The search for perfection creates image distortions and reveals wounds on self-understanding
The pre-launch of the Barbie movie has raised expectations among many fans, who have been following the trajectory of one of the most famous dolls in the world for years. So great is her admiration for her that, recently, the search for pink accessories and even foods has increased, especially with the influence of actress Margot Robbie, who brings her character to life on the cinema screens.
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However, affection can become dangerous when it is excessive, as in cases where the public wants, in some way, to look like Barbie to gain fame, prestige or to promote themselves professionally.
“[…]Imagine someone who wants to be Barbie to stop being who she is, to be loved and treated as, in her fantasy, the doll is. In this case it is a situation that would suggest the desire to realize a sort of Barbie delirium,” explains the professor of psychoanalysis and psychoanalyst Ronaldo Coelho.
Again according to the professional, “the likelihood that this person will feel like they are failing miserably when they realize that the changes they have made have not transformed their life as they originally dreamed of is exponentially greater […]. Faced with this scenario, when it fails, those who already had problems and dissatisfaction with themselves, which they hoped to overcome in this way, by investing money and many hopes, can fall ill ”, he warns.
Relationship between admiration and annoyance
Ronaldo Coelho explains that, according to data from the 5th edition of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), the term I disturb it must be used for anything that causes significant suffering to the person and/or loss or damage to his life and/or that of others.
In this sense it is possible, for example, that someone may feel the desire to look like someone else without this entailing serious discomfort for their own life or for that of other people. It is equally possible to imagine that someone could become obsessed with becoming the other person as a way to replace or erase their identity, especially with the advancement of social networks, which would lead to another understanding.
“At this extreme, we can find ourselves faced with someone who completely rejects their body, their appearance, who submits their identity to that of another person. It is difficult to imagine a situation like this in which there is no suffering or complete repression of this suffering of being who you are, taking the form of a fixed desire to be someone else to the point of physically turning into them – even when that “other person” is a doll […]”, says the psychoanalyst.
Role of social media in image distortion
For Ronaldo Coelho, we must consider that the technological advances brought by smartphones and social media they play an important role in a way of constituting ourselves psychically new for us humans. “The image has taken over and, many times, appearance matters more, to the point of superimposing or even replacing being,” says the expert.
The professional also explains that it is necessary to consider both the image created through the networks and the possibility of a disturbance to understand how the fixation manifests itself in each case, because, in some situations, it is possible that this exaggerated admiration could help to treat some kind of suffering.
“Situations can be so multiple and unique that it is possible to imagine someone who finds there, in front of the pleasures and spotlights received, a way to subjectively constitute himself in order to take care of suffering, to ‘heal’ himself from a presumed ailment, going against a possible bad prognosis.”
However, for the specialist, it is equally true that this expectation risks being frustrated and the person becomes ill or suffers from a significant level of suffering even before starting the transformation procedures.
Importance of psychoanalytic treatment
As the psychoanalyst explains, psychoanalytic treatment is intended to take care of suffering and not from the desire to look like someone else, as if the person has to change his choice. “The analysis will focus on healing the expectations created. In case the attempt to ‘resemble’ or ‘become’ is aimed at ‘healing’ some kind of wound, the analysis will lead us to these wounds so that, one once cured, so that this suffering can actually find acceptance and understanding, heal,” says Ronaldo Coelho.
The practitioner also says that analysis acts in the process of rebuilding a person. As with bodily wounds when they receive adequate treatment, psychic wounds themselves close so that the pain no longer makes it impossible for the patient to follow the path he has set for himself.
“Many times, as clinical experience teaches, paths and their meanings are intertwined concomitantly with the healing process of wounds in the analytic process”, concludes the professor of psychoanalysis.
By Mayara Barreto Cinel
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
