Is it really possible to suffer from plastic surgery addiction?  Yes it is, and obviously, this is not a cheap addiction to have.  The root of the problem is a self esteem issue.  Anyone who is addicted to plastic surgery is trying to attain some perfect look of beauty that they have in their mind.  It will never be good enough, they will never be pretty enough, their body will never be totally perfect.  This is similar to the anorexic who weighs less than a hundred pounds and is all skin and bones, standing in front of a mirror, complaining that they still look too fat.  Someone who is truly addicted to the pursuit of endless beauty will never be able to rest, and they will never be satisfied with how they look.

So what, then, is the treatment for this?  What is the solution?

The root of the problem is self esteem.  The person is basing their self worth on how their body looks.  This has to change.  There are multiple ways to try and change this mindset, and the addict will have to work through this part of the problem until they have “reprogrammed” their mind.

For example, they might start with talking to a therapist each week and practicing some affirmations.  These might reinforce that they “look beautiful just the way they are,” and so on.  For some people, affirmations might do the trick.

In other cases, the person might have to journey deeper into their mind in order to correct their damaging beliefs.  More intense therapy sessions might help.  Or they might need to find a support group with others who are in a similar plight.  They might find similarities with eating disorder support groups as well.

In the end, the person must build up healthy self esteem for themselves.  They must create it.  I would suggest a 3 part process for doing so:

1) Commit to holistic health.  This means taking care of yourself, feeding yourself healthy food every day, seeing a doctor regularly, defocusing on beauty and image, and so on.  Also looking for better health in emotional balance, spirituality, and physical fitness.

2) Commit to personal growth and development.  This means being willing to keep learning new things, and trying to improve in all areas of our life.  Striving to be a better person.

3) Commit to helping others who have similar problems.  This means that you will continuously be growing and learning more about your own addiction, especially if you continue to guide others through the recovery process.