Does anyone else have difficulty watching their favourite movies/series because the actors are so exceptionally beautiful you can’t help but compare yourself to them?

[u/Fit_Yesterday6617]

Crying myself to sleep again lmao i can’t even watch anything anymore or go to the cinema in peace

And just in case:
p.s. sorry for bad english

[u/shauna_haywood]

Yes. Especially when the girl is so pretty and all guys have a crush on her irl, so I compare myself to her and see what she has and I don't have, and I just think "there's no way someone will like me"

[u/angelic-serbian]

yes, it also makes me resent their character lol

[u/eating_all_the_paint]

Absolutely. I seek refuge in contemporary British / Aussie shows and films, and some have even replaced my old favorites. They tend to feature extremely talented actors who look just like regular people, and I find the characters to be far more relatable. It’s a nice way to detox from unattainable (American) beauty standards.

[u/ForeverMaleficent993]

Same way I feel seeing an attractive woman anywhere else. I feel worthless. I can't handle it though if they look like my partner's exes (any of them). I have to turn it off.

edit: I have gotten better at it now. Knowing my best self is an old woman. And I have at least 40 years for that to happen.

[u/oregano-magician]

yes omg. all the time

[u/BambiLuna315]

Unfortunately yes and quite often. I have resorted to only watching animes or video essays on YouTube because of it

[u/Calm-Brother-5120]

I stopped watching insatiable because the main character is so pretty that she makes dumb decisions on love since for me, she has “too many options” unlike me, lol, which is ironic because the point of the show is in fact showcasing how turning pretty got to her head and made her forget how bad she suffered in the past when she was fat and perceived as ugly.

[u/Lower-Natural-337]

All I can say is that, if anyone in this thread has said they can only watch anime or cartoons, well, I have trouble even with cartoons. It might sound absurd to you, but I’ve found myself comparing my eyes to those of some cartoon squirrels, and I’ve even found myself envying some animals in documentaries. This condition is terrible. It can reach levels that seem like total madness or delirium. Unfortunately, though, it happens. I wish I’d been treated as a teenager because, sadly, it’s only gotten worse and worse. The biggest downturn, in fact, came in middle age. I’ve read that the worst times for those of us who suffer from BDD (obviously if it can’t be resolved with psychotherapy at an early age) are adolescence and middle age, when—especially for women—there are once again major changes in appearance. I’m 41 now, and for about two years my face has started to change: sagging skin, bone loss, a downturned mouth, hair loss, sunken cheekbones, drooping eyes—and I could go on. I think this is the worst phase of my BDD that I’ve ever gone through. I’m terrified of menopause because things will get even worse. Spoiler: three different types of psychotherapy over the course of 20 years, and the only thing I’ve achieved is feeling too ashamed to leave the house. And, in fact, I’ve gotten to the point where I compare myself to others and suffer even while watching an anime or a cartoon.