Psychologists have explained the reasons for men's criticism of women
Constant criticism from a partner undermines a woman's self-esteem and harms her mental health. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Causes of depreciation
Psychologist Natalia Averina notes that constant criticism of appearance is often a form of suppression of sexuality. Men can transfer distorted standards from social media and porn culture into relationships that do not correspond to real physiology. In addition, nagging masks a partner's personal problems, including insecurity and fear of mature sexuality.
Clinical psychologist Tamilla Buchmiller connects the "couch critic syndrome" with infantilism and authoritarian upbringing. If in childhood a child was constantly evaluated and scolded for his mistakes, in adulthood the thought of his own imperfection causes him great tension. By criticizing others, such a man tries to protect his own vulnerable ego and avoid facing personal mistakes.
Consequences for the psyche
Being the object of constant criticism makes a woman lose confidence in her own perception. She lives in a state of chronic anxiety, trying to find flaws in herself in advance. According to Averina, devaluation deprives a woman of a sense of desirability and directly leads to a decrease in libido. In the long run, such relationships can lead to serious disorders.
"Generalized anxiety and depressive episodes develop most often against the background of learned helplessness," Buchmiller said.
It is also possible to develop eating disorders as a way to cope with stress or try to unconsciously "hide" under a layer of excess weight.
Ways to solve the problem
Rebuilding a relationship requires both sides to acknowledge the problem. Averina recommends starting with couples therapy and replacing criticism with careful communication, where the partner expresses their needs rather than blaming the other. At the same time, it is important for a woman to regain bodily trust through self-care without external evaluation.
However, psychologists emphasize that it is impossible to change a person by force. If a man is not ready to accept his responsibility and work on injuries, the relationship becomes dangerous for the partner's resource.
"If he doesn't see it and doesn't even want to figure it out, then the relationship with him will be difficult, traumatic and even dangerous in some ways," Buchmiller said.
The specialist added that in situations where a man is not motivated to change, the only healthy way out for a woman may be to break up a relationship.
"The key step is to replace criticism with an expression of needs ("it's important to me..." instead of "you're not...")," Averina concluded.
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