7 Reasons Why Mental Disorders & Their Impacts on Women’s Self-Esteem Need to be Discussed

My research question that created this informative listicle is, “What effects do mental illnesses such as body dysmorphia & a binge eating disorder have on a young-adult woman's self-esteem?” I am writing about this topic because I have personally, my whole life, struggled with mental disorders such as body dysmorphia & binge-eating & I quickly developed a strong, negative self-esteem issue due to this. I personally find this topic to be important because as a young female about to enter her 20s, I am consciously aware of the countless other young women in this country trying to navigate adulthood, who simultaneously are managing as best as they can with their mental illness constantly impeding their self-worth.

1. Body Dysmorphia

Body dysmorphia is a mental disorder where one perceives their physical self
differently than how they would appear to others. A common example of this disorder is looking in the mirror & seeing their body 2-3x the actual size they are. However, a misconception is that it’s the only type of body dysmorphia. The other less discussed version of this disorder is perceiving oneself smaller than they are. I personally struggle with both, & I’m in a constant battle of trying to grasp what I look like to others who cross paths daily. The information I would need to further research is the percentage of people impacted by the disorder.

2. Binge Eating Disorders

An important note to make about binge eating disorders, is although a diagnosis can be made because there seems to be repeating patterns among people who have this disorder, not one person will be identical to others. Binge eating disorders are created due to an array of reasons such as previous trauma, to being predisposed due to their hereditary, to other psychological impacts that are difficult to diagnose or locate the root of the cause. From my experience, whenever I binge eat, it comes at night & I’m in my bed surrounded by an assortment of snacks & I rapidly consume everything in sight. This leads to a downward spirals of feeling zero self-worth & respect.

3. Binge Disorder is Often Linked to Other Mental Illnesses

One day, I came across a website that allowed a free quiz of what mental illness someone may have. I took the quiz & the results showed I had high signs of a binge eating disorder as well as ADD, & other mental illnesses such as depression & anxiety. It has been proven that binge disorders are usually linked with ADHD/ADD due to the hyperactivity that usually causes fixations on something, in this case, food, & therefore, it would be easy to find oneself constantly falling into a relapsing episode. As well as depressive episodes are usually accompanied by or cause the creation of a binge eating disorder.

4. Women Feel Ashamed to Bring Up Mental Illnesses

Due to the lack of how mental illnesses impact a woman's self-esteem, many women remain silent on the issue & continue to carry the heavyweight of never feeling enough because of their feeling of having no control over their own self physically & mentally. As the decades progress, topics that were once viewed as taboo or impolite to bring up to others are now an open conversation & accepted. The more people’s inner turmoil is viewed as worth & not shamed into silence, the more people feel comfortable to open up. I’ll gather research on analytical studies as well as try to find testimonies & interviews of young-adult women’s personal struggles with this issue of feeling guilt/shame.

5. Low Self-Esteem Can Lead to Suicidal Thoughts, & Low Self Worth

When a woman's self-esteem is low to nonexistent, & it is the direct result of mental disorder(s), it can lead to serious side effects such as suicidal thoughts & even suicidal attempts. Body dysmorphia & binge eating leaves a person not seeing any value in themselves if they can’t even control the quantity & rate they consume food, or they don't have control over their own perception of the body’s they are in. Because of this, attempted suicide due to low self-esteem is very prevalent, & if not suicide, inflicting physical self harm on their body can be an effect of a women’s low self-esteem. I would find research on the correlation of suicide rates in young-adult women due to low self-esteem.

6. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

If you have ever taken a PSYCH 101 class, you may have already been introduced to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If not, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a pyramid layout consisting of several levels that Maslow believes are every individual’s internal motivation in life to succeed. A person can continue to be successfully motivated in life as each of these levels are met, & these are physiological needs, safety, belongingness/love, esteem needs & self-actualization. As it’s evident that disorders like body dysmorphia & binge eating have a direct correlation to a woman's negative self-image, these women who suffer from this disorder, will only reach 40% of their motivational worth & will, in return, not reach their full potential in life.

7. If it is Detrimental, Seek Professional Help

Mental disorders need to be more acknowledged as a serious contributing factor to women’s self-esteem as a woman's constant inner struggle with these disorders throughout her life can lead to detrimental & even lethal consequences. The psyche is extraordinarily powerful, & if treated with care, it can do amazing things. The discussion of mental disorders on self-esteem needs to be more openly discussed. Reassurance that it’s not your fault if you fall back into unhealthy patterns no matter how hard you may try to do better. Sometimes, as much as you try, you can’t do it all on your own, & it’s okay to admit when it’s time to seek professional help.

Conclusion

Above I have explained a few reasons as to what impacts body dysmorphia & binge-eating can have on women. I have learned through this assignment that self-esteem is directly correlated to self-worth; the lower the self-esteem a woman has, the lower her self-worth feels. Because of this, it can lead to numerous mental and physical harm to her, even suicide. Therefore, what I want readers to gain from reading this, is for women, you are not alone, and your mental disorders are a valid reason for how you feel and act. I also want them to know it’s okay to admit you need help. As for men and society in general, women may already be struggling with their physical image, so there’s no need to shame them & instead come from a place of empathy.

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