Mirror Mirror on the wall...


Body Dysmorphic Disorder:

  1. A psychological disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with imaginary defects in their appearance...

Do you worry about your appearance? Is there a specific part of your body that you're unhappy with? Does thinking about a specific part of your body generate feelings of anxiety, distress or dissatisfaction? Do you avoid social gatherings because you feel uncomfortable with the way you look? When out in public do you feel self conscious? Do you regularly check your appearance in mirrors and other reflective surfaces? Then you could possibly be suffering with B.D.D, Body Dysmorphic Disorder. 

This might sound like a 'made up' problem but it's very real, especially for those suffering from it. Some people suffer greatly with Body Dysmorphia and struggle daily to battle with the morphed reflections they see in the mirror. 
Up to one in 100 people in the UK are estimated to have BDD. However, this number could be more as many people who have the condition keep it a secret - BUPA 
So what causes this disorder?
  • Bullying - when peers constantly pick out things about your appearance which causes you to develop low self esteem
  • Low self esteem
  • Fear of being alone or isolated - the person feeling that they will be left out from peer groups or won't be able to start a relationship due to their appearance
  • Compering yourself to others - looking at shape and size of people you see in the media or even on the street
  • Perfectionism - trying to make yourself perfect

When you get up in the morning and get ready for school, college, university or work and walk over to the mirror and see yourself; do you immediately view yourself negatively and start to see a morphed image? And are you afraid that you'll never be able to see yourself for who you really are? Don't panic! You don't have to battle with yourself day in day out for the rest of your life. You can change the way you see and feel about your image, you just have to be willing to begin. It may seem hard talking to people about what you see in the mirror, for you may feel that they won't understand what you see and try to persuade you that you are wrong.
Mirror Mirror on the wall - who is the fairest of them all?
 
 One of the leading UK charities which deal with people and family's of people with mental health issues, have a really useful website which covers facts and offers help for this problem. Remember 'A problem shared, is a problem halved'. Here is the link


It's always good to talk to a family member or a friend you can trust about how you feel and what you are going through. It's a brave thing to do to admit you have a problem with this but it is worth the risk in order for you to get well again and in time maybe you could become an mentor and help others recover too.

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