Selfies Lead to a Rise in Anxiety Disorder Says Expert

(Newswire.net — September 7, 2015) Franklin, TN –There’s a sinister side to our snaps, and it’s affecting the way we see ourselves.

Selfies have become common place on our social media channels and this week a Dublin-based expert has spoken of the dangers of incessant snapping.

“The recent focus on physical appearance has led to an increase in cases of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and anxiety” says Colette Kearns, senior therapist at Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services.

BDD is described as a disabling preoccupation with perceived defects or flaws in one’s appearance.

Colette goes on to explain that sufferers will experience a high level of distress and they believe that part of them is distorted. They will have thoughts or underlying beliefs that they are unattractive, ugly or even hideous.

“A high proportion of 15-24 year olds will take selfies and that might be for five hours in a week. That’s a huge amount of time,” says Colette. “I think the focus on appearance has increased BDD incidents.”

Barry Murphy of Bodywhys, The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland agrees. BDD can be described as “a preoccupation with with an imagined physical defect in appearance or an over-exaggerated concern about a minimal defect,” he explains, and it’s the social expectations (i.e the number of likes you rack up per pic) that cause people to evaluate themselves through what they post online.

“In terms of wider expectations, this may be down to someone’s expectation that ‘I have to post a certain way in order to feel accepted or else others won’t like me,” he says. “It’s concerning that some individuals may be evaluating a significant part of their self-worth based on selfies and the feedback they get through social media platforms.” 

In turn, these social expectations can cause distress and more personal issues such as poor body image and low self esteem. “Personal expectations can come down to viewing oneself in a particular way and the need to maintain or project a certain image,” Barry continues. “That means, if someone has underlying issues, something like a selfie can cause them to scrutinize their body and bring up negative self-talk. Over time, this can lead to intrusive thought patterns that become deeply ingrained and prevent a person from leading a so-called normal life.”

It is very important to to ensure that teenagers who have a selfie habit can keep the selfie photographs in perspective and not to develop a pre-occupation of looking perfect. For the most part, it’s the time and frequency spent taking selfies that can lead to issues, so it is best to limit the number of selfies taken per day.

Self comparison is another big trap that people can fall into. With so many filters and photo editing apps available, it can be hard not to see your own unedited snaps as failing to live up to the perfect standard that social media projects. The thing to remember is, a lot of elements go into taking a so-called perfect pic: lighting, angle, filters and often editing. The number of likes you get shouldn’t act as a barometer for your self esteem.

If you need help with any issues raised in this article contact www. Bodywhys.ie.