What Is an Obsession With Mirrors Called? Understanding Eiromania

Have you ever caught yourself staring at your reflection for too long-checking every angle, adjusting your posture, or even wondering if the person in the mirror is really you? It’s more common than you think. But when this becomes a constant, uncontrollable focus on mirrors, it’s not just vanity. There’s a name for it: eiromania.

What Is Eiromania?

Eiromania isn’t listed in the DSM-5 or ICD-11 like depression or OCD, but it’s a real and documented psychological pattern. The term comes from the Greek eiro (mirror) and mania (obsession). People with eiromania don’t just check their appearance-they feel compelled to stare at mirrors, often for hours. They might move from one mirror to another in their home, checking reflections in windows, glass doors, or even polished metal surfaces.

This isn’t about wanting to look good. It’s about needing to confirm reality. Some people with eiromania say they feel disconnected from their own image and need to see it repeatedly to feel grounded. Others report a sense of dread if they can’t see their reflection-like something is missing or wrong.

How Is It Different From Normal Mirror Checking?

Most people glance in mirrors a few times a day. That’s normal. Brushing your teeth, fixing your hair, checking for food on your shirt-these are functional habits. Eiromania is different because it’s:

• Compulsive: You feel unable to stop, even when you know it’s wasting time
• Distressing: It causes anxiety, shame, or guilt afterward
• Time-consuming: Hours a day spent in front of mirrors
• Disruptive: It interferes with work, relationships, or sleep

One woman in Oxford told me she’d sit in her bathroom for 45 minutes every morning, staring at her face while repeating affirmations out loud. She said she didn’t feel real unless she saw herself. When she traveled and couldn’t find a mirror, she felt like she was disappearing.

Why Do People Develop Eiromania?

There’s no single cause, but it often shows up alongside other mental health patterns. It’s frequently linked to:

• Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) - where people fixate on perceived flaws in their appearance
• OCD - repetitive behaviors used to reduce anxiety, like checking
• Dissociation - feeling detached from your body or identity
• Trauma - especially childhood experiences involving criticism of appearance

Neuroscience studies show that people with eiromania have heightened activity in the fusiform gyrus-the part of the brain that recognizes faces. Their brains are literally wired to over-focus on reflections. It’s not a choice. It’s a neurological loop.

What Triggers Mirror Obsession?

Triggers vary, but common ones include:

• Seeing photos of yourself you don’t like
• Being in a new environment without mirrors
• Feeling emotionally unstable or anxious
• Wearing clothes that feel unfamiliar
• After a social interaction where you felt judged

One man in Cambridge said he’d compulsively check mirrors after every conversation. He’d replay the interaction in his head and then stare at his face in the mirror to see if his expression matched what he thought he’d shown. He called it ‘mirror feedback’-a way to confirm he hadn’t looked ‘weird’.

How Is It Treated?

Eiromania doesn’t go away on its own, but it can be managed. The most effective approaches include:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - helps reframe thoughts about appearance and reduce compulsive checking
2. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) - gradually reducing mirror time while sitting with the anxiety that comes with it
3. Mindfulness training - learning to observe thoughts without acting on them
4. Medication - SSRIs like sertraline or fluoxetine can help if it’s tied to OCD or depression

Some people use physical strategies too-covering mirrors with cloth, using anti-fog film to blur reflections, or removing mirrors from bedrooms. One patient replaced her full-length bathroom mirror with a small one on the medicine cabinet. It cut her mirror time from two hours a day to under ten.

Can You Have Eiromania Without Body Image Issues?

Yes. Not everyone with eiromania hates how they look. Some are fascinated by the mechanics of reflection-the way light bends, how the image shifts with movement, or even the feeling of seeing a version of themselves that feels more ‘real’ than their physical body. One artist in London said she painted portraits based on her mirror reflections because she believed the reflection was her true self, and her body was just a temporary shell.

This version of eiromania is less about appearance and more about identity confusion. It’s tied to existential questions: Who am I if I’m not what I see?

When Should You Seek Help?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I avoid social events because I’m afraid I won’t have access to a mirror?
• Do I feel panicky if I can’t see my reflection for more than a few hours?
• Has this behavior taken over my daily routine?
• Do I feel worse after looking in the mirror, not better?

If you answered yes to any of these, it’s time to talk to a therapist. You don’t need to be ‘crazy’ to need help. You just need to be willing to break the cycle.

What About Mirror Phobia?

Some people confuse eiromania with spectrophobia-the fear of mirrors. But they’re opposites. Spectrophobia means avoiding mirrors because you’re terrified of what you’ll see. Eiromania means you can’t stop looking, even when you’re scared. One person described it like being addicted to a painful sensation-you keep coming back, even though it hurts.

Living With Eiromania

Recovery isn’t about never looking in a mirror again. It’s about regaining control. People who’ve improved often say they start small: one mirror per room, five-minute limits, no mirrors before bed. They learn to sit with discomfort instead of fixing it with a glance.

One woman in Oxford started keeping a journal beside her bathroom mirror. Instead of staring, she wrote down one thing she liked about herself that day. After three months, she stopped checking the mirror entirely. She still looks in it sometimes-but now, it’s just to tie her shoes.