Areas of Care
Body Image
Thoughts and feelings related to the body can be as varied and unique as the human body itself. Regardless of the issue, however, the way we feel about our body often becomes the way we feel about ourselves. What’s more, our resulting self-confidence and self-esteem can ultimately affect every area of life.
With the rise of social media, Photoshop, and filters, the images we see on our screens are hardly accurate depictions of what people really look like. College students aren’t immune to the pressure to fit in, and we can feel badly about ourselves when we feel we don’t measure up…even to unrealistic standards.
Appearance, weight, gender, sexuality—there’s a myriad of things that can cause us to feel uncomfortable in our skin. Body image issues can lead to medical diagnoses and may require intervention by trained professionals.
Examples
We’re taught in childhood not to judge a book by its cover. People dealing with body image come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not for anyone to decide whether a person should or should not feel a certain way about their body. We never know what someone else is going through. They may be struggling with challenges we can’t see, already self-conscious and self-critical. Instead of judging, let’s be kind.
Eating Disorders: Some of the more common disorders includes Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating. The habits developed cause physical damage to bones, tissue, and various organs—damage that can ultimately lead to premature death. Very few people are able to resolve these conditions on their own and will instead require medical attention and treatment. And that’s okay.
Self-Harm: Deliberate injury to yourself is referred to as “self-harm.” Some people do this to (as they explain it) change emotional pain into physical pain as a way to regain a measure of control, escape traumatic memories, or reduce overwhelming feelings and thoughts. Talk to a counselor about alternative methods to address the impulse to hurt your body. We’re here to help.
Gender Dysphoria: This term describes a sense of unease or dissatisfaction that a person might feel from an incongruence between their biological sex assigned at birth and their gender identity. The distress may become so intense that it leads to depression and anxiety and potentially have a negative impact on daily life. Our counseling staff is ready to listen, not judge.
Body Dysmorphia: With this, individuals are fixated with what they perceive to be physical flaws or defects. This usually begins in teen years when most people are already sensitive about their looks, and many adults don’t seek help because they don’t want to sound conceited. However, common co-occurring conditions include depression and OCD. At SF Counseling Center, we won’t think you’re conceited. If something matters to you, it matters to us.
Signs or Symptoms
This list of red flags may suggest the presence of an issue that requires counseling or medical attention, but this list is not exhaustive. If you, a loved one, or a friend shows signs—or is simply concerned—speak to someone at the SF Counseling Center.
Eating Issues: Skipping meals or snacks or making excuses for not eating; using dietary supplements, laxatives, or herbal products for weight loss; or exercising much more than the average person. (This includes not taking rest days or days off for injury or illness or refusing to attend social events or other life events because of wanting to exercise.) Other possible signs include calluses on the knuckles from reaching fingers into the mouth to cause vomiting, loss of tooth enamel due to repeated vomiting, and leaving during meals or right after a meal to use the toilet.
Self-Harm: Regular and inexplicable burns or cuts, often just out of sight, like under long-sleeve shirts on hot days or on the upper thigh hidden by shorts. Skipping classes to change bandages or avoiding social occasions to prevent people from seeing scars.
Gender Dysphoria: Clinically significant distress or impairment in social, academic, or other important areas of functioning. Either/both a strong desire to be rid of one’s primary sex characteristics and/or a strong desire for the primary sex characteristics of another gender. A strong desire to be, be seen as, and be treated as a different gender. A strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions of a gender different from one’s assigned gender.
Body Dysmorphia: Individuals suffering from body dysmorphia might spend 3 to 8 hours every day preoccupied with their perceived flaws. Symptoms include fixation with the body—primarily the face and particularly skin, nose, and hair; excessive grooming or hygiene routines; extreme exercise habits; change in eating patterns and behaviors; repetitive mirror checking; skin picking; and hair pulling. Other signs might include social withdrawal; reduced academic performance; dropping out of school; and increased distress, shame, and disgust.
Self-Care Toolbox
Help takes different forms for different people. Some need crisis counseling or immediate medical intervention. Others will be on medication and attend regular therapy sessions for most of their life. And some people learn healthy coping mechanisms—like adding tools to a Self-Care Toolbox—that will help them live a productive and happy life. Often, what works best is a combination of these forms, taking place in different stages over the years. The bottom line is this: Get the help that works for you, because there is no shame in getting help.
Learning positive coping skills is a must. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on recognizing negative thought patterns and replacing them with healthier, more useful ways of thinking.
Some tricks to use when tempted to self-harm include distraction and delaying techniques. Exercise, hit cushions, shout and dance, shake, tear something up into hundreds of pieces. Sit on your hands for five minutes. Then get up and go for a walk or run. Mindfulness techniques like yoga and journaling can also help process feelings before they become overwhelming.
Your body is beautiful, just because it’s yours. Celebrate successes. Accept compliments. Ask people what they like about you. Write a list of things you like about yourself. Here’s something else to remember: Neurodivergence doesn’t make someone bad. ADHD doesn’t make a person inferior. There are parts of an ADHD brain that are awesome, and parts that can be frustrating. Similarly, there are parts of our bodies that we might love, and other parts we really don’t like. But having ADHD, as well as falling short of contrived beauty ideals, does not diminish your value as a person.
When to see a doctor: Body image issues and disorders can be hard to manage by ourselves. If you have any of the signs or symptoms listed—or you find that your feelings, thoughts, or behaviors are distressing, affect your health, or make it difficult to function in your daily life, please seek professional help. The SF Counseling Center is a “No Judgment Zone.”
Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Visit the Counseling Center today.
Ways to Contact
Santa Fe College Counseling Center
Don’t wait until you are overwhelmed by thoughts or feelings about your body.
If you have any of these signs or symptoms, reach out to the Counseling Center.
Call Us
352-395-5508
Stop By
3000 NW 83 St
Building R, Room 227
Gainesville, FL 32606
Common questions college students ask about body image
A: Affirmation and validation are important. When someone listens to you—without judgement, without criticism, without shaming—it helps. Effective counselors offer can offer unconditional positive regard, even without complete understanding of what it feels like to be you.
A: Without consistent proper nutrition (food and water), the body will suffer. Physically, organs will start to malfunction and tissue can break down. Mental health will be negatively affected too. An endocrinologist can help treat the kidney issue, but a licensed mental health counselor or psychiatrist might be better equipped to assist with the eating issues. Start with one step, one appointment, for the one most pressing thing. You will feel more accomplished, less overwhelmed, and in a better place to go from there.
A: No counselor worth their credentials will treat you like you’re a freak—they will treat you with dignity, as all humans deserve to be treated. Effective counselors will also help you find better ways to cope when you’re feeling flooded with overwhelming emotions or intrusive, catastrophic thoughts. As for reporting, that’s a great question to ask the front office when you book your appointment or to ask the counselor at the start of your first session.
A: Absolutely. The SF Counseling Center is a safe place for you to be yourself. Your counselor will listen to what you want to reveal about your identity and will not out you to your family or your peers. Everyone needs a safe space, where they can freely exhale and relax. That’s what the Counseling Center is for—book an appointment. We look forward to meeting the real YOU.