Will I become Addicted to Plastic Surgery?
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How Much is Too Much?
If the question is simply, can you become addicted to plastic surgery then the answer is yes, but of course, a person can become addicted to nearly anything. Plastic surgery is a wildly rising field with billions spent each year on all manner of cosmetic procedures including nose jobs or rhinoplasty, breast enhancement and liposuction. Cosmetic surgery can become a serious addiction as is evidenced by some of the horror stories you may have read about.
Hang Mioku
Hang was a young Japanese woman who had her first plastic surgery when she was about 28 years old. From the very beginning, she was hooked on plastic surgery. So much so that a few years later her own parents could not recognize her.
Even after doctors informed her that she could not have any more procedures and suggested she seek counseling, Hang still pursued cosmetic surgery, especially injections of silicone. By the time, it was all over she had found a doctor who not only injected silicone in her face but also allowed her to take a full syringe home with her for maintenance. When she ran out of silicone, she injected cooking oil into her face.
This is what you would determine a severe addiction to cosmetic surgery; however, the truth may be that this woman suffered from BDD, body dimorphic disorder, which causes the sufferer to always see themselves as ugly.
Addicted to Plastic Surgery
It is not the procedure itself that many people are addicted too; in fact, addiction may be too strong of a word. Continuously dissatisfied with appearance may be closer to the truth.
Many people will have one or even a few cosmetic surgeries done in their lifetime and be perfectly content to leave it at that. On the other hand, men and women who begin to pick their bodies apart and have every piece altered to some degree are considered addicted to plastic surgery, those who can’t stop thinking about the way they look.
Will you become addicted?
How can you be certain that you will not be the next Jocelyn Wildenstein or Hang Mioku? Well the key may be in your overall body image and what you are expecting plastic surgery to do for you. There is a huge difference between wanting to enhance a feature and wanting a completely different face or body to greet you from the mirror each day and think that it will drastically change your life and make you happy.
Signs of Addiction
As with any other addiction, there are definite warning signs that you may be headed down a disastrous path. Knowing the signs of addiction could be the first step in prevention.
- Countless cosmetic surgeries
- Obsession with minor “defects” (problems you see but others do not)
- Obsession with a particular celebrity or celebrity body part (Angelina Jolie’s lips for example)
- Insisting on multiple surgeries despite surgeons warnings against them
- Refusal to listen to doctors or others who believe you are going to far
- Obsession with your looks
- Seeking Perfection
Addiction Treatment
Treatment for addiction to cosmetic surgery will depend on the underlying cause to some degree. However, since most all plastic surgery addiction goes back to a poor body image therapy is the most often prescribed course of action?
The best counseling for plastic surgery addiction is cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used for many types of mental issues including panic attacks, anxiety and severe depression. It is one of the most successful treatments available in psychiatric medicine.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is basically a systematic procedure that includes goal setting and illness specific approaches to address emotional or behavioral abnormalities. For instance if you have an unreasonable fear of spiders cognitive behavioral therapy may include being introduced to the negative stimuli in a controlled environment.
Other treatments can include anti-depression medications such as Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Many times counseling or natural therapy will be in addition to some form of medication.
Bottom Line
If you or someone you love seems to be heading over the edge when it comes to plastic surgery, procedures it is important that you seek help. Though cases like those mentioned above are rare, the damage to these women’s bodies is permanent. There comes a point in cosmetic procedures where the changes are simply irreversible.
Society today puts a good deal of pressure on people to be and look perfect. Movies, television and advertisements portray happy people as those with the perfect smile, hair and body. The truth is happiness is an emotion that has little to do with outside influences. If you are truly unhappy with life there is little chance that plastic surgery is going to change that for you. Cosmetic surgery should be kept to a minimum and only used after careful consideration.