{"id":670941,"date":"2026-09-03T19:58:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T19:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/670941\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T19:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T19:58:19","slug":"how-to-tell-the-difference-between-vanity-and-a-more-serious-mental-health-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/670941\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Tell The Difference Between Vanity And A More Serious Mental Health Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"

With trends like \u201clooksmaxxing<\/a>\u201d and the ongoing rise in GLP-1s<\/a>, there\u2019s no wonder appearance is a growing concern for many people these days. Companies, celebrities and even your loved ones may place more focus on how they look, whether it\u2019s their weight, makeup or style.<\/p>\n

Looking \u201cnice\u201d isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing \u2014 it\u2019s fun, it can be smart (helping you stick to the dress code for a job interview<\/a>) and can even make you feel happier (we love \u201cdopamine dressing<\/a>\u201d). But if you\u2019re taking endless selfies (with filters) and obsessing over every angle of your face and body, at what point is your attention to your looks actually a sign of a mental health concern?<\/p>\n

According to experts, there is some reason to worry or at least to be mindful.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Those trends] open the door for competition and obsession because there\u2019s always another tweak to chase or something to optimize,\u201d said Golee Abrishami, <\/a>a psychologist who specializes in eating and body image issues and serves as the vice president of clinical care at Octave. \u201cNone of these trends on their own can necessarily cause a disorder, but they create more openings for everyday insecurities to turn into something bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Worrying<\/p>\n

Maria Korneeva via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Worrying about how big your nose or stomach is, for example, can be a sign of clinical body dysmorphia when it affects three things, according to Abrishami: functioning, freedom of thought and emotional health.<\/p>\n

Yes, Beauty And \u2018Wellness\u2019 Trends Can Mess With Mental Health<\/strong><\/p>\n

As mentioned, many current trends have us overly focused on our bodies in an insidious way. Social media and algorithms only exacerbate the problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis leads us to believe that everyone is engaging in these behaviors, and if you aren\u2019t, you will somehow be \u2018less than,\u2019\u201d said Dr. Kaitlin Slaven<\/a>, a psychiatrist with Eating Recovery Center. She points to studies<\/a> that suggest the more we compare ourselves, the worse our body image becomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly, what these trends are doing is essentially hijacking our normal, human insecurities and weaponizing them,\u201d explained Dani Castro,<\/a> a lead therapist and supervisor at Equip Health who specializes in eating disorders, OCD, body image, anxiety and depression. \u201cThe problem is that these trends suggest people\u2019s bodies are projects to be optimized or shrunk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Add AI<\/a>, and there\u2019s no telling what\u2019s actually real and realistic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the standards we compare ourselves to are literally unattainable because they aren\u2019t real, we set ourselves up for failure by striving for something that doesn\u2019t exist,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Certain influencers aren\u2019t helping, either. Abrishami discussed how they\u2019re \u201cnormalizing things that used to not be normal,\u201d such as spending thousands of dollars on cosmetic procedures.<\/p>\n

Some people turn to other technological advancements such as ChatGPT<\/a> for style advice<\/a>, which can also lead to further problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cChatbots are designed to keep conversations going, so it can be really easy to get in prolonged conversations that help you obsess over your looks and insecurities,\u201d Abrishami said.<\/p>\n

This hyperfixation becomes culturally acceptable and \u201cnormal,\u201d Castro continued, which creates an environment in which mental health concerns \u2014 such as body dysmorphia<\/a>, generalized anxiety disorder and disordered eating \u2014 flourish.<\/p>\n

At What Point Do Your Appearance Concerns Signal Body Dysmorphia?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Worrying about how big your nose or stomach is, for example, can be a sign of clinical body dysmorphia when it affects three things, according to Abrishami: functioning, freedom of thought and emotional health.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf focusing on how you look starts pulling time and energy away from other parts of your life, like relationships, work, school or just being present, that\u2019s something worth paying attention to,\u201d she said. \u201cIf your mood swings depend on how you look that day, whether or not you worked out or what the scale says, those are signs the relationship with your appearance has become something different than just self-care<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly, Castro said it becomes a problem \u201cwhen it turns into an obsession that consumes your daily thoughts.\u201d She listed signs such as spending hours in front of the mirror, fixating on a perceived flaw or canceling plans because you can\u2019t cover it up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen focus on looks takes up so much time that it interferes with other important aspects of your life, it may be time to seek help,\u201d Slaven agreed. \u201cBody dysmorphia is characterized by preoccupation with flaws that are not observable to others, engagement in checking behaviors (mirror-checking, reassurance-seeking from others or excessive grooming) and clinically excessive distress or impairment.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Therapists Advise<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first step here may sound counterintuitive: avoid judging and shaming yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cShame will just feed that cycle,\u201d Abrishami explained. \u201cName it in a neutral way, such as saying, \u2018I think about this more than I want to.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Castro suggested aiming for body neutrality, or accepting your body rather than judging it. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to love how you look every day, but you do need to stop treating your body like an object on display,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She encouraged setting a timer for mirror-checking, unfollowing toxic social media accounts<\/a>, talking to a professional and spending time doing things you care about that don\u2019t concern your body.<\/p>\n

\u201cValuing experiences, hobbies or relationships and focusing more attention on those things than on the way the body looks is one of the most helpful ways to battle negative body image or body fixation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Slaven added that finding a mental health professional or dietitian who specializes in disordered eating \u201ccan be really helpful.\u201d She recommended reassessing your social media use as well (is this ever a bad idea?).<\/p>\n

At What Point Do Your Appearance Concerns Signal An Anxiety Disorder?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your worries could be clinical anxiety if the behavior \u2014 like putting on makeup before going to the gym \u2014 \u201cstops being a choice and starts feeling like a shield,\u201d according to Castro.<\/p>\n

Abrishami agreed, saying, \u201cWanting to look good is different from believing certain things will be bad if you don\u2019t.\u201d <\/p>\n

She encouraged looking out for \u201crules,\u201d like \u201cI have to do this routine, or the day is ruined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget about the excessive preoccupation piece, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpending hours a day thinking about how you look, getting disproportionately upset if you don\u2019t have time to do your full getting-ready routine \u2026 can signal an anxiety disorder may be present,\u201d Slaven said. \u201cIf these worries keep you up at night, make it hard for you to engage socially or cause physical symptoms, then you may be experiencing more than just \u2018everyday worries.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"To<\/p>\n

Lourdes Balduque via Getty Images<\/p>\n

To be clear, worrying about how you look or trying to change your appearance doesn\u2019t always mean you have a mental health condition.<\/p>\n

What Therapists Advise<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can\u2019t step out of the door without a full beauty routine? Challenge that. You can start small.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo to the corner store or the gym with one less product on, sit with the initial spike of anxiety and let your brain recognize that nothing catastrophic is happening,\u201d Castro encouraged. \u201cExposure to the things that make us feel anxious is typically one of the most effective ways to cope with and improve anxiety<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

If that feels unmanageable or makes you feel panicky, a therapist can help.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can feel too big or scary by yourself, so don\u2019t muscle through it alone,\u201d Abrishami advised. \u201cIn fact, muscling through it can worsen your anxiety<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

At What Point Are Your Appearance Concerns General Insecurity Or Non-Clinical Anxiety?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To be clear, worrying about how you look or trying to change your appearance doesn\u2019t always mean you have a mental health condition. Comparison is something that most (if not all) of us deal with, and according to Slaven, it\u2019s \u201ca part of human nature.\u201d Sometimes, we can move on and maintain self-worth in those moments.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s a diagnosable mental health condition, Castro said, comes down to flexibility and distress.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneral insecurity is uncomfortable, but it\u2019s flexible: For example, you might feel self-conscious about an outfit, but you still go to the party and enjoy yourself,\u201d she explained. \u201cA diagnosable disorder takes away that choice; it hijacks your thoughts for hours a day, dictates your schedule and leaves you feeling trapped by your own rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that said, make no mistake: Your \u201csymptoms\u201d not meeting the specific criteria for a diagnosable disorder doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t serious and deserving of help or that they couldn\u2019t get worse.<\/p>\n

What Therapists Advise<\/strong><\/p>\n

Castro recommended practicing self-compassion, cultivating a healthy environment and not waiting until your problems worsen to see an evidence-based provider. She finds that the latter, especially, is \u201cthe best way to regain control over your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abrishami summed it up like this: \u201cIf all of your self-care routines are focused on what you look like on the outside instead of how you feel inside, then you need to make a change.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With trends like \u201clooksmaxxing\u201d and the ongoing rise in GLP-1s, there\u2019s no wonder appearance is a growing concern…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":670942,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[276],"tags":[31533,83208,48638,18,135,19,17,167,502,1114],"class_list":["post-670941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-anxiety-disorders","tag-body-dysmorphia","tag-body-image","tag-eire","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-social-media"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117208881888882499","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=670941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/670942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=670941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=670941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=670941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}