You walk into the bathroom and look at your reflection in the mirror. For a second, you don’t recognize yourself. Who’s staring back at you and why does she seem to be a stranger? OMG, this experience is so freaky and can cause you to panic. It seems like something out of a horror movie! But take a deep breath. Not recognizing yourself in the mirror doesn’t mean you’re going crazy, okay? There are many things that can cause it. Read on for eight reasons why you don’t recognize yourself when you look in the mirror so you can get to the bottom of what’s going on.
1. You’re Feeling Stressed.
Stress and freaking out can do strange things to you, like making you feel disconnected from your reflection. Although you logically know the reflection of you in the mirror is of your face and body, you just don’t feel connected to yourself. You could be going through a stressful or traumatic time in your life that’s making you feel disconnected from everything, including your reflection. Dealing with the stress will help you feel like yourself again.
2. You’re Feeling Depressed.
Did you know that depression can cause you to lose touch with yourself? Research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders (via Touro University) found that people with depression view their future and past selves more positively than their current selves. This could even affect how you see yourself in a mirror. Maybe you know it’s your reflection staring back at you, but you just feel negatively about yourself.
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4. Your Recent Behavior Has Shocked You.
If you did something recently that shocked you and was out of character, like if you blew up at a loved one or cheated with someone who had a partner, this can lead to stress and self-criticism. Both of these can affect how you perceive yourself. So, when you look in the mirror, your actions could cause you to feel like you’re not who you want to be RN. You can view this experience in a constructive way by using it to make changes and improve yourself.
5. You Haven’t Looked In A Mirror For A Long Time.
If you banned the use of mirrors in your house for months, maybe seeing yourself feels weird now because you’ve changed in appearance. Or, you look the same but it just feels weird to reconnect with yourself via your reflection after such a long time. If you’re someone who used to be highly critical of your appearance, not allowing yourself to nitpick at your reflection can cause a greater sense of calm and self-acceptance – but it can make you feel strange when you look at your reflection again.
6. You’ve Got BDD.
BDD – Body Dysmorphic Disorder – is a disorder that affects your self-perception. So, when you look in the mirror, you might struggle to see your overall appearance because you focus on details on your face. A common symptom of BDD is looking in the mirror a lot, but if you’re staring at your reflection, this could actually cause you to see a distorted image. The more you look at something, the more distorted it looks. It’s similar to how saying a word over and over again can make it sound weird.
7. You’re Staring At Yourself In Bad Lighting.
What’s really fascinating about looking at yourself in the mirror is that it can literally mess with your eyes and make you see things. Even if you don’t have BDD or depression, staring at your reflection in bad lighting for a few minutes can cause you to see strange faces and hallucinations, according to The Scientific World Journal. This phenomenon is known as Strange Face illusions. It’s wild! Go on and give it a try (but maybe not before bedtime).
8. You’re Experiencing Depersonalization.
Depersonalization is a disorder in which you feel detached from reality. It can be triggered by conditions such as anxiety that’s destroying your life, stress, and depression. One of the common symptoms of depersonalization is a feeling that you don’t recognize your reflection in a mirror. Although having episodes of disconnection every now and then doesn’t have to be serious, if you’re experiencing them regularly, it’s worth chatting to your doctor about it.
9. You’re Dealing With Grief.
Grief is a difficult thing to process and takes time. While you’re mourning the loss of someone, this can also affect your sense of identity. You might find yourself saying things like, “I don’t even know who I am anymore.” This can also show up as you struggling to recognize yourself when you catch your reflection in a mirror. You don’t feel like yourself and you have to work through the grief to heal and find yourself again – or create a new identity. In addition, grief can cause anxiety, which can also make you struggle to recognize yourself.
