bambino
April 23rd, 2011, 04:35 AM
BDD means you have a very distorted body image and find some flaw in your appearance that you fixate on obsessively; that said it can also be a 'general' feeling of ugliness, not a particular feature. It affects both men and women. BDD sufferers might avoid social situations because feel they will be judged and stared at, some become completely reclusive and refuse to go out in public. They seek reassurance from peers or family that they look 'acceptable' but dismiss any compliments or positive feedback. Their appearance is all the sufferer can think about and they will have behaviours such as wearing certain clothing or make up to try and disguise their 'ugliness'. Most sufferers become depressed and some even reach the point of feeling suicidal. BDD is a relatively unknown disorder although there is currently research being done in the The Priory Clinic, London.
BDD has a high comorbidity with Anorexia and Self harm and OCD. BDD can be a by-product of anorexia, for example seeing yourself as fat when you're underweight is clearly a distorted perception of yourself. Self harm often occurs with BDD sufferers as they struggle to deal with over whelming feelings of self loathing and inadequacy. OCD and obsessive habits often accompany BDD, this could include dermatillomania [skin picking] or trichotillomania [hair pulling].
I've had BDD since I was 16 and two years later I'm still struggling with the disorder but I'm coping a lot better than I was. I really just want to raise awareness and help people going through the same thing. Personally I feel it is a product of the media's fixation with beauty and outward appearance and the pressure to fit a certain stereotype [particularly girls] from a young age.
If anyone was going through this my advice would be:
- go to your doctor and arrange for counselling*
- tell trusted friends and family about BDD as having a support network is key
- do not read celebrity magazines or other form of media that focuses on appearance .eg. websites
- to focus on being the best person you can be on the inside, if you can accept yourself as a person the rest follows
USEFUL SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder
http://www.bddcentral.com/
The BDD Workbook: Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder and End Body Image Obsessions by James Claiborn
The Broken Mirror by Katherine Phillips
Crystal Renns autobiography
*don't expect all counsellors/mental health practioners to recognise BDD as it is relatively unknown and not fully understood but a course of CBT [a type of therapy] is often helpful
BDD has a high comorbidity with Anorexia and Self harm and OCD. BDD can be a by-product of anorexia, for example seeing yourself as fat when you're underweight is clearly a distorted perception of yourself. Self harm often occurs with BDD sufferers as they struggle to deal with over whelming feelings of self loathing and inadequacy. OCD and obsessive habits often accompany BDD, this could include dermatillomania [skin picking] or trichotillomania [hair pulling].
I've had BDD since I was 16 and two years later I'm still struggling with the disorder but I'm coping a lot better than I was. I really just want to raise awareness and help people going through the same thing. Personally I feel it is a product of the media's fixation with beauty and outward appearance and the pressure to fit a certain stereotype [particularly girls] from a young age.
If anyone was going through this my advice would be:
- go to your doctor and arrange for counselling*
- tell trusted friends and family about BDD as having a support network is key
- do not read celebrity magazines or other form of media that focuses on appearance .eg. websites
- to focus on being the best person you can be on the inside, if you can accept yourself as a person the rest follows
USEFUL SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder
http://www.bddcentral.com/
The BDD Workbook: Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder and End Body Image Obsessions by James Claiborn
The Broken Mirror by Katherine Phillips
Crystal Renns autobiography
*don't expect all counsellors/mental health practioners to recognise BDD as it is relatively unknown and not fully understood but a course of CBT [a type of therapy] is often helpful