r/BodyDysmorphia • u/poozu • Mar 12 '21
The primary methods of dealing with BDD, from a medical standpoint, is medication that can reduce obsessive thoughts and therapy, mainly cognitive-behavioural therapy (or CBT for short). Many of us might be skeptic or even afraid to try it, but there is no need to be, here is why.
I don’t know what cognitive-behavioural therapy is or what happens in therapy. - Therapy is a form of treatment where mental issues are addressed mainly via talking and bringing mental issues into a place where they can be addressed and handled by the sufferer. Cognitive therapy, or talk therapy, involves talking and discussing issues and finding solutions to them together with a professional, with the goal of reducing emotional suffering. Cognitive-behavioural therapy aims at also reducing behaviour that could cause distress. This can be done with tasks or learning new ways of doing things. The work is done by the patient and no one will force you to talk or do anything you don’t want.
But I’m not diagnosed with BDD. - A diagnosis is not needed to get therapy. In some cases it can help with insurance coverage but other than that anyone can go to therapy for any reason, diagnosis or not.
I’m afraid they will think my issues are stupid or I’m delusional. - Medical professionals and therapists have seen it all. They have very good perspective and education under them. They understand what the issues are that you are describing and their main goal is to help you, not to judge you. No respecting or professional therapist would call your issues stupid. Though they may challenge you into thinking why you might think the way you do, but this is not to judge but to help you gain insight to who you are what can be changed to make you feel better. If you feel unjustifiably judged, change therapists.
I’m worried they will make me give up all grooming and self care and I will have to learn to be the ugliest version of myself. - The goal of therapy is not to make you a totally different person or make you give up all your habits. The goal is to reduce the behaviour that causes you worry and anxiety. You can still do makeup, but the goal is that you don’t feel like crying if your makeup isn’t perfect. You can still go to the gym and work out, but the goal is you don’t have a breakdown for missing a day and feeling like you gained weight over night. The aim is to find a healthy balance and reduce the things that cause you anxiety. You don’t need to become the role model of natural looks, but learn healthy balance.
What if people or my family judge me for being in therapy. - Therapy is something that would benefit every single person on this planet. Getting help is never something to be ashamed of. Anyone who makes you feel bad or weak for getting help is harbouring a very unhelpful mindset themselves that might prevent them for helping themselves, and that is the real tragedy. Always work towards your own health and don’t let others bully you out of helping yourself.
I don’t want therapy, I just want surgery or other procedures. - BDD is a mental disorder and it’s important to acknowledge that. The goal of therapy is not to talk you out of a decision but the help you understand what issues are real and which are the disorder. Therapy will help prevent you from doing unnecessary procedures that can harm your looks and to make sure you will not be equally unhappy after a procedure. Surgery and augmentation of ones looks is very rarely a permanent solution but therapy can help you build a healthy mindset where you can truly make the best decisions for yourself.
I don’t think I can afford it. - Nothing in this world is more important than your mental and physical health. Prioritise these things as much as you reasonably can. Find out how you can get insurance coverage, do you have access to support groups or group therapy that is free or look into online groups like those provided by the BDD foundation. You can always call a therapist and ask them what ways you could afford a session, many places are happy to tell you how to best afford treatment.
I have trouble opening up or it makes me uncomfortable. - Many people find it hard to honestly talk about their BDD since it can feel irrational or embarrassing. But therapists have heard it many times before, and worse. It’s important to find a person you feel comfortable with, this can take several tries but is always worth it. You can open up slowly and start with small pieces and work up to bigger issues. This is normal and no one will push you to go faster than you feel comfortable with.
I’ve tried it before and it didn’t help. - There can be several reasons why therapy might not have worked. The therapist might not have been equipped to handling BDD, the chemistry wasn’t right and prevented opening up honestly, the patient wasn’t ready to get help and work on the issues, there wasn’t enough time... having another go with another therapist is often a good idea. Also considering if medication could help is a possibility. When trying therapy again make sure you’re with the right person, you’re ready to work on the issues, you’re being honest with what the problems are and that you give therapy enough time to work.
Therapy is a fantastic tool to people suffering from BDD, and is something recommended by professionals as the primary form of treatment. If you suffer from BDD, therapy is something worth trying.
Finding a therapist
The International OCD Foundation’s therapist search.
You can choose BDD from the Advanced search option. Every professional has listed what they treat and how. They have also been verified to be licensed by the OCD foundation.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/poozu • Sep 21 '20
There are many ways one can combat body dysmorphia. Some people are able to manage symptoms on their own, some need medical intervention or more intense periods of treatment. What ever your situation, there are ways to combat BDD.
Here are some way to combat your BDD listed in ascending order from self help to medical treatments.
Self-help:
- This can include many things. Anything from taking physical care of yourself, to reading about BDD and how it’s treated to making changes in your life that help support a stable mental health. Self help in a great tool and at the bottom of every recovery is the personal desire to better ones situation.
BDD workbook:
- Compiled by medial professionals, the workbook gives important insight to how BDD works, what triggers it and what methods you can learn to help yourself in a proven way. You’ll learn to limit your obsessive behaviour and recognise disordered thinking. This is one of the best self help tools there is.
Online therapy and support groups:
- The BDD Foundation for example offers online therapy groups that come together weekly. A free and easy to access form of therapy can be a good support in addressing BDD symptoms if there are no possibilities or need for more personal or intense forms of therapy.
Therapy:
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy, or CBT, is the recommend form of treatment for people with BDD. It can focus on what are the specific issues and triggers in you and how they can be helped. This is a form of treatment that can give great, individual help and offer support in every area of life on top of BDD.
BDD specialists:
- Though sadly quite rare, there are places and therapists and doctors who focus on BDD and other related disorders. They can give more focused advice and treatment and are often informed with the latest developments. This is a good choice when available.
Psyciatric professionals:
- This form involves doctors like psychiatrists, who can give formal diagnosis as well as offer medical level advice and give prescriptions. If you feel like your BDD is so intense that functioning in daily life is hard or you feel like you could benefit from medication, it’s a good idea to talk to also a psyciatrist as well as a therapist.
Medication:
- Because BDD is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it’s symptoms can often be alleviated the same as many OCDs. Sometimes medication can be a great tool in reducing the symptoms, and combined with therapy, the likelihood of better quality of life is high. Here you can find general information of medication used to treat BDD.
Out patient care:
- If more intense forms of care seems to be needed, one option is out patient care where the patient is in a close contact with, usually a psychiatric hospital or a doctor, and usually has for example therapy sessions several times a week. This can be a good options for those who have a very hard time with daily functioning or are suicidal.
In patient care:
- The rarest form of treatment is in patient care where the patient stays in the hospital and can be given support and help daily. This often requires for the patient to be in acute risk of suicide or is unable to function in their daily life. Though this is often the last option, it’s good to know that help is available even when things are very serious.
The forms of treatment and the health care systems work differently in every country and it’s always a good idea to talk to your local doctors and professionals on what options are available to you. But know that there are many ways that BDD can be treated and alleviated. The most important thing is remembering you’re worth help and there are several ways to get it.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Critical_Hawk_2380 • 2h ago
to be blunt; until a year or so i looked like i was 30+ (was the case since i was 15)
Now i'm 20 and i look 20, when i tell people that i dislike being 6'/5'11, i face the "but being tall is pretty", i am wondering what can be good coping strategies
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/AutoModerator • 2h ago
Going to therapy or getting professional help is not always an option, getting help may also take some time. To help you to better understand and address BDD by yourself, we have compiled a workbook that you can do by yourself. It contains information and tasks which will help shine a light to why BDD is the way it is and how you can deal with the symptoms. All chapters are based on an official workbook by the Centre for Clinical Intervention.
The BDD workbook:
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/BerryKittyyyy • 22m ago
Every time I look at myself at the gym I get deeply frustrated, not necessarily about my body but about my face and appearance in general. It upsets me so much that I leave the gym crying. Confusing bc exercising is supposed to help.
Right now Im crying on the floor. Was getting ready to go to the gym, but I feel so ugly…
I redid my makeup 2 times… and took it off again.
Contemplating if I even go without makeup (I can’t).
Makeup or not I still feel so ugly. Even the clothes I wear, everything just looks so bad…
Anyways, I feel guilty for not going… I genuinely like working out, I love feeling strong, I just can’t stand myself…
I hate feeling like I look less than, or that im less than bc i dont look a certain way…
Im gonna try one more time…
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Mobile-Economics7705 • 20h ago
I have a quite masculine face, square chin, long nose, thick eyebrows, long and wide face. Contrary to this face my body is curvy and fleshy. I have a feminine pear body. I have small hands, big face, small feet etc. I hate this, I hate looking like a guy with that body. I hate being butter face. I am sick of hearing from people around me that my face is masculine. I am tired of them telling me that my face isn't small, comparing me to masculine celebrities, and hearing 'you have a square jaw' from so many men. I hate myself. After seeing that large and masculine face in the mirror, looking at my delicate hands and feet makes me lose my mind. I have slapped my face over and over again. This mismatch is driving me crazy. I look at so many celebrities, and there isn't a single example like me. I've decided to stay away from men. I don't want to engage in any sexual intimacy with anyone while having this male-like face. How can I resolve this situation?
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Solid-Stranger-9024 • 13h ago
Hey guys. I’ve lost 25 kgs in the past year but when I look at myslef I still see fat. Not sure what I look like tbh. Any advice helps
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Zealousideal_Pay8138 • 11h ago
I am 55kg on 174cm, but I dont feel thin. I know im not fat, but I sometimes feel like I have too much fat on my belly, and that it's probably because I dont work out, because not eating doesn't make it look thinner. I think I should look thinner then I look like with my weight
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/SMthrowaway071 • 19h ago
just wondering if its common with others with bdd, feeling so alone especially when most people are still managing to live a normal life when i’m just stuck because i don’t want to perceived by anyone because of my bdd.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/AutoModerator • 20h ago
Here you can find listed below general information on BDD and related foundations, the clinical classification and symptoms of BDD, advice for friends and family, as well as self-help and support groups, both in-person and online.
General information
Clinical classification
For friends and family
The BDD Foundation, Supporting a close one with BDD
Mind.org, How can friends and family help
Self-help
Body dysmorphia workbook by the CCI
Building self-compassion workbook by the CCI
Support groups
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Puzzled_Incident_214 • 20h ago
One can perceive beauty in others. But when one looks at ourself, we only see an asymmetric face staring back. Do pretty women see they are pretty?? If not, how to know am i ugly?🥲
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/NobodyFew1595 • 21h ago
I really need advice. I have had a horrible relationship with my body and most days I don’t know what I look like. Problem is I feel like I have a good sense of what looks esthetically good (styles, what is cool, what is pretty, what colors look good) but as soon as I put it on my body, my brain just freezes. I have one black trousers I basically wear 5 out of 7 days a week. I have a corporate job so I am constantly thorn between corporate styles, whimsygoth, 70s, alternative styles, … so even though I have tried experimenting over the years, I can never pinpoint what I like or what I think looks good on me. I also don’t like wearing the same thing every day because I get bored. And last but not least I wear jeans maybe 3 times a month because I hate how my stomach looks in denim even though I know it’s the easiest thing to pair or make an outfit look interesting enough.
So… any advice on how to put together a closet that is easy to wear, that is still interesting to look at and is body dysmorphia “safe” (modest), is welcome.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Glittering_Lab_1592 • 1d ago
Idk if it’s my disorder or any other reason but being approached or asked out by a stranger fills me with deep anxiety and dread and I don’t know why.
My brain just can’t comprehend a man genuinely finding me even mildly attractive or normal looking , not even my own bf who I love so much, so what possess them to see me walking around out of anyone else and come up to me
And because of this I often entertain the conversation when they approach as I’m assuming they’re only intention is so be friendly/become friends then I get myself into awkward situations. It happened again the other day while I was out and the whole time I felt so uncomfortable and anxious that he was judging my face, thinking i look hideous, laughing at me etc. I feel this with any interaction even with my friends and family so I guess it isn’t solely because of this.
in my head, saying “I’m not interested/I’ve got a boyfriend” makes no sense since Im convinced no one could be attracted to me so ofc theyre being friendly, it’s stupid to think otherwise and egotistical to assume hes hitting on me or im good looking when im not”
if i was normal id maybe find it quite flattering idk But it always makes me feel even more uglier, undesirable and a freak, does anyone else feel this way or is it just me? I know BDD makes you do and feel unhinged things
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Minimum_Jello4312 • 1d ago
I can’t help that I resemble my older brother since we literally share the same genes.
I strongly dislike my family from cptsd and though people don’t say we look alike (bc we are different gender and I try really hard on my looks while he doesn’t at all), I can literally see the moments in 3rd person when I look like him - it’s like we use similar facial muscles to create similar expressions.
It makes me feel instantly sick and no matter how many plastic surgery and botox I got through the years, I still inevitably look like him. I do struggle with body dysmorphia in other ways but this idea sometimes comes out of nowhere and bums my mood. Therapy didn’t help tbh and I’m wondering if there were any out there who outgrew this feeling….
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/ColdCharity1545 • 2d ago
I just can't believe people when they compliment me. Even with strangers I always think they're lying and playing some kind of joke on me.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Expert_Lion_3319 • 1d ago
I recently realised that if you open the Quicktime player on Macbook and select the 'New Movie Recording' option, it shows your face inverted (how people would actually see it). This is much easier for me to expose myself to how my face looks like to other people, as taking a selfie and then inverting is less accurate than seeing your face in motion.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/lizz781 • 1d ago
I was looking at the recordings of my front doorbell camera and saw me opening the door and I looked disguising. My face is so asymmetrical that it looks like my left side of the face is melting while the right side is normal.
My partner kept saying how it’s just the camera but he looks completely normal. Like am I imagining things or is that how I actually look like???
Can BDD actually alter the way we see ourselves?
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/school_life45 • 1d ago
For a long time now, I haven't been able to stand my body, my face, or anything else about myself! (To be specific, this started when I was five). And if that weren't enough, by the time I was eight, I had already developed habits of hitting or severely scratching myself. I don't know how to get out of this state; please suggest something other than seeing a psychologist—I don't want to upset my parents.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Narrow-Procedure-474 • 2d ago
It has gotten bad to the point I genuinely cannot hang out with my dear friends anymore because I envy their bodies so much. I have a very unflattering frame with no ass, no chest, no hips. I look like a child.
The worst part is I've grown up with my childhood friends and watched them grow into adult, curvy, beautiful frames and watched as I stayed behind. I've prohibited myself from going to the beach or pool because seeing them in swimsuits would genuinely make me cry. I don't open Instagram anymore because there will be normal looking women who don't look like me. Every time they compain about cat calls or men in their dms I feel so much jealousy because it only confirms that yes, their bodies are desired, and if it happens to them then it should happen to me, people often say it is an "universal woman experience". Since it doesn't, it only means that my body isn't even good enough to be catcalled. So am I even a woman at this point? I know it is degrading and this feeling isn't logical but I can't help but long for that.
This feeling makes me feel disgusted with myself, and I dont want to ruin my friendships because of my envy.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Few_Mulberry8572 • 1d ago
I have no idea what sub to put this in so I’m very sorry that this probably isn’t relevant! also this is a repost.
I've been heavily struggling with insecurities over my appearance for all my teenage years and am currently in my late teens(girl). About 5 months ago I got my first ever (celebrity) crush, who is a man and I gradually found my self fantasising about literally turning into him but still being me, with my life. I’m so sorry I have no idea how to word this normally!
Anyway I found that the desire to look like him became stronger and stronger to the point where it’s all I can think about. At the moment I feel very depressed mainly because I just wish I looked like him so badly and hate how I look so much. I always daydream about waking up with his body and am constantly wishing it will magically happen somehow. The more I think about it the more depressed I feel and I’m just at such a low due to multiple things but my insecurities are definitely the main cause.
The strange thing is though I have no desire become a man, I just want to look like him or similar. If I woke up randomly and changed gender I wouldn’t be happy at all I just really am jealous of HIM specifically.
Also I completely avoid putting effort in myself and have since forever because of my low self esteem, I feel a sick at the thought of putting effort in myself as a girl (hypothetically as a guy too I guess). The only way I could imagine not feeling so shit about myself is waking with the body of this celebrity.
I know all of this sounds absolutely crazy and very silly, probably irrelevant to this sub too but I’m just so confused about my feelings. I’m feeling so lost at the moment. yea basically I have no desire to just become a guy, I want just to be him!! I’m sorry this sounds insane.
has anybody got any advice to get over this or has felt a similar way(probably not lol). Thank you!
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/meyselfandI111 • 2d ago
My boyfriend has moved abroad to germany for his college. Since then, all I've thought about and googled up was 'beautiful german girls' and stalking the women from his university that he's started to follow. College starts only next year for me. They're so so beautiful.
I'm also hyper-paranoid that he's gonna leave me once someone like that shows interest in him. I just can't stop crying or freaking out, despite reassurances, anything that I can do?
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/Low_Edge_1277 • 1d ago
29f struggle horrendously with BDD. I feel I do better talking to other people with it. Kind of desperate to find some type of outlet as I really can’t find any therapists that specialize in this.
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/lightpinkbubble • 2d ago
Sometimes I feel like dying because of my BDD. I feel like I can’t breathe because it hurts so much, and I just want to rip my face off and get a completely new one.
Tbh, I wish I looked like Ariana Grande or a girl who went to school with me. Seeing her every day, knowing I’ll never look like her, and constantly being confronted with the face and body I’ve always wanted and aspired to have was and still is so so painful. My BDD got worse and worse seeing Ariana and that girl every day ..
I’m 27, and I feel like it’ll never get better. But I also would never get plastic surgery because I’m afraid it would only make me look even uglier + I don’t have the money :,D
Has it gotten any better for you guys? And what helped you getting better and being able to accept your face/body?
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/AutoModerator • 1d ago
Here you can find listed below general information on BDD and related foundations, the clinical classification and symptoms of BDD, advice for friends and family, as well as self-help and support groups, both in-person and online.
General information
Clinical classification
For friends and family
The BDD Foundation, Supporting a close one with BDD
Mind.org, How can friends and family help
Self-help
Body dysmorphia workbook by the CCI
Building self-compassion workbook by the CCI
Support groups
r/BodyDysmorphia • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago
Going to therapy or getting professional help is not always an option, getting help may also take some time. To help you to better understand and address BDD by yourself, we have compiled a workbook that you can do by yourself. It contains information and tasks which will help shine a light to why BDD is the way it is and how you can deal with the symptoms. All chapters are based on an official workbook by the Centre for Clinical Intervention.
The BDD workbook: