Body Image Perceptions of Women Veterans With Military Sexual Trauma

Abstract

The researchers were invited to a transitional home for homeless women veterans to help veterans with body image issues. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 12 veterans who perceived they had a physical difference due to military service. Data were obtained in focus groups where the veterans were invited to share stories. Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology guided the study. The research team learned early in the data collection stage that 11 of the 12 participants suffered military sexual trauma (MST). Three structures emerged in the data: (a) to speak up or not to speak, (b) from military pride to shameful anguish, and (c) invisible scars versus visible scars. A phenomenological interpretation of these invisible scars uncovered that viewing self in a mirror was depicted as viewing a stranger. Being with others, including family, was described as wearing a fake face. The phrase I am broken defined intimate relationships which were non-existent or strained. Shame permeated all body image structures. As the veterans listened to each other, they began to see themes in their stories. There was a shared sense of identity and a movement toward greater self-understanding and resolving. In addition to the recommendations the participants had regarding prevention of MST and recovery care of those with MST, implications for research and practice are provided.

Demystifying the mirror taboo: A neurocognitive model of viewing self in the mirror

“…The reasons for this fear are unique to each individual. Participants (Freysteinson, Mellott, et al, 2018;Freysteinson, Thomas, Sebastian-Deutsch, et al, 2017) (Freysteinson, Thomas, Thayer, Lelek, & Lee, 2018, 13:01).…”

“…The reasons for this fear are unique to each individual. Participants (Freysteinson, Mellott, et al, 2018; Freysteinson, Thomas, Sebastian‐Deutsch, et al, 2017) have suggested searching for images of similar disfigurements or having seen a person with a similar disfigurement has led to this fear. Ironically, some individuals have found that the image that was in their mind was far worse than the mirror viewing, resulting in mild mirror discomfort.…”

“…Research is needed to understand why women veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma avoid mirrors or see ‘a stranger’ (Freysteinson, Mellott, et al, 2018, p. 5) when viewing themselves in a mirror. Correlational studies are needed to discern if mirror comfort/avoidance is associated with one's perception of their societal and intimacy body images.…”

“…Participants in focus groups (Freysteinson, Mellott, et al, 2018; Freysteinson, Thomas, Sebastian‐Deutsch, et al, 2017) were heartened to find others who had been or were going through difficult mirror viewing experiences. The perception of vanity, shame, stigma, and secrecy associated with mirrors had prevented them from previously sharing these events.…”

Shame-induced dissociation: An experimental study of experiential avoidance.

“…Buhl-Nielsen (2006) found that adolescents with personality disorders were more dysregulated during the mirror interview—a semistructured interview assessing embodied cognition of the self—expressing alienation from their bodies and in some cases a lack of recognition of their reflection in the mirror. Female veterans with military sexual trauma have reported feeling similarly estranged from their reflections when looking in the mirror (Freysteinson et al, 2018). Although not identified as such in either study, the participants were describing depersonalization, a specific type of dissociation characterized by a disconnection from the self or body (Rabellino et al, 2016).…”