Recently, the American Psychiatric Association actually
confirmed that taking selfies is a mental disorder, going as far as to term the
condition “selfitis.”
The APA defines it as: “the obsessive compulsive desire to take photos of one’s self and post
them on social media as a way to make up for the lack of self-esteem and to
fill a gap in intimacy.”
Dr. Sanam Hafeez is an NYC Clinical Psychologist who says
that, “selfies may be an outward
expression of a person's existing self-esteem issues or feelings that they are
not good enough. Some people who post selfies are seeking attention,
positive feedback and social validation. Certain insecurities make them
vulnerable and lead them to rely too heavily on the response of others.”
Dr.
Hafeez says that, “selfies could be toxic
for people with a more serious mental illness like body dysmorphia, which in
extreme cases can lead to suicide. Somebody with body dysmorphia, no matter how
good they look and no matter how many people tell them, they don’t hear it, it
doesn't matter. A selfie addict does kind of the same thing as they seek to
perfect their pictures, getting just the right angle, the pose, the right
lighting.”
Selfies lead to an increase in plastic surgery.
Dr. John Zannis, a New Bern, North Carolina board certified plastic surgeon provides
an example of how the selfie craze can propel people toward plastic surgery
because, “the nose looks bigger in
close-ups. All selfies are close-ups, so people immediately notice their nose."
As a plastic surgeon, Dr. Zannis spends time talking with
patients to determine if their aesthetic concerns are real or imagined. The
patients who are urged to have plastic surgery because of selfies will often
point out their flaws in each selfie, which raises a red flag for Dr.
Zannis. Sometimes Dr. Zannis will refuse to perform surgery on a patient
with excessive selfies if he believes it is not a real image of what they
actually look like in person.
Are You Selfie-Addicted? Take this Quiz!
Answer Yes or No
* I often spend more time taking selfies than I
meant to
* I would find it very difficult to make it
through a day without taking a selfie
* I spend a lot of time thinking about selfies
or planning how I will take selfies
* I feel an urge to take selfies more and more
* I take and post selfies in order to forget
about or avoid doing other things
* I've tried to cut down on the amount of
selfies I take without success
* When I post a new selfie, I am very
disappointed if no one comments on it
* I take selfies so much that it has had a
negative impact on my relationships, job or studies
* I imagine everything I do as a selfie
* Posting selfies makes me feel more important
If you answered Yes 2- 4 times: It's
time to step back and evaluate your use of selfies.
If you answered Yes over 4 times: It's
no longer about selfies. Overuse of selfies (or any form of social media) may
mean you are using short-term gratification at the expense of more important
goals.
Dr. Hafeez suggests keeping a selfie journal for a week and
writing down how you're feeling and what you're doing when you want to take a
selfie.
This will help you evaluate whether you are overusing selfies to
self-medicate bad moods or anxiety, trying to satisfy the need for social
connection, or just avoiding getting your work done.
For more information on Dr. John Zannis visit http://www.zannisplasticsurgery.com/plastic-surgeon-new-bern-nc/
For more information on Dr. Sanam Hafeez visit http://comprehendthemind.com/about-us/
~Jennifer
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