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Body Image
Bailrigg Health Centre- 01524 287780, www.kingstandunipractice.co.uk
LUSU- www.lusu.co.uk/womens/bodyimage/ -more information on female body image
Drugscope- www.drugscope.org.uk - information on steroid use
Talktofrank - www.talktofrank.com -more information on steroid use
The BDD foundation - www.thebddfoundation.com/ -information on BDD
Lancaster University Mental Health Adviser - www.lancs.ac.uk/sbs/mentalhealth/
Concern with appearance is not just a Modern Western culture phenomenon. Every period of history has had its own standards of what is and is not beautiful, and every contemporary society has its own distinctive concept of the ideal physical attributes. But although we resemble our ancestors and other cultures in our concern about appearance, there is a difference in degree of concern. Advances in technology, and in the rise of the mass media, has caused normal concerns about how we look to become obsessions. Standards of beauty have in fact become harder and harder to attain, e.g. the current media ideal of thinness for women is achievable by less than 5% of the female population.
Body dissatisfaction, dieting, eating disorders and exercise disorders are prevalent among male and female university students worldwide. Although body image concerns are often associated with women, men suffer increasingly from anxiety relating to body image. In addition to eating disorders, concerns about body image are increasingly linked to excessive exercising and steroid abuse. When a person is extremely preoccupied and dissatisfied with their appearance, they may suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). If you feel you struggle with any of these issues, and you would like to explore them further, you can make an appointment with the counselling service, or refer to the links at the end of this page.
Steroid Abuse
The Charity Drugscope found that steroid abuse was a significant problem in 11 out of 20 towns or cities it surveyed. They also found evidence of widespread use, including young professionals and students. Steroids are used in order to enhance physical appearance, but can have serious side effects including increased aggression, depression, anxiety, liver, kidney or heart problems, infertility, shrinking testicles, menstrual irregularities and where injected, risk of Hepatitis and HIV.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Many people are concerned with some aspect of their appearance to some degree, but in some cases this becomes so severe that the preoccupation causes a person significant distress, and becomes debilitating in their life. This is sometimes diagnosed as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Research from the North London Priory Hospital estimates that 1% of the population suffer from BDD, with equal numbers of men and women. Sufferers often avoid a range of social and public situations in order to prevent themselves from feeling uncomfortable, and often feel compelled to repeat certain rituals including checking their appearance, excessive grooming (e.g. combing hair), picking skin, comparing selves to media images, dieting, excessive exercise or weight lifting. BDD usually begins in adolescence - a time when people are generally most sensitive about their appearance. BDD is often linked with low self-esteem and a tendency of the person to judge themselves almost exclusively by their appearance.
If any of these issues are causing you concern, please make an appointment to see a Counsellor.
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