Can mirror gazing be a sign of mental illness?
“Depression, loneliness, and boredom are all symptoms of affection deprivation,” says Dr. Allan Dye, associate professor of mental health counselling and personnel services at Purdue University. “And the first sign that someone’s heading in the wrong direction is self-preoccupation. People who dwell too much on themselves, even if they don’t think of themselves as lonely or bored, are probably not having enough good contact with others.”
Can looking in a mirror be a sign of mental illness? Yes; if you are looking for the wrong reasons. Cleanliness, neatness, and being fashionable are fine. But excessive mirror gazing, introspection, second guessing and the like, are likely signs of loneliness. If left untreated, “loneliness” can go on to depression and anxiety.
Prognosis—what happens with treatment and what happens without treatment:
Treated: When treated, loneliness can easily be eliminated. For many people managing close relationships is easy. For others it takes effort and learning how. When a “lonely” individual does so, he or she can quickly find interesting people to “hang” with. If the loneliness is with one’s spouse, renewing the relationship and creating new opportunities for closeness and intimacy should be the plan. It is natural for humans to live in clans and since every person has these instincts, it is relatively easy to achieve.
Untreated: When “loneliness” is allowed to fester and spread, it can overwhelm all the other natural emotions (happiness, determination, self-preservation, etc.) and take over a person’s entire life. Eventually, loneliness can lead to serious depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. If loneliness is not eliminated, it can hold a person back from many important opportunities.
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Defeat Depression
The stress that leads to depression can come from many sources. Relationship conflict, loneliness, harmful thought patterns, and an unhealthy lifestyle all account for the majority of depressive feelings experienced by many. (Please note: There are a minority of individuals that suffer from depression that is not caused by the above. For these individuals the advice in this article may not apply.)
In the moment of feeling depressed, it is hard to consider these common causes. This is why many people fail to do the actual things needed to eliminate the painful feelings of depression that often interfere with everyday behavior.