Surgery for the Wrong Reasons: Someone Caused Me to Lose My Self-Esteem

“Someone caused me to lose self-esteem and I’m trying to get it back…”

Almost every day, people come to our office because their significant other, spouse, or even a “friend” has poked fun of or drawn attention to a certain part of their body and made them feel as though it looks “terrible” or “unsightly.” These nasty comments make these people feel depressed and extremely self-conscious.

Don’t change something about your body just because someone says something negative about you. You want to make sure you make changes for yourself, not because someone made you self-conscious. Many times, the motivation of the person putting you down is misguided and may come from jealousy, envy, or their own insecurity. That person may be manipulating you by tearing down your self-esteem.

Remind yourself that those who make negative comments about your body, especially if you didn’t invite these comments, are just rude and tactless. By the same token, if you have just been forced to end a relationship with a significant other, changing the way you look absolutely doesn’t mean you’re going to get that person back in your life. Unfortunately, we encounter this misconception all
too often in this profession.

“My husband just left me for a younger woman! I want you to make me look young and hot again so I can get him back.” That request almost always leads to disappointment and regret. And do you really want a person in your life that would return for physical reasons?

Reputable physicians will probably suggest that those individuals take a six- month pause and come back after that if they still want the procedure. Or they might suggest talking to a psychologist or a relationship advisor about the issue. It’s really important that you are in the right “place” in life to have cosmetic surgery. “Bounce-back” surgery is rarely a good idea.

Learn more about whether cosmetic surgery is the right choice for you and your current situation in my book, “Making the Cut” available for purchase on Amazon.

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