Studies show that nearly half of all Women suffer from Body dysmorphia, a disorder characterized by excessive self-consciousness about one's physical features. Recently, a Reddit member asked women: “As a woman, what triggers your body dysmorphia?”

Many women shared the specific factors that bring on episodes of self-consciousness and self-loathing.

8 Common Triggers

Mirrors

It is not uncommon to look in the mirror and not like what you see. So it's hardly surprising that most women admit to feeling self-conscious in front of a mirror. One user is confident she is not overweight but swears she is when she looks in the mirror. She can see parts of her body she's unhappy with that she doesn't notice when she's not looking in the mirror.

But it's not just weight that gets warped in the mirror. Other women said they'll see themselves as shorter than they really are, or thinner.

Weight Loss

Weight loss should make you feel great about yourself, right? For some Reddit users, losing weight actually triggers their body dysmorphia.

Despite losing over 90 pounds over the previous year, one user still feels a great deal of disconnection from their body. For another woman, she had trouble accepting their new weight. After shedding 50 lbs over the last six months, they said, “It feels so strange to be able to physically feel the difference but not believe it at the same time?”

Unsolicited Comments

Users acknowledge that comments people make about their bodies or compliments about someone else’s body are very unsettling. For example, one Redditor wrote, “If I’m dating a man, and he makes comments about the kind of body he likes, I’ll immediately start comparing myself to that person.”

According to what others reported, comments on body weight, shape and size, and what they eat or do not eat are often triggering. Just being told they were recognized by their large fingers unlocked one user’s insecurity. Even positive comments are triggering for many women. 

Period

According to one Redditor, It doesn’t matter what she looks like; there’re three days every month when she’s 100% convinced she looks fat and hideous. “I’ve learned that I can’t listen to my own opinion on those days, but it’s hard,” she said.

Photos

Photographs are like mirrors and it can feel like they only capture our worst sides. One woman wanted to disappear forever after viewing a shot of her hand handing out a bottle to a friend and realizing her fat fingers were visible. To put it bluntly, it sucks a lot of people. They prefer to have few or no photos of themselves because they permanently erase them if they don't like what they see.

Tight Clothes

Clothes that are too tight or sit on the stomach are not physically discomforting but give some women the trigger. One woman admitted to hating pants because the waistband will almost always be tight around their stomach when they sit down.”

Social Media

The fake glamor of social media is real. Even though she is tall and curvy, she’s 42 and admits that the social media pictures and pages that her significant other likes — all young and thin — make her feel like she’s unattractive.

Eye Glasses

Glasses are only sometimes considered stylish accessories, especially for individuals who need them. Users reported that wearing glasses makes them feel uncomfortable about their appearance. People feel so ugly, frumpy, and horrible wearing them, with their confidence going up to  40% when they opt for contacts.  

Body Flaws

Her facial hair is a problem and a source of body dysmorphia. It started when her hormones went nuts after she birthed her child. For another woman, it’s their body; just seeing their body breaks their heart. No matter how hard they try, they are sure they’ll never be feminine.

You can read the original story here.

This article is produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.