Lili Reinhart, the actress who plays the role of Betty Cooper, a perfectionist, on the hit TV show Riverdale, apparently has her own demons.
Recently, she revealed that she has been dealing with body dysmorphia, a condition which she has derived from her experience with cystic acne.
Body dysmorphia is a mental disorder which convinces a person that they have a noticeable flaw in their appearance.
Not only that, but this disorder also makes the sufferers obsess over that certain flaw even if it is extremely minor, making them feel very conscious and anxious whenever they are in a social setting.
How it all Started
The star revealed in an interview she gave to Glamour magazine that her experience with acne triggered her body dysmorphia. She further explained that, whenever she sees any sort of pimple or other forms of acne on her face, it causes her to obsess over it.
She tries very hard to hide it, all the while constantly thinking about it. In fact, according to her, she has even had a mental breakdown because of her cystic acne. She recalled how she was crying in front of her mother, who was on a video call with her, about how the acne made her face look ugly.
Research on Body Dysmorphia
Any person struggling with a mental disorder like body dysmorphia is bound to obsess over flaws for hours every day.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has defined body dysmorphia as a mental disorder related to body image and stated that it includes being persistently obsessed over perceived or minor flaws in one’s appearance.
The patients of body dysmorphia are unable to control these thoughts and find it very hard to think positively about their supposed flaws, no matter what other people tell them.
Such people may also perform repetitive actions just to try and hide their flaws as that supposedly provides them a temporary solution.
She Has Support
Even though a mental disorder like body dysmorphia causes a person to hide perceived flaws but this did not stop Lili from speaking out about her condition and raising awareness about body dysmorphia.
This obviously comes as a shock to many people since it is typically assumed that people belonging to the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle have their life put together.
Even during such a difficult time, Lili reportedly has the unconditional support of her friends, family, and also from various other people belonging to the entertainment industry.
In an interview, Lili revealed how the singer Lorde had messaged her on Instagram and confessed how much she could relate with her, a gesture which Lili found to be very sweet and comforting.
Lili has always spoken out about her ongoing struggles with her mental health. She has even discussed her experience with depression. But this does not mean that she talks about everything that goes on in her life, as she can be very private about the matters that she wants to keep out of the public eye.
