Is it normal to avoid mirrors

I understand this. In fact when I look in the mirror I don’t recognise my face. I don’t look familiar. I also hate photos of myself. I hate mirrors because of the fact i don’t recognise what I see. It shocks me each time. Good luck. 

I'm not thrilled about what I see in the mirror, but I don't avoid them as that just gets in the way of radical acceptance. I think at one stage I had out of control BDD, but now I'm closer to something more true - I'm no looker but not the ugliest who's ever lived. 

Same. We need better awareness about exposure and imprint on memory. All content can be traumatising even if it's "fantasy" on a screen.

That brings back bad memories, I too have a strong imagination...I remember watching some kind of terrible horror movie which I vividly remember this scene with a mirror and some kind of demon thing....it took months to get over and even now in the middle of the night I try to avoid looking in the bathroom mirror...

I don't like mirrors in the bedroom, they're distracting on multiple levels and a bedroom should be where one winds down or feels at ease. A mirror is a representation of being watched. It is an object for a light paranoia.

I have an over-active imagination and when I was young, was told all the horror stories about mirrors. That activated my imagination, so I couldn't deal with them at night. Even turning a light on in the loo. The mirror suddenly became a portal to another dimension once the safety of the sun was gone. They're used in stories everywhere as a source of transportation and delirium. 

This thread might be helpful:

community.autism.org.uk/.../scopophobia

I can’t comment on your daughter’s behaviour but I can understand why someone would not want mirrors in their room.

I dislike looking at myself in mirrors and I often forget to check that I’m dressed properly and look presentable. Looking in the mirror is the one stage of getting ready to go out that isn’t intuitive. 

I don't like photos or video's either, I'd not put that together with my dislike of mirrors.

I'm not overly fond of looking at myself so I keep mirror time to a minimum. I also avoid being photographed or videoed if at all possible. 

I don't know if it's not feeling comfortable with the way I look or that the person I see isn't really as I see myself. (If that makes any sense)

Good evening, 

Isleep on a futon fixed bed and unfortunately I had an incident with my mirror in the night as I was hallucinating.

Then the next day I had no choice but to move my notice board and mirror.

Luckily I didn't go towards the person that I was hallucinating and have an accident.

I'd hallucinate twice in broad daylight. nobody helps me and they think it's a joke. next time when it happens and im alone ill phone up the samartians (which I dont normally do); also didn't know where I  was. 

Sorry for ranting.

I agree with Tigana, I'm not a fan of mirrors either, I have one slightly distorting one on my bedroom, I think part of my discomfort around them is not recognising myself, embarrassment at what I really look like rather than my mental image of myself.

I got use to mirrors when I was hairdressing, but they became part of my professional personna, but I still didn't and don't have them at home much, I have one in the bathroom, to make sure I've not got anything stuck in my teeth, but thats about it.

I took great comfort from Granny Weatherwax who when confronted with a hall of mirrors and asked to choose the right version of herself, ignored the mirrors looked herself up and down and said this one.

I don't know if it is normal  but I also have it. I have always avoided looking in mirrors as much as possible because I feel very uncomfortable in the same way that I do if I look someone in the eye.

When I was a kid,  I hated mirrors in my room especially if I could see them from my bed. I found them frightening as if things not of this world could come in to my room through them, or I would see something not of this world by looking in them. It's probably a common fear since it's a theme used in horror films often. There were also a lot of folklore ideas around them eg 7 years bad luck, seeing your future husband on Halloween etc. These ideas came from somewhere. 

Not sure about the normal behaviour piece but if I had to hazard a guess I would think it would be something to do with self loathing? Seeing herself would maybe make her angry, only my guess. Have you spoken to her about it?

I agree that there are many potential reasons so it is worth discussing.

My brother, ADHD/Autistic, smashed a lot of furniture and mirrors in his teenage years. He was very destructive anyway in meltdowns, but it appears mirrors became a proxy for lashing out at real people, including himself.

I avoid mirrors when stressed due to not recognising the person reflected. She doesn't copy me properly and I don't trust her. Maybe psychosis, maybe just a dissociation from myself when in a certain headspace. I'm unsure myself. 

I also do not like the movements from a mirror. Catching something moving out the corner of my eye gives a feeling of instability in my safe space. No mirrors in my bedroom even now.

No idea if my issues are autism related, or bipolar related, or just my own. Personally, distrust or dislike of mirrors seems perfectly reasonable, but I'm not totally normal. Best to ask her. 

It is quite amazing what feats of strength people can achieve when they set their minds to doing something.    I would suggest that determination does concentrate the mind to the extent that what looks impossible becomes less so.

I am not sure what is 'normal' any more.   

I don't think it is necessarily normal to want to get rid of all your mirrors, but I can see people wanting to do it, for several reasons.   Perhaps she doesn't particularly like her appearance right now, and has taken to this extreme measure to solve the problem?    OR perhaps she doesn't like all that reflection going on.   Maybe it produces too much bright light.  

There are a few possibilities here, can you discuss them with her?