Body Image Issues
Body image issues
Body Image Issues
Have you ever wished to change something about your physical appearance or something about your body? Maybe lose or gain a few pounds?
If so, you are not the only one. Most people feel discontent with some part of their body and looks, not many people can say they are fully happy with everything about themselves. But when you stall out on things you don’t like, it can sabotage your self-esteem. To have a positive body image, you don’t necessarily need that perfect body, you just need to see yourself differently and realise you don’t have to be perfect!
You need to learn to love the skin and body you live in, which will not only uplift any body image issues but also your self-esteem. Body image issues are linked with low self-esteem which can get better with the help of horses through equine-assisted therapy. We want to help you overcome your poor body image issues.
What is a body image issue?
Body image concerns are an inferiority complex that includes misinterpretation of body areas, where individuals discern a non-existent or barely existing flaw in their appearance to be something huge.
The body areas that concern most include flaws in the face including acne, scars, wrinkles, shape or size of the facial features like nose, lips, jaws, or hair issues like hair thinning or greying, or fat accumulation in different parts of the body.
At times, people tend to think that getting in a better shape could help them overcome the body image issue. However, the truth is no amount of money spent on perfecting your body dissatisfaction can help you fix your negative body image issues, until and unless you accept your body for how it is at that time and treat it right.
More often than not, people experience negative body image issues that could affect their mental and physical health.
Who is most affected by body image issues?
Society and media promote unrealistic body ideals which most people find it hard to not get caught up in matching these unrealistic standards. The age to experience body image issues is not set in numbers or limited to gender, as it is a normal human tendency to desire to look our best self.
Be that as it may, comparison with other people makes it worse. People look up to models and online influencers and crave to have a body or face like them. As impressive as they look, their body undergoes strenuous sessions of workouts and diets which leads to chronic health issues including both mental and physical which the world wouldn’t know of. Or they use filtering features and enhancements to make themselves appear different online.
Most youngsters including teens and college students, unaware of the consequences end up torturing themselves with the changes due to dissatisfaction with their own body and end up with negative body image issues that lead to other issues.
It is believed that body image issue is more common amongst females, on the contrary, both male and female experience the issues incomparable levels.
Men face an exceptional struggle due to the societal pressure that perceives body image issues as an indication of weakness. Which is why, men tend to suppress these issues and seek treatment more than women. Also, they tend to lack confidence and self-worth and live with the fear of losing jobs, or their partners based on their looks.
People with body image issues are likely to develop greater risks, including:
- Eating disorder
- Binge eating disorder
- Restrictive eating
- Mood disorder
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Muscular dysmorphia
- Lowered self-esteem
- Self-harming tendencies
- Social anxiety disorder
Equine-assisted therapy helps you realise that your self-worth is not dependent on your appearance.
How does equine-assisted therapy help in overcoming negative body image?
How you treat your body is based on how you view your body.
Do you compulsively check your body weight, check yourself out in the mirror, feel the need to apply layers of makeup to feel confident, or undergo expensive hair removal treatments or plastic/cosmetic surgeries?
Equine-assisted therapy is a therapeutic process that encompasses several equine activities involving grooming, haltering, and feeding the horse while being monitored by a mental health professional and a horse handler to help an individual get past their emotional difficulties.
Self-acceptance is one of the major life lessons you can learn through equine therapy. It is hard to accept yourself when we end up comparing with the rest who seem to look perfect in every aspect.
Equine-assisted therapy helps in developing a bond between the clients and horses that help them gain perspective and open the gates of self-acceptance and have a corrective emotional experience.
Why are horses considered to be therapeutic healers?
For centuries together, horses were used to assist people with their emotional growth and to develop a greater sense of self-acceptance.
Horses are known to have a positive psychological effect on people and enhance their psychological wellbeing. Horses are empathetic, unbiased, and non-judgmental which puts people at ease and responds only to people’s behaviour and energies.
Horses cannot be deluded, unlike humans. There is no verbal communication. The level of bonding is entirely based on your inner emotions.
With equine-therapy, you’ll be guided in the path of self-acceptance that not only boosts your self-confidence but also appreciate yourself and your body.
How does equine therapy work?
The equine-assisted therapy sessions are carried out on an open farm amidst greenery, fresh air, and most loving horses.
The sessions involve specific tasks to be performed and share the experiences and emotions with the therapist. Bonding with a horse can be a slow process. It depends on the energies you exude.
Say for instance, if you are around a horse and claim to be not afraid of the horse, but actually, you are anxious and nervous, the horse picks up on the energy and reflects it right back at you like a mirror.
The fashion business, social media, peer groups, even families and friends can influence a person’s body image and make people believe in unrealistic ideal bodies and expectations leading to self-hatred and emotional difficulties.
Equine-assisted therapy can make an immense difference to your way of living.
With this therapy at Healing Hearts and Minds, you will put an end to the constant desire of being someone you are not, heal your body image and open a new dimension to the beautiful path of your life.
