Body Image & Addiction
At our Boulder addiction recovery center, we understand the relationship between body image and addiction and offer addiction counseling and other addiction treatment services to help overcome their addiction and get on a happier, healthier path to feeling more accepting of their body.
Although the connection might not seem apparent at first, body image issues and addiction often go hand in hand. Having a difficult relationship with one’s body can sometimes lead a person down a slippery slope where they become addicted to a substance they’ve used, often times abused or misused, to help them cope with the negative feelings. In fact, there is research that suggests people with body image issues have a high likelihood of abusing substances of drugs or alcohol. It’s also possible for body image issues to arise from addiction, as consistent use of certain substances can drastically alter the body and cause people to look at themselves differently.
Regardless, it’s clear that there is a correlation between addiction and a person’s body image. At our Boulder addiction recovery center, our addiction treatment services can help.
How Body Image Issues Lead to Addiction
Society has always put a lot of pressure and importance on a person’s physical appearance, and social media has made this even worse. Social media platforms overexpose people to “ideal” body types that, real or not, can have a tremendous negative effect on their own body image. The negative feelings about one’s body often translate into negative feelings about oneself as a whole. This takes a toll on a person’s mental and emotional health, leading many to abuse or misuse drugs or alcohol as a way to escape or numb these feelings.
Body image issues may also result in an eating disorder, and research shows that almost half of people with an eating disorder also abuse drugs or alcohol. They may replace meals with certain substances to try and stem hunger, making it easy to get addicted.
Whether you’ve turned to drugs, alcohol, or some other kind of addictive substance, the addiction treatment services we offer at our Boulder addiction recovery center can help you get and stay clean.
For more information on addiction and body image issues click here.
How Substance Abuse Can Lead to Negative Body Image
Sometimes, addiction can lead to a person developing body image issues, rather than the other way around. Abusing certain substances can reduce appetite or result in poor nutrition, leading to weight loss and body image issues potentially developing. Certain substances can also cause intense cravings for food, causing one to gain weight and potentially develop negative thoughts about their body image as a result.
Your body image plays a huge role in your overall well-being, but addiction stands in the way of thinking more positively about your body. Contact us today to learn more about how our addiction recovery center in Boulder can help you.
How Childhood Trauma Can Lead to Negative Body Image & Addiction
Low self-esteem is common in those who were emotionally abused as children and is often associated with negative body image and addiction. This low self-esteem can often be triggered by unrealistic views of oneself which is common if you were abused or mistreated as a child. Counseling in many different forms can help you discover a new view of yourself in a more realistic and appropriate way. This will help you begin to appreciate the things that will make you feel good about your body image. Professionals often see body image issues, addiction, and trauma as common catalysts.
