girlfriend becomes violent over compliments

[worried]

i am extremely worried over the mental state of my girlfriend, if I were to give her even the slightest compliment on anything, she becomes angry and hits, bites, pinches, or kicks me...my mother has a bachelors degree in abnormal psychology and has taught me enough about behavior analysis to, at least partially, isolate where the problem lies.  Throughout elementary school she was picked on all the time, and in middle school she wasn't noticed at all, and now in high school she can't stand the idea that someone sees someting beautiful in her.  Following my mother's advice, I have told her where I think the problem is originating in her past views that were ingrained in her by others and that she needs to realize that she has "blossomed" and that no one has a reason to make fun at her...she doesn't listen...she sees herself as boring, ordinary, insignificant, and that no one should even bother to look at her.  My inability to help her is weighing heavily on me...can anyone give me some advice?

[Hat]

Hi Worried,
whilst I empahise with you, I don't know what I can do to help. Is there any more to the story, that may give me a lead. Have you told your mum, if so what does think?

Hat

[worried]

Hat,

She has recently confessed to me that her mother never said anything positive about her physical appearance and that she would always comment on how pretty other girls were, she told me this in the form of a note,"...having a mom who was a model at my age, and her praising girls now of how they look hurts!  I was the child only a mother could love.  To sit in your tub, tearing away at the flesh of your foot to bleed out something imaginary to feel better.  Bleeding blood and seeing it as the poison that is my imperfection."

I have told my mom and she told me that she just hasn't seen the good qualities in herself for herself yet.  And she gave me a few little things to do for her to help her see, as I can't make her see, she must do it herself.  Positive reinforcement seems to be the only thing I can really do...