Ever heard of BDD?

madbev90210

Hi everyone who's bothering to listen to me.. The thing is Im a newbie here and think its a great website with alot of members and so Im hoping somebody out there has an understanding of BDD (body dysmorphic disorder). Ever heard of it? Know anyone with it? Have it yourself??

I could be here all day explaining the many ways in which it affects people, but Im sure no one wants that! So basically its a mental disorder where the sufferer (ie me) has a major pre occupation with an imagined or percieved defect, to the extent where it takes over their lives.

Have had a few good days recently where I thought I looked ok, but this morning, looked in mirror and felt so hideously ugly I had what is known as a BDD attack. These are fairly rare in people with BDD who usually manage to go about life keeping it to themselves.

There is a high suicide rate among both men and women with this disorder and I dont want to be one of them. I am desperate to deal with this but have only heard of America recognising it. Anyway I found the following link that shows how "we" feel about our looks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjL1vgIbYKE

Dub6Kevin

I certainly have heard of it and it is very real.

It is well recognised in medical circles here in Ireland and if you were to speak with your doctor I am sure s/he will be able to point you in the direction of mental health professionals who will be able to help you.

They always say that recognising you have a problem is the first step to solving it so well done and good luck.

K

g'em

www.bodywhys.ie

Good website, great support group.

Gyalist

It seems that you are self-diagnosing which is a very dangerous path to go down. The best advice would be for you to contact your local mental health services.

Dragan

madbev90210 wrote: »

I could be here all day explaining the many ways in which it affects people, but Im sure no one wants that! So basically its a mental disorder where the sufferer (ie me) has a major pre occupation with an imagined or percieved defect, to the extent where it takes over their lives.

Your far from alone. I deal with this pretty much on a daily basis. Some days i think i look like a God, somedays i feel like a fat fool and don't even want to step outside my door.

G'em posted a great link which you should have a look at!

The one piece of advice i can give is to build yourself a good strong support group of folk who understand!

Also, don't ever think you are alone in this.

madbev90210

I did self diagnose, yes, but I know 100% that I suffer from this. I have all the characteristics and some.

Its very embarrasing aswell though. People think its about vanity when its not at all. When I found the courage to mention it to a pyschiatrist I could tell she thought I was bonkers!

I also went for a plastic surgery consultation.. I had a long list but she also thought I was mad! The thought that I can one day get everything 'fixed' is the only comfort I have...

I have never heard of any Irish organisation acknowledging it. Dont they mostly deal with weight issues? I actually have no issues with my weight.. The problems for me exist from the neck up...

tbh

you might find someone in the LTI forum - link in my sig.

JuliusCaesar

madbev90210 wrote: »

Hi everyone who's bothering to listen to me.. The thing is Im a newbie here and think its a great website with alot of members and so Im hoping somebody out there has an understanding of BDD (body dysmorphic disorder). Ever heard of it? Know anyone with it? Have it yourself??]

check out www.ocdireland.org

They have information about BDD and a support group

St Bill

Hi OP, the video is a real eye-opener. I really feel for you if these are the types of thoughts going through your head. Nobody deserves to feel like that. Have you ever talked to someone in your family about it? Maybe your mother, I'm sure she would be surprised, shocked and worried that you're thinking like this?

astrofool

I remember them covering this in Nip/Tuck with someone who couldn't bear to have his left leg, I wonder if it's ever been successfully treated without resorting to surgery, it sounds like you almost need to be reprogrammed, like a bug in the code of our human genome

A doctor's visit then a support group (allow for the possibility that your self diagnosis is wrong), sounds like the best course of action, I doubt plastic surgery has ever helped out this type of condition, you'd just become obsessive over the small scar's left behind, and slight imperfections throughout.

I can sort of see the mind set going on here, I know myself, I'd be very obsessive compulsive about certain things, in this case, it's as if your perception of what "ugly" is, has got out of whack somehow, and has been attached to the meaning for your existance.

dudara

madbev90210 wrote: »

I did self diagnose, yes, but I know 100% that I suffer from this. I have all the characteristics and some.

This is a dangerous thing to do. You need to talk to a professional about this. Go to your GP who will refer you to someone more appropriate than yourself to make a diagnosis

medbev90210 wrote:

Its very embarrasing aswell though. People think its about vanity when its not at all. When I found the courage to mention it to a pyschiatrist I could tell she thought I was bonkers!

Go seek a second opinion. You need to know if you do suffer from this disorder or not.

madbev90210 wrote:

I have never heard of any Irish organisation acknowledging it. Dont they mostly deal with weight issues? I actually have no issues with my weight.. The problems for me exist from the neck up...

Again go talk to someone professional who deals with skewed body images.

madbev90210

I wish I could get that part of my brain reprogrammed! Or perhaps a lobotomy I used to tell my mam but she got sick of me worrying about my appearance and not wanting to go out and now if I say I look like s**t she gets angry at me!

Its a fecker of a mental disorder alright. I try to be logical and think how lucky I am to be healthy etc but I just cant stop obsessing about my appearance. I wont even answer the door if someone knocks around unexpectedly as I need time to get ready to be "see-able" (new word!)

Tbh Im sick and tired of going to see "mental health people" because sitting in them waiting rooms makes me feel crazy and also none of them believe me as I just look like a normal 21 yr old... Im sure they think Im some mad attention seeker.. plus I just want to look beautiful first.. then id have the confidence to even go out and seek help.. Ironic eh

astrofool

That's the thing, what got into your brain that X was beautiful and Y is not, have you been to see a psychiatrist yet? I'd also doubt a "mental health" person would judge someone based on them looking like a normal 21 year old.

WhiteWashMan

madbev90210 wrote: »

Hi everyone who's bothering to listen to me.. The thing is Im a newbie here and think its a great website with alot of members and so Im hoping somebody out there has an understanding of BDD (body dysmorphic disorder). Ever heard of it? Know anyone with it? Have it yourself??

I could be here all day explaining the many ways in which it affects people, but Im sure no one wants that! So basically its a mental disorder where the sufferer (ie me) has a major pre occupation with an imagined or percieved defect, to the extent where it takes over their lives.

Have had a few good days recently where I thought I looked ok, but this morning, looked in mirror and felt so hideously ugly I had what is known as a BDD attack. These are fairly rare in people with BDD who usually manage to go about life keeping it to themselves.

There is a high suicide rate among both men and women with this disorder and I dont want to be one of them. I am desperate to deal with this but have only heard of America recognising it. Anyway I found the following link that shows how "we" feel about our looks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjL1vgIbYKE

i have a friend with this and he is one of the fittest, buffest blokes i have ever met.
and he hates his body.

every day he has to struggle thinking that there is something wrong with the way he looks, when the rest of us would give our left testie to have his abs.

i dont know what he does about it though, so sorry, no help to you at all.

madbev90210

"Mental health people" are psychiatrists, psychologists, home help nurses and counsellors and Ive seen them all! They'll only recognise my sadness as depression alone and some have even told me Im not depressed just stressed! :rolleyes:

I think they do judge me though.. Some of their patients in their waiting rooms look.. how shall I say this...'dishevelled' and talk to themselves or try to secretly eat their chocolate bar! And Im like "wtf"? Then I walk in and most of the time feel grand and so crack a few jokes etc so they dont think Im crazy. I can see them raise their eyebrows.. but I can never say "Im desperate for plastic surgery because I feel too ugly to live". I know they'd just think I was vain or selfish. The one time I raised the subject it was knocked down straight away! :mad:

Whitewashman, did your friend actually say he has BDD?

Rb

Go see the relevant professionals, and as Astrofool said, be prepared to accept that your self-diagnosis may be completely wrong.

Everyone goes through phases of thinking they look sh1te/great, or it can happen on a daily occurance, such is life and you could just be going through something completely normal, yet have diagnosed yourself with something a lot more serious and have started to believe that you truly do have it. I'm not saying that's whats happened, but it happens a lot of the time when people diagnose themselves with an illness and then they have a problem accepting a professionals opinion on it because they feel they can totally relate with what they've read about said illness.

Anyway, go seek professional help.

WhiteWashMan

madbev90210 wrote: »

"Mental health people" are psychiatrists, psychologists, home help nurses and counsellors and Ive seen them all! They'll only recognise my sadness as depression alone and some have even told me Im not depressed just stressed! :rolleyes:

I think they do judge me though.. Some of their patients in their waiting rooms look.. how shall I say this...'dishevelled' and talk to themselves or try to secretly eat their chocolate bar! And Im like "wtf"? Then I walk in and most of the time feel grand and so crack a few jokes etc so they dont think Im crazy. I can see them raise their eyebrows.. but I can never say "Im desperate for plastic surgery because I feel too ugly to live". I know they'd just think I was vain or selfish. The one time I raised the subject it was knocked down straight away! :mad:

Whitewashman, did your friend actually say he has BDD?

yes, hes been diagnosed with it.

LegacyUser

Yes I had body dismorphic disorder. Its very real. Its recognised in Europe and Ireland too. Constant checking of image in the mirror. The preoccupation is usually about the face of head. Its a nightmare and the sufferer is usually very depressed as well. It has the highest completed suicide rates of all psychiatic illnesses as far as I am aware. The treatment of choice is a combination of medication and psychotherapy. You need to see a psychiatrist for this.

K_P

Body dysmorphic disorder is recognised by the DSM-IV, basically the guide used by all mental health professionals for diagnosing conditions. It's an American publication but is used worldwide.

It defines BDD as a condition marked by excessive preoccupation with an imaginary or minor defect in a facial feature or localized part of the body. It says that the condition must be sufficiently severe to cause a decline in the patient's social, occupational, or educational functioning. The most common cause of this decline is the time lost in obsessing about the "defect."

If you're coming up against a brick wall when you talk to counsellors about it, it may be because your life hasn't quite yet ground to a halt because of your BDD. I think it's worth talking it over with someone more specialised. Bodywhys might be a good place to start.

dublinlawyer

Myspace page with plenty of info:-
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=233237906

Theres a US documentary called:-
I Feel So Ugly: Body Dysmorphic Disorder

There seems to be loads of videos on youtube with peoples stories of it.

I saw a documentary on ITV or BBC or CH4 a few months back - can't remember the name of it...but I found it interesting.

LegacyUser

Did you check out the ocdireland website? They're doing a series of public talks on BDD and trichotillomaina at the moment. Lots of info on the site too.

JuliusCaesar

madbev90210 wrote: »

When I found the courage to mention it to a pyschiatrist I could tell she thought I was bonkers!

errr........isn't that what they are experts in? (no offence, just couldn't resist it)
maybe she doesn't think you have BDD? Did you describe the symptoms to her?