Scientists Link Selfies to Narcissism, Addiction and Mental Illness

Are you a big fan of taking ‘Selfies’? Can’t last a day without snapping a shot and get that perfect lighting? If “yes,” you might want to read this article. It might save your life.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), ‘Selfies’ is officially classified now as a mental disorder.

Dr. David Veal, a psychiatrist, explains: “Two out of three of all the patients who come to see me with Body Dysmorphic Disorder since the rise of camera phones have a compulsion to repeatedly take and post selfies on social media sites.”

“Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to help a patient to recognize the reasons for his or her compulsive behavior and then to learn how to moderate it,” he told the Sunday Mirror.

Oxford officially named ‘Selfie’ the word of the year in 2013. And, although the word ‘Selfie’ might be popular to say, the concept of taking photos of ourselves seems to come with a perception of either narcissism, or, if nothing else, a sense of humor (one that mocks narcissism). The cultural phenomenon of the ‘Selfie’ exposes a very basic human desire—to feel noticed, appreciated and recognized.

Selfie obsession is considered as a mental illness, narcissism and it can even lead to suicide attempts. The best example for this is the 19-year-old British male teenager Danny Bowman who tried to commit suicide because he couldn’t take the perfect selfie. Every day he spent 10 hours taking up to 200 selfies and lost nearly 30 pounds, dropped out of school and did not leave the house for six months trying desperately to get the perfect picture. Eventually, he tried to commit suicide by overdosing, but fortunately his mother found him on time.

Later, he said for The Mirror: “I was constantly in search of taking the perfect selfie and when I realized I couldn’t, I wanted to die. I lost my friends, my education, my health and almost my life”.

People often don’t take this seriously, but Body Dysmorphic Disorder can be a serious mental condition which can have serious consequences. Therefore, parents should be more cautious of their children`s behavior and the time they spend on the electronic devices and smartphones.





Stay healthy and positive! Share and make your loved ones aware!

Source: Complete Health and Happines