Are you obsessed with looking at yourself in the mirror? Or you don’t want to look at yourself face to face? Do you know that looking at yourself in the mirror improves your social and emotional development?
If you have no answers to all of these queries, just explore this article to learn the facts. Moreover, you’ll learn about the psychological point of view of looking at yourself in the mirror, so keep reading till the end.
First, go through the short answer for looking at yourself in the mirror psychology. If you’re obsessed with looking yourself in the mirror, you might be suffering from a mental disorder named “Body Dysmorphic Disorder”. You may get over possessive about your looks and behave abnormally by looking at the mirror repeatedly. If you are a BDD sufferer, consult a psychologist.
A mirror is a common household item, that allows you to improve your appearance. Unlike other modern gadgets, a mirror shows your real face. It is a source of reassurance of your physical presence in this world. Mostly, you rely on the remarks of others about how you look. Looking at yourself in the mirror is the only way that ensures your respect and value in your eyes.
Let’s dive in to explore more about looking at yourself in the mirror psychology.
Looking At Yourself In The Mirror Too Much Psychology
Whenever you pass in front of a mirror, you can’t move forward without glancing at yourself. Do you know why are you obsessed with looking at yourself in the mirror? When looking at yourself in the mirror becomes an obsession and you repeatedly do it by judging yourself, it is a psychological disorder named “ Body Dysmorphic Disorder-BDD”. It is an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
In the mental disorder BDD, you may repeatedly look at the mirror or looking in the mirror for a long time. Sometimes you spend hours in front of the mirror and try to console yourself by grooming. You feel ashamed of the unnoticeable defects of your face. Normally, you fail to soothe yourself and feel stressed. It can be a severe situation when you avoid social gatherings due to consistent embarrassment. You may think that you won’t look perfect in front of others.
The worst of all is, you may try several cosmetic surgical procedures to correct your perceived facial defects. It may satisfy you but the feeling returns again and again. And you must consult a psychologist if you have these symptoms.
However, it doesn’t mean that you must have BDD. Normally, all of you experience normal levels of BDD. You look at the mirror and find your facial flaws. But you get used to it unless others don’t bother you by pointing it out. It is not a disorder unless you do it repeatedly and it starts affecting your everyday life.
What is Looking at Yourself in the Mirror Psychology
Are you wondering what is the psychology behind looking at yourself in the mirror? When you spend hours in front of the mirror trying to fix your minor facial defects, it is a mental disorder named “ Body Dysmorphic Disorder”. It makes you feel that you are ugly and you don’t look perfect in front of others.
You try to fix your facial flaws with unnecessary procedures. But in the end, you fail to satisfy yourself. You spend hours doing makeup for hiding those flaws. You repeatedly ask others about how are you looking. Moreover, you consistently compare yourself with others.
Such repetitive behaviors can be difficult to cure as they can cause anxiety and problems in your life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication are the treatments of BDD.
What Happens If You Stare At Yourself In The Mirror?
Have you ever tried to stare at yourself in the mirror in the dim light? If yes, what happened? Let’s explain it briefly. When you stare at yourself in the dim light, you may see your deformed face or hallucinations like monsters, and distorted images of diseased animals. Research has found that the patient suffering from depression observes deformed faces for less duration as compared to a healthy person while staring at the mirror for too long in the dim light.
It happens because your brain starts processing your face from a different perspective. When you focus on your facial features for too long, your brain tries to minimize the burden by fading and finally diminishing the less focused areas. In this way, you assume that the distorted images are monsters or diseased animals.
Normally, a depressed patient fails to recognize others emotions. While a healthy person meets several people daily and observes the expressions of others. That’s why during mirror gazing at the night, you may observe the deformation of your face. However, it is a psychological perspective of mirror gazing.
In normal life, nothing may happen while you look in the mirror. These are just your perceptions or what you have seen in horror films.
What Is Mirror Effect In Psychology
Have you any idea about the Mirror effect? The mirror effect is one’s reflection in the mirror of how you look to others. In simple words, it is your reflection in the mirror in someone else eyes. You can ask others about how you look. Or you can observe your video to know about your mirror’s effect.
Besides, you can guess through comments that what people think about you and how others describe you. Looking in the mirror allows you to control your emotions. It improves your communication skills with others. Moreover, it is crucial for your social and emotional development.
Why Do You See Yourself In The Mirror
Have you ever wondered why you see yourself in the mirror? The answer is simple. You see yourself in the mirror for communicating with yourself. You observe how you look to others. You understand how you look while expressing different emotions.
In the recent social media lifestyle, you don’t have enough time for yourself. You try to look yourself in the eyes of others. You feel happy when someone comments positively about you. But you feel depressed if someone passes negative comments.
So, the mirror is the only option to see how you exactly look like, not from other’s perspectives. It gives you self-awareness and helps you to soothe yourself. Moreover, it satisfies you about yourself more than anyone else.
So, always believe in yourself, not others. Be confident with your looks. Plus don’t try to underestimate yourself.
Related Questions
What is The Meaning of Mirror Yourself?
Self mirroring means if you copy the body language, habits, tone, and, behavior of someone else. Mostly, it is unconscious behavior. When you have a strong bond with someone, you start imitating his behavior.
What Does Mirror-Gazing Mean?
Mirror gazing means staring at your reflection in the mirror. When you gaze in the mirror for too long in the low light, you may look at your deformed image.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, now you’ll understand the psychology behind looking at yourself in the mirror. If you have symptoms of BDD, seek the help of a cognitive therapist.
Don’t let down your ego by hurting your emotions. If you have any complaints about your facial features, it is not your fault. It is your abnormal thinking that allows you to underestimate yourself.
Never try to change yourself by thinking that you don’t look perfect to others. Try to accept your physical appearance as God has made it for you.
