It reiterated that pilgrims require a Haj visa and it can be obtained through recognised official channels
I am in my early 40s and always feel inadequate about the way I look. I have spent much of my 20s and 30s making an attempt to look beautiful, but I just don’t feel it. This feeling has led me to spend on the best clothes and makeup, but somehow I cannot seem to change the way I look at myself. — Rima
I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to always feel inadequate about your looks and that you have struggled with this for so many years of your life.
I believe you have identified the source of this problem, which is your inability to change your perceptions of yourself. The core of this could be a condition called body dysmorphic disorder, where a person obsesses about perceived defects that others do not see. I would like you to consider securing honest feedback from trusted friends and family about your appearance.
I would also like to address the concept of beauty norms. Images presented in advertising and the media to consumers, readers and viewers are selected to meet the presenters’ agenda and perception of current beauty norms, and these depictions are often technologically modified to the point that they no longer realistically present women’s natural beauty.
I would like you to work on having a more realistic and diverse view of the different attributes of being beautiful. You might even find this topic more interesting if you do cross-cultural comparisons. If you have the time, I would also encourage you to read The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf to gain more insight on the pressure women feel to be beautiful.
Lastly, I want to remind you that being beautiful often is a state unrelated to physical appearance. There is also an inner beauty in you that is reflected in how you carry yourself, the values you have, how you communicate, and the care and humanity you show towards others. Work on changing how you think about yourself and go forward with confidence. Remind yourself to love and accept yourself just the way you are!
(Dr Annette is integrated psychotherapist at CHMC, Dubai. Got a query? Email us on wknd@khaleejtimes.com)
It reiterated that pilgrims require a Haj visa and it can be obtained through recognised official channels
The 18-year-old was taken to hospital in a serious condition
The brothers, who say they are innocent, are accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania, as well as in the US and Britain
The left-handed batter scored 3369 runs in 136 one-day internationals and 2893 in 140 Twenty20 internationals — both Pakistan records
Food supplies were distributed to 80 households
On January 31, a heart was airlifted from Delhi to Chennai, paving the way for Ayesha Rashid's life-saving surgery
The online retailer, which is headquartered in Singapore, has said it has around 108 million monthly active users in the 27-nation EU
The baby girl named Rouh, meaning Soul, suffered respiratory problems and a weak immune system, a doctor at the Emirati Hospital in Rafah said