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Avoiding looking at yourself in mirrors

Cassandro

Another thread asking 'is this an autistic thing?'

I've noticed I avoid catching sight of my reflection in bathroom cabinets, hallway mirrors and so on. It occurs to me that the sense is almost one of embarrassment, and may be similar to my problems connecting with other people and my general reluctance to make eye contact. When I'm in my inner world, is another human being too much even if it's myself?

I'm pretty sure it's not just worry about my appearance or ageing. I recall a big group at school when I was about 15 (at what might be PHSE nowadays), and a teacher asked for a show of hands by who had looked in the mirror that morning. They were teenagers. Of course they were concerned to look their best. I think I was the only one who hadn't, and didn't usually. I don't worry about appearance most of the time – I might look if in a fitting room, or glance in a car window if going to an event where I'm in front of people, and do have to shave occasionally but am still uncomfortable and don't look at my overall appearance. Almost literally scared of my own shadow.

There was some mention of this from a few people here: last month and a year ago. Kind of relate to 'a lot of other people with similar issues with mirrors'.

So here's the poll. Just a bit of fun, I hope.

Clarification after what Pirate Santa said: 'don't like eye contact' means either you probably don't keep eye contact as much as a typical person, or there are some circumstances, eg meetings with strangers, when you will usually be looking away, or inclined to look away, from people. There are times when I am interested in looking at someone, but it's far from my usual mode of being.

Parents

  • I go weeks without looking at myself in a mirror.

    Sometimes I inadvertantly catch a glympse of someone who looks a little like me in a window, and I don't really recognise the person there.  In fact, I am growing increasingly unaware of what I look like.

    I can perform many of the tricks that people use a mirror for without the mirror.  I shave with an electric shaver so don't have problems with cutting myself (I cut myself to pieces with a razor blade whether I use a mirror or not!)  I can put a brush or comb through my hair, tie my bowtie (or an ordinary tie for that matter), clean my teeth and wash my face all without having to know what I look like when doing these tasks.

    I think though that I have some sense of remoteness between the physical 'me' and the psychological 'me'.  A lot of times my body seems a bit of a hindrance and not something I want to look at.  As I always say when people remark on me needing a haircut 'it doesn't bother me because I don't have to look at it'.  And the same goes with spectacles.  I don't have to look at them, I just wear them in order to see  So it is other peoples misfortune if the don't like them!

Reply

  • I go weeks without looking at myself in a mirror.

    Sometimes I inadvertantly catch a glympse of someone who looks a little like me in a window, and I don't really recognise the person there.  In fact, I am growing increasingly unaware of what I look like.

    I can perform many of the tricks that people use a mirror for without the mirror.  I shave with an electric shaver so don't have problems with cutting myself (I cut myself to pieces with a razor blade whether I use a mirror or not!)  I can put a brush or comb through my hair, tie my bowtie (or an ordinary tie for that matter), clean my teeth and wash my face all without having to know what I look like when doing these tasks.

    I think though that I have some sense of remoteness between the physical 'me' and the psychological 'me'.  A lot of times my body seems a bit of a hindrance and not something I want to look at.  As I always say when people remark on me needing a haircut 'it doesn't bother me because I don't have to look at it'.  And the same goes with spectacles.  I don't have to look at them, I just wear them in order to see  So it is other peoples misfortune if the don't like them!

Children
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