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Mental Health Anybody else avoid looking in the mirror?

ThomasD

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 11, 2017
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Anybody else struggle to look in the mirror? I avoid the mirror and pictures at all costs, or anything that could show my face. This has nothing to do with being physically self conscious - I'm one of those people that just couldn't give a shit how I look or how others think I look (managed to break out of that part of society). However its a mixture of extreme guilt, shame and anger that prevents me from looking in the mirror. Does anybody relate to this?
 
In the past, I used to look in the mirror though it never lead to me being happier. I used to just feel worse about myself. These days its not so bad.
 
I am sorry that you experience that level of shame and guilt. We all are fallible human beings. Our actions, and even our words , can cause terrible harm. Forgive yourself and strive to let past mistakes shape your future decisions.

I like to make ridiculous faces at myself when I look in the mirror. Otherwise I get lost in agonizing over the daily accumulation of masses of wrinkles that I'm sure were not there yesterday!;)=D
 
Honestly, I have the exact same thing.

So, as sort of a forced therapy at least twice a week, I stare at myself as if I'm staring at a stranger. I try to give myself the same respect I would give anyone else. I tell myself that person was once an innocent child that didn't deserve everything that happened to him. That the person in the mirror deserves to be happy and just like anyone else and deserves to be able to dream. That the person in the mirror really just wants to be loved and love just like anyone else. Sometimes I mean it. A lot of the time I don't even believe myself but I still go through the ritual. If I can see a stranger begging for change on the street corner and I can feel their pain, why can't I do the same for myself?

I've always dehumanized myself to cope with trauma. I disassociate so that it's almost like it isn't me that's going through it, I'm watching myself go through the traumatic event.

The mirror thing sounds tacky as hell but I swear it helps so much.
 
When I was fat I did not look in the mirror and even when undressing I would hurry up and barely look at myself, I was so ashamed . A few years after having my girls I was heavier than normal and I hated it .
 
Honestly, I have the exact same thing.

So, as sort of a forced therapy at least twice a week, I stare at myself as if I'm staring at a stranger. I try to give myself the same respect I would give anyone else. I tell myself that person was once an innocent child that didn't deserve everything that happened to him. That the person in the mirror deserves to be happy and just like anyone else and deserves to be able to dream. That the person in the mirror really just wants to be loved and love just like anyone else. Sometimes I mean it. A lot of the time I don't even believe myself but I still go through the ritual. If I can see a stranger begging for change on the street corner and I can feel their pain, why can't I do the same for myself?

I've always dehumanized myself to cope with trauma. I disassociate so that it's almost like it isn't me that's going through it, I'm watching myself go through the traumatic event.

The mirror thing sounds tacky as hell but I swear it helps so much.

What an amazing thing to do.<3
 
An actual mirror ? No , but thinking about it , your kind of reflected in other people's eyes .
I tend to dwell on dialogs that were exchanged and what judgments might of been bestowed upon me in those moments of social interaction . Especially when I'm on drugs .
Feels like im forced to look at myself when I interact with people. Partly why I avoid them .
That's what your post made me think of.
 
Ptsd and Struggled with bulimiarexia, although my symptoms are in remission I still cannot look in the mirror. I do not see anything but someone disgusting and unworthy. Still I am a work in progress and working on shame. Working on what self worth means to me. ~XO
 
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