Lana Condor might have looked picture-perfect in her teenage movie roles, but the actress didn’t think of herself in that light. This was because she struggled with body dysmorphia.
Lana Condor played the role of the famous Netflix teen character, Lara Jean, in the “To All The Boys” franchise. There, she displayed all the typical teenager’s high school issues.
These ranged from love, prom, and college decisions. However, Condor’s real-life teenage struggles in high school had her sinking into the clutches of body dysmorphia. Here’s how the young actress dealt with it.
Condor’s Struggles With Dysmorphia
24-year-old Condor studied dance at a New York City Performing Arts high school. She had a trying period in her teenage years where she was apprehensive about her body.
The Vietnam-born star’s curriculum was part academic and part practical, which meant she was in a leotard a lot. The outfit would often outline her body, and she didn’t like what she saw.
As time went on, Condor was bothered about her body, and she would often eat sparsely and engage in rigorous exercises. The actress noted that her lifestyle was not healthy.
The Lara Jean actress did not notice anything out of the ordinary or that she suffered dysmorphia until she launched her Hollywood career. She once recalled, ‘”I didn’t realize that I have body dysmorphia until I started acting and seeing photos of myself.”
Condor’s late Epiphany on Body Dysmorphia has her staring at her body in movies and being horrified. The “Deadly Class” actress knew she had to work on herself at that moment.
How She Handled Body Dysmorphia
The young adult has shared that she would not have been able to pull it off if she did not have her parents’ support. She also leaned on her boyfriend, Anthony De La Torre, who she has been dating for five years.
She noted that Torre made her open up and feel comfortable talking about the condition. She stated that he prompted her to speak up as body dysmorphia was not something to be ashamed of.
Condor noted that the journey to healing required being one’s own best friend” and speaking positivity daily. The 5ft2 movie star added that when she looked back, she always realized her mental health was better.
What is Body Dysmorphia?
This condition, also known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, is a condition that affects mental health. It makes the patient ultra conscious about perceived flaws in her physical appearance.
The perceived flaw is often never visible to other people, but the patient sees it consistently. This makes them suffer self-esteem issues, become ashamed, and get bouts of anxiety.
A BDD patient would often have the compulsive feeling to always stare at themselves in a mirror all the time. Treatments for BDD include behavioral therapy and medication.