BDD- Body dysmorphic disorder

I wasnt sure where to post this, but i think the "depression forum" is most suitable, as i find it can be a major reason for it. at this point im sure i have bdd. wasnt always bdd...but as things got worse, it just got that bad. so im prone to thinking terrible thought about my appearence, over annaysing and avoiding things altogether because of this. very recently though, things are going really well for me and i seem to be happy with my life, doing more things etc. but still bdd is plagueing me. and well, i just dont think enough people talk about it on these sa forums. as i think there's probably many others suffering out there. can anyone else relate? i would love to hear from any other sufferers, go raibh maith agat

I can't go outdoors without looking some bit decent.
It takes me hours to get ready and i get real depressed looking in the mirror.
Everytime i leave the house with hair or makeup not done, my hoods up, hats on, scarfs on, and im trying to not look massive at the same time.
I keep my head down or look like im in a hurry.
If i get one insult - i think about it for at least the next 24 hours, or it could come back to haunt me even months later.
Basically - people even looking at me terrifies me!
I know how ya feel - its horribe to have!!

I used to have this, but now - i just know i look rough without make up!

Hello22 wrote:I used to have this, but now - i just know i look rough without make up!

Ah I doubt that, you're probably just being hard on yourself. We're all our own worst critics. Anyway you're shit-cool so keep yer chin up!

I understand where you're all coming from. In my late teens i had acne, it wasnt bad but at the same time it wasnt the nicest thing to have. But because of it i would avoid going out, when id see myself in the mirror id just think i was worthless etc. Thing was i put all my bad feelings on how i looked, thinking that it cleared up then so would my depression/ social phobia. Obviously when it did eventually clear i just found something else to justify my feelings.

I do think that any disorder like this comes from having beliefs of worthlessness/not being good enough or fear of certain situations. However we need to find resaons to justify these beliefs, so we find faults in things about us, as in this case looks. So,because you've attached how you look with these bad feelings,whenever you look in the mirror it just triggers these self-limiting beliefs

It is simply (i am aware that it may not seem that simple) about changing our negative self limiting beliefs. Beliefs are the foundation to our lives,so if our beliefs are fearful and negative, then thats how our lives will be. Think the brilliant Henry Ford quote sums it up best.

'whether you believe you can or cannot, you're right' So if you believe you cannot go somewhere because of your looks, then you'll be right, you wont be able to go.

In saying all that though, there is no problem in looking good, sometimes dressing up can give us extra confidence so im all for that. Its just becomes a problem when looks become an obsession.

Hope that makes sense

Great post Carl!!

^ Ditto. I'm alot more positive than i was a few years ago, gosh when i think back on my teeny bopper years (13/14/15), i was so deluded as to what beauty was. I would not leave the house without a full face of make-up and false tan, but yet i didnt suffer panic attcks until i was 17.
But now i'm happier and i would probably rate myself average in looks (not sounding cocky), this however does not apply to my bad hair days though, lol.

i was fine up to 19/20, i was confident, had no worries and enjoyed a very socialable life. then i got bullied and what i was doing at the weekends did nt help either. i developed low esteem and sometime last year i found out about SA, which was bonus because i did nt realise what was up with me until that point. i wasted the last few yrs of my life, but now im tryin to get past all that which is difficult , to say the least. i tried therpy but it was nt for me. i tink i can get through this on my own ( maybe im been arrogant) i dont know !!

great positive replies carl and hello22. makes me feel more hopeful padmasana, so sorry you feel that way, but i agree you can absolutely come through it

BDD can be so very severe though...but i think just hearing positive stuff can even be of some help to me

i've been having body dysmorphia symptoms quite badly lately, more than ever!! well, today i mean. i just dont know what to do, as cruel thoughts of myself are always on my mind. it's stressing me out, and i dont think i'll ever get over this problem
i'll more than likely feel better tomorrow. but what if i dont? thats a huge possibility too. that sort of thing really scares me

Hi Sundaygirl.

Every morning you should tell yourself that you are the 'master of your own thoughts'. Keep doing this until its etched in your head. Be positive and think and say to yourself 'I am beautiful'. Have a diary and empty your head every morning filling 3 pages even if its only crappy stuff. Think of all the good things in life!
I wouldnt write this if I wasnt trying it myself.

thanks for the advice shelley
it means a lot to me