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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dr. Bob on June 12, 2004, at 8:33:53
In reply to mirrors, posted by shortelise on June 11, 2004, at 9:39:09
Posted by shortelise on June 11, 2004, at 9:39:09
> How do you feel about mirrors?
>
> I go through periods where I cannot look at myself, I am so ugly. Other times it's ok. Still other times I see beauty in myself.
>
> Is this familiar to anyone?
>
> Shorte
Posted by spoc on June 12, 2004, at 16:55:40
In reply to mirrors « shortelise, posted by Dr. Bob on June 12, 2004, at 8:33:53
> > How do you feel about mirrors?
> >
> > I go through periods where I cannot look at myself, I am so ugly. Other times it's ok. Still other times I see beauty in myself.
> >
> > Is this familiar to anyone?
> >
> > Shorte
><<<<< I was just commenting somewhere else that in the last couple years I have taken to covering mine when I am in a phase of not wanting to go anywhere (I work at home). That may sound bad but it gives me a more consistent image of myself! It's probably not quite what you mean, but my thing is that I don't like to see the toll that isolating myself (not getting fresh air, exercise, healthy sleep) takes on me more so on some days than others. I feel like this has helped me but maybe it just helps me hide.
More akin to what you are probably asking, at times I do hone in on certain things much more so than others. I have almost body dysmorphic tendencies -- that's probably most of what keeps me in when I am in a period of isolating. It's as much if not more a physical feeling than it is anything I see in a mirror.
Posted by ghost on June 14, 2004, at 0:53:22
In reply to Re: mirrors, posted by spoc on June 12, 2004, at 16:55:40
i hate mirrors most of the time. depends on my mood though. When i'm depressed, i avoid them at all costs, because i'm so heinously ugly i can't stand to see myself-- but i also have a different perception of what i look like than what i actually look like, so it's a real shock to see my mirror self not looking like my perceived self.
when i'm hypomanic, i love to just make sure i look okay in a mirror. i like to play with my hair, stare at my nose piercing, my lip piercing (that only lasted the last week), admire quialities i have that no one else has.
and then there are days when i'm sure i'm someone else. i'm in another body, and it's just a jolt to see what i really look like. i've never talked about this before. i wonder if anyone else sees themselves as different than they actually are.
Posted by Racer on June 14, 2004, at 17:13:41
In reply to Re: mirrors, posted by ghost on June 14, 2004, at 0:53:22
>> i wonder if anyone else sees themselves as different than they actually are.
You betcha! There are two Racers I can encounter in a reflective surface, and which one shows up depends a lot on my mood.
Racer X is just fine, thank you, and I'm always pleased to see her show up. I like it when she comes to see me in a mirror. She looks a fair bit like me, in fact, which is probably why I like her.
Racer Ex, though, looks a lot like a caricature of the adolescent me, only much worse. She looks a bit like me, but everything is just a bit distorted -- and she is NOT an attractive person.
I suspect most of us have a sort of disconnect between the internal picture and the mirror reflection. And if you really want to play with your perceptions, remember this one: the mirror shows us a reverse image. Most of us really don't know what we look like...
This is the end of the thread.
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