From https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/influencer-mary-magdalene-known-dramatic-182516809.html
This is not a horror story although it is horrible. This is not a story of anomalous deviancy from the norm behavior, although it is that. This is a story of a woman who turned her dysfunctional sickness into a publicity stunt and her sickness eventually killed her. This is a story about a very rare form of suicide. And it is tragic despite its prurient and provocative qualities. This is a story of extreme body image disorder known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder. And it is one of the saddest and most disturbing stories I have seen in several years.
In paging through one’s news feed and coming across this article, I can guarantee you that most people at first would experience shock and horror at what this woman did to herself, read the article with increasing morbid fascination and perhaps even bringing its weirdness to the attention of others, and then turn the page with a casual dismissal of how crazy people can be. But, in doing so, utterly misses the point of the tragedy.
Denise Ivonne Jarvis Gongora
Denise Ivonne Jarvis Gongora, a Mexican-Canadian influencer who went by the name “Mary Magdalene,” died apparently by suicide after falling from her ninth-floor high-rise apartment on Dec. 9 in Patong, a beach town on Phuket Island, Thailand. She was 33
Gongora had more than 400,000 online followers across multiple Instagram accounts gained notoriety for her extensive cosmetic surgeries—including nose jobs, buccal fat removal, brow lifts, butt and breast implants and veneers—as well as her tattoos which covered much of her face and body. Gongora spent an estimated $500,000 on her body modifications and several times nearly died from them as many illegally performed outside of the US. She once said that her eyeball tattoos nearly left her completely blind. She also posted her own psychedelic paintings online as well as adult content by paid subscription.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by a distorted perception of one’s own body image which manifests as an obsessive fixation on an imagined defect in physical appearance. The condition’s original name was imagined ugliness syndrome and was officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980.
BDD is marked by four criteria:
(1) obsessive focus on one or more perceived defects in physical appearance which others cannot see or appear negligible
(2) obsessive behaviors revolving around body self-checking, behaviors, skin picking or obsessive thinking about what others think about their defect and seeking constant reassurance from others
(3) experiencing clinically significant levels of emotional distress in social, employment, or other areas of life
(4) the appearance preoccupation is not explained by concerns with body fat or weight in an individual diagnosed with an eating disorder
Observable clues to BDD are:
- incessant mirror checking
- constantly comparing their body to those of others
- compulsive grooming
- body camouflaging behavior
- thinking that other people find his or her body equally repulsive
- unnecessary skin or cosmetic surgery treatments
Unfortunately, plastic surgery leads to endless surgeries because each new alteration brings unexpected disappointment and so more always needs to be done either “correcting” the defects of previous surgeries or having new ones. Evidently, Gongora experienced many “botched” surgeries.
BDD often occurs during the adolescent years with more than 70% of cases diagnosed before 18 years. It is estimated that about one-percent of the U.S. population suffers from BDD but other studies report rates in the general population as high as 5.8 percent. Most studies report higher rates in women. Women generally seem to fixate on breasts, hips, legs, and body weight, with particular emphasis on skin, hair, or nose. Men are preoccupied with their genitals, height, excess body hair, thinning hair, body build, and muscle size (Higgins & Wysong, 2018).
Closing Thoughts
From https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/influencer-mary-magdalene-known-dramatic-182516809.html
She attempted to normalize her dysfunction, as so many different disease conditions are being done so today. In the Post-Modern Error in which we live we have come to normalize deviancy and affirm immoral behavior. This is not right and ultimately, it’s a sign of deep moral malaise and psychosocial sickness. Ms. Gongora attempted to cure herself by making her illness increasingly worse rather than seeking medical treatment. It makes me wonder if the people around her enabled her behavior rather than trying to get to seek help.
Ms. Gongora didn’t commit suicide by jumping out of the window. She has already been in the suicide process for many years already and, evidently, just decided to speed up the process to its conclusion.
Body image disorder is a distortion of body experience, it’s a twisting the soul, and potentially a deadly disease.
Paul Shane, Ph.D., LMT
Director, Academic Content
References
Higgins, S. & Wysong, A. (2018). Cosmetic surgery and body dysmorphic disorder—An update. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology 4, p. 43-48.
Lenhart, J. (2025, Feb. 12). Surgery-addicted star dies at 33 after reportedly changing social media handle to announce her death. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/influencer-mary-magdalene-known-dramatic-182516809.html