Mental Health Awareness: Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Chapter 16

Trigger warning: The following content discusses mental health disorders, specifically body dysmorphia. Some symptoms may be triggering. Viewer discretion is advised.

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

PSA! Please read this before beginning the chapter. The advice of Daphne Clarke and Ivy Dewdrop is not medical and should not be taken as such. This article aims to raise awareness of mental illnesses that aren’t spoken about enough. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please try your best to ask for help. You are loved and cared for, and your health is extremely important to us and those you are close with. Stay safe ♡

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Mental Health Awareness: Body Dysmorphic Disorder

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Story

(This may be triggering. This fictional story is just meant to give you a small visualiser of how BDD can affect one's day-to-day life.)

Evelyn woke up on a beautiful Saturday morning, the warm sun peeking past her curtains, casting her room in a soft glow. Her wavy blonde hair fell past her shoulders and swayed in front of her face. She stood up from her bed, stretched, before heading to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, she washed her face, then examined her body in the mirror. She stood on the scale beside her bed and weighed herself. Evelyn anxiously picked at a bump on her arm as the scale read out in bright red letters… 107.4. Her heart sank. In the last 5 days she’d gained 0.9 pounds. It was hardly a difference, but seeing the number go up and not down hurt. Evelyn quickly jotted it down on the spreadsheet next to her bed and got changed. She decided to skip breakfast that morning and go for a run instead. Throughout her one and a half hour run, Evelyn contemplated the number, how long it’d take to burn the pounds away, and whether or not she was going to eat lunch that day. Once Evelyn got home she weighed herself again, and the number was smaller. 107.1. It’s a start, at least… She reminded herself but ultimately chose to skip lunch that day too. The afternoon came by and she hung around the bathroom, absentmindedly picking at her soft skin. Once the evening came, Evelyn went to a diner with her friends. They all ordered a burger and some fries while Evelyn ate a small children's salad. This lifestyle was killing her… But happiness hurt, right?

…

I hope you were able to recognise that Evelyn’s habits and lifestyle are unsafe and dangerous. If you live like this, please reach out for help immediately.

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Introduction
Hello my loves <3 Today, we’re discussing a topic that I, and many others across the globe, suffer from. This topic is not meant to be taken lightly—and please please please, if you suffer from BDD, remember that there is help available, and that you aren't alone. I understand it may feel that way sometimes but there are so many incredible places and people that you can go to for assistance. But in order to get help, you need to want it, and be ready to put in the work needed to shift your mindset. With all that being said, this chapter may trigger some, but please, if you need help, REACH OUT NOW! <3

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a serious mental health condition where one spends excessive time worrying about their appearance and flaws. There is a vast difference between being insecure and suffering from BDD. Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a warped sense of self where one is entirely unhappy with their looks or is constantly checking themselves. Most times the flaws these people worry about are unnoticeable to others, but this person doesn’t believe that. All genders and ages can suffer from BDD, but studies have shown it is most common in teenage girls as well as male and female young adults. BDD is serious and can harm one’s sense of self, their value, their worth, and can lead to many health concerns.

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Symptoms of BDD
BDD is essentially an unhealthy obsession with the way your body looks. Common areas are the face, hair, skin, chest, and stomach. Symptoms include but are not limited to:
Constantly checking yourself in the mirror
Avoiding mirrors
Trying to hide a part of your body with makeup, hats, and baggy clothes
Constantly exercising
Comparing yourself to others
Always asking other people whether you look OK
Not believing other people when they say you look fine
Avoiding social activities
Not leaving the house, especially in the daytime
Having unnecessary plastic surgeries
Picking at your skin with fingers or tweezers
Feeling anxious, depressed, or ashamed
Having thoughts of suicide

Everyone will experience body dysmorphia differently, but this is a basic blueprint that can be used to see if you may have BDD. If you notice these symptoms in any friends and family as well, I suggest you gently express your concern for them :)

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

How Does BDD Affect People?
Body Dysmorphic Disorder severely impacts individuals by causing excessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in their appearance, even if those flaws go unnoticed to others. This preoccupation can lead to social isolation, impaired functioning, and increased risk in other mental health conditions.

Individuals with BDD may often experience severe anxiety and depression related to their disorder, impacting thoughts and behaviour in their daily lives. In some cases, BDD may also coincide with other disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and eating disorders.

There are also behavioral changes, such as spending hours checking yourself in the mirror, repeatedly grooming, or seeking cosmetic procedures to “fix” your flaws. All in all, it leads to an unhealthy lifestyle, most likely affecting a person’s social and academic life, as well as relationships.

Sadly, it’s alarming that attempted suicide rates for those with BDD is remarkably high at around 25%. It simply takes over someone's life, which is why it’s important to seek treatment before the problem worsens. Don’t mistake BDD as an excessive form of vanity; it’s real—and dangerous.

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Personal Experience
(Please read with caution as this section of this chapter will go into Ivy Dewdrop’s personal experience and what she has done to her own body. Please, do not repeat the things she has done. It has led to permanent markings.)

Hello beloved readers, it’s Ivy. This is my personal experience with what I believe to be symptoms of BDD. From a young age I hated my body, I didn’t like my hair, my acne, my weight, my figure, my hands, everything was a flaw. I think it got really bad during COVID—I would lock myself in the bathroom, weigh myself, cry about it, then forcefully suck in my stomach. Then as puberty hit I started to get pimples on my arms, and a few on my nose. They were hardly noticeable to others but I saw them, and it hurt me. I would repeatedly use poppers (which are tools designed to pop pimples) all over my arms and nose. I would leave the bathroom with a red nose and red arms and deep indentations in them from the tools and my nails. Slowly, over the years it got better, then throughout 7th grade it got bad again. I started to get acne on my back, nose, and the middle of my chest. The ones on my arms slowly started to disappear however. When I couldn’t pop or pick at the pimples I would take my nails or a pencil and dig it into my skin, and I have a few scars to prove it. I still do it to this day, however, the key thing to take away is that I am getting help. I am in therapy weekly and we often discuss other ways to cope with my stress, distaste for my body, and anxiety, other than picking. Please, my loves, do not repeat my mistakes.

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Coping With BDD
Now that we’ve gotten to understand more about this mental disorder, we can discuss ways to get help and learn to look beyond it.

It’s most recommended that those suffering from BDD seek treatment from healthcare providers. The most difficult part is asking for help, but it’s a part of recovery <3 The specifics of how you should go about treating it depend on the following:
The extent of the problem
Your age, health, and medical history
Expectations for the course of the disorder
The opinions of your healthcare providers
Your opinion and preference

Some possible treatments may be talk-therapy or certain medications, but the best is most likely a combination of both. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective talk-therapy, and a great way to cope with body dysmorphia. In CBT, you work with a specialist to break the pattern of negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.

While going to a professional is the route I recommend the most, I understand that not everyone is in that position. Here are some tips that could benefit you on your journey to recovery:
Write your thoughts and feelings in a journal
Participate in social activities
Eat healthy, get sufficient sleep, and engage in adequate physical exercise
Join a support group
Set recovery goals for yourself
Explore relaxation and stress-management techniques
Talk to trusted friends and family

I hope this helps :) Please keep in mind that BDD is a mental disorder, and unfortunately, you can’t rid yourself of it immediately. Recovery is a long journey, but one that is more than worthwhile!

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Resources
I found a great resource, linked here:
https://bddfoundation.org/information/helpful-resources/

The BDD foundation has many helpful components. There is even a test created by clinicians to help you determine if you may have BDD. There are also many experts you can listen to, books and podcasts you can purchase, as well as hotlines and support groups for those in the UK.

If you don’t reside in the UK, here are other resources you can get help from:
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/looking-after-yourself/body-dysmorphia
https://iocdf.org/support-groups/bdd-recovery-online-support-group/
https://adaa.org/find-help/find-support/support-groups/bdd-online-support-group

When it comes to BDD, support groups can be really helpful. There aren’t any international hotlines, but there is a helpline on the website Office of Women’s Help that you can use. You can also dial the 988 Suicide and Crisis hotline, or 911 in life-threatening situations.

・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.

Conclusion
I deeply hope that everyone suffering from BDD is able to find help and smoothly hop onto the road to recovery. BDD is not a joke and affects patients’ day-to-day life. It is a taxing mental health disorder that when untreated can lead to many health concerns. If you need help, please, talk to a family member or friend, contact one of the resources above, or if you need to talk, Daphne and I are open for owls. Our advice is not one of medical value but we are here if you need to talk or vent. Readers, please remember that you are beautiful, amazing, handsome, and your flaws are what make you, you. Please stay safe my loves and remember you’re worth love from yourself and others!!

Written by Ivy Dewdrop and Daphne Clarke.
Edited by Hazel Antler.
Proofread by Alannah V.