Understanding Body Image Struggles and How Therapy Can Help

25 Nov

“I hate my body.” It’s a phrase we hear a lot in therapy, often through tears and shame:

Those four words can hold years of exhaustion, disappointment, comparison to others, and self-blame. Poor body image can shape how you eat, how you move, and how you feel about simply existing. If you’ve ever thought or said those words you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.

Where body hatred begins

Body hatred doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s something we learn from families, peers, media, and a culture that idealises thinness and links worth to appearance.

The trap of “If I could just change my body…”

Many people believe, “If I lose weight, tone up, or fix this part of me, I’ll finally feel better.”

But even when those goals are reached, the relief is often temporary — because the discomfort isn’t truly about the body itself. It’s about what the body represents:

Am I acceptable? Maybe you have experienced social rejection and by focusing on changing your appearence the needs about social belonging are met temporarily through validations(for example, when people compliment you for having lost weight)
Am I in control? Maybe focusing on weight and shape becomes a way to manage uncertainty, or situations/emotions that feel out of control like grief, life tranitions and anxiety.
Am I safe in this world? Maybe you have exerienced trauma and your body has began to felt unsafe, more like an enemy than a home.

But your body isn’t your enemy. It’s the part of you that has carried you through everything you’ve survived.

Beginning the work of repair

Healing your relationship with your body isn’t about waking up and loving it. It’s about learning to relate to it differently with respect, neutrality, curiosity, and care.

Here are some gentle steps that can help:

Notice, don’t judge.
Catch the moments you criticise your body. Pause and ask, “Would I say this to someone I love?”
Focus on function.
Shift attention from how your body looks to what it allows you to do : walk, think, connect, rest, breathe.
Curate your environment.
Fill your feed and surroundings with body diversity: all shapes, sizes, abilities, and ages. It retrains the nervous system to see beauty as plural, not singular.
Attend to what’s underneath.
Body distress often mirrors emotional distress. Therapy can help you explore the roots and begin healing from the inside out.
Aim for neutrality.
You don’t have to love your body to respect it. Feeling okay enough is already progress. Honouring its physical needs of hunger, sleep, rest is already a step towards acceptance.

When to reach out for support

If your thoughts about your body feel heavy, intrusive, or interfere with eating, exercise, or relationships, you don’t have to navigate that alone.

Therapy can help you understand where your body beliefs came from, why they persist, and how to create a more compassionate relationship with yourself. Body image work isn’t about “fixing” you. It’s about helping you feel safe in your skin, maybe for the first time.

Contact us if you would like support with body image. At recoverED Clinic we can help you navigate body image challenges at your own pace.

Note: The information provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and is NOT intended as medical /psychological advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for personalised guidance.