1 day Ago By Prerna Mittra
While overeating his way through a personal crisis, Badgley began to hate his body and idolise the bodies of the men he watched on screen. He was, at one point, ready to quit his acting career, too. Penn Badgley mental health : Penn Badgley, the star of the hit Netflix series ' You ', recently talked about suffering from a mental condition as a child.
The actor said he struggled with ' body dysmorphia ' -- which is a serious mental health disorder -- throughout his childhood, and that being an actor added to the pressure of how he perceived his appearance. During an interview with The Guardian , Badgley also said he had once considered quitting his acting career, but thanks to spirituality, he 'persevered'. Body dysmorphia is known to affect people globally, especially those who are in the limelight, or heavily influenced by social media.
Many celebrities in the past have opened up about experiencing crippling anxiety and other body image issues while being in the public eye and having the spotlight on them at all times. In his interview, Badgley, 38, said he was not officially diagnosed by any doctor or psychologist. "I know that I hated my body and simply wanted a different one," he was quoted as telling the publication.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) , as mentioned earlier, is a mental health condition where a person becomes excessively obsessed and preoccupied with what they perceive as a flaw in their physical appearance. According to mental health experts, this 'flaw' may be minor or imagined, but the person may spend hours every day thinking about it. It can cause significant distress and affect the quality of life.
BDD can also impact a person's confidence and self-esteem. It is said to affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. In extreme cases, a person may withdraw themselves socially and even have suicidal thoughts.
Treatment for BDD typically involves therapy -- such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) -- and sometimes medication , say experts. In his interview to The Guardian , the ' Gossip Girl ' actor also said he had put on some weight while dealing with the aftermath of his parents' divorce. And even as he overate, he looked up to the men he watched on screen, convincing himself that he is currently inadequate and must look like them.
"...
that just seemed like an impossibility," the actor said. In continuation, he told the publication that an actor's look is often scrutinised, and that added to the pressure and affected his mental well-being. "There was just a period where, coming out of depression and isolation, I was jumping wilfully into, but also being thrust into, this world where the more conventionally beautiful I seemed, the more successful I might be, the more value I might have.
There's no way to get past the superficiality of this work, and if you recognise that, you can't help but recognise the superficiality of our culture, because of the way it rewards this work," Badgley was quoted as saying. var firstScrolled3 = false; window.addEventListener("scroll",(event) => { if(!firstScrolled3) { window.
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It took spiritual awakening and the Baha' faith to prevent him from leaving the acting world. "That is what allowed me to persevere through the disillusionment," he said, adding: "..
.all the things I'd been grappling with, and then come back to it all, but with hopefully some kind of inner transformation." Badgley reportedly 'prays and meditates every day'.
It has helped him 'maintain his sanity'. He also focuses on the "simple stuff of life, like having a family, meaningful relationships with [his]friends"..
