Suzanne Oliver

April 29, 2019 10:00 p.m. ET

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-mirror-can-help-people-who-hate-their-bodies-11556589601