Struggling with low self-esteem is not uncommon in today’s hypersexualized world. With perfectly chiseled men gazing at you from posters advertising gym memberships and half-naked women with goddesses’ bodies showing off their goods from lingerie billboards, body image issues develop much more often nowadays than at any other point in human history.
These negative thoughts can have a terrible impact on your life in more than one way. Paradoxically, they may discourage you from doing things that could potentially make you feel better about your body, such as going to the gym or wearing sexy underwear. Instead of thinking that with enough effort, you could look like the people in the ads mentioned above, your poor body image can make you think that gyms and lingerie are reserved only for people looking like the best sex dolls of 2020.
Gym anxiety and a lowered sense of self-worth are only the tip of the iceberg when talking about issues related to being unsatisfied with one’s own body. It can quickly spill over to other areas of your life and cause eating disorders, social anxiety, and, perhaps most prominently, completely cripple your sex life.
Fortunately, these issues are not unfixable, and one of the best ways you can combat them is by completely opening yourself up to a loving and compassionate partner and overcoming your concerns by facing them head-on.
Who is Affected by Body Image Issues?
It has traditionally been the case that women were disproportionately affected by negative perceptions of their own bodies. While this notion holds true to this day, it’s important not to disregard the male perspective on this issue. The truth is that men do struggle with poor perceptions of their bodies, and the number of guys with these problems is growing annually.
In 2016, 20-40% of men were unhappy with certain aspects of their physique. Bodyweight, muscle tone, and facial features were amongst the characteristics that were most complained about.
The most interesting difference between men and women when it comes to body image isn’t in the numbers, but the fundamental reason behind their issues. For women, these issues often stem from comparing themselves to another woman or a group of peers. Men, on the other hand, pointed towards the inability to find or satisfy mating partners.
One’s feeling of self-worth should not be determined by physical appearance only. For people struggling with negative body image, though, it might be hard to look past that. This is why some of the most effective ways to help yourself feel better about your own body are through sex and seeing your own beauty through the eyes of your partner.
Pleasant Shock Therapy
The term “shock therapy” is usually used to describe the treatment of phobias and traumas by exposing the patients to their fears in order to expose them for what they really are — aversions that have gotten blown out of proportion.
In the case of poor body image, one of the most effective ways to overcome these thoughts is by exploring your sexuality with a person you can trust. Self-esteem issues regarding your physical appearance will negatively impact your sex life first and foremost, which is why it is important to try and overcome them in a sexual way before they completely eradicate your desire to have any sort of sexual experience whatsoever.
Having someone who can see you as a beautiful and sexual being show the desire to go to bed with you can completely alter the way you perceive yourself and your own body parts. You might be tempted to think that this is only reserved for people who are in a steady relationship, but this “treatment” is actually more effective when you’re single and have one night stands. It might seem counterintuitive, but hooking up with strangers grants you the certainty that they wanted to have sex with you because of your looks, rather than the personality or romantic feelings that play an important role in the sex lives of people in monogamous relationships.
Regardless of your relationship status, opening yourself up to physical intimacy may help you get over your body image problems and see yourself in a more positive light.
Sex and Mental Health
Regardless of whether you’re a male or a female, positive sexual experiences with a considerate and understanding partner can drastically change how you feel about your own body. Their effects can carry onto your life in many surprising ways, long after your memory of the intercourse and orgasm fades away.
Most importantly, it may give you the confidence boost you need to expose yourself and improve your body by going to the gym or running in public. You may even feel courageous enough to pick out clothes that you would never consider trying on when you were in that darker frame of mind.
The Bottom Line
As much fun as that would be, sex isn’t (unfortunately) the solution to all problems. It might not even be a feasible form of body image treatment for some of the most difficult cases. If you can’t bear the thought of someone seeing your naked body and you consider sex to be out of the question, you might require the help of a qualified mental health professional. It might take a lot of time and effort to get out of that mindset, but it’s not an insurmountable barrier, no matter how much it may seem like it.