I think i might have body dysmorphic disorder?
If you do have BDD it is a psychiatric illness, literally all in your head. The best strategy would be to speak to a therapist about your feelings concerning your body BEFORE you have any cosmetic surgery. If you have BDD and have the surgery, you probably won't experience any relief from the negative feelings about your body, will probably compound your problem by having bad feelings about the surgery results. A therapist with experience in this area can give you real world exercises to decrease your negative feelings about your body. Look for a therapist who specializes in treating this disorder. Good luck.
If my mental illnesses are getting worse such and BPD and BDD and more, how can I get my parents to listen when they get so ashamed and disappointed?
I was in your same boat. You can try to tell them that mental illness is similar to diabetes and high blood pressure and people are not ashamed of those people. I suspect your parents still have a bias against mental illness and also feel guilt that they did something wrong. Also, some parents freak out when about what other people will think if they find out one of their kids has a mental illness.Is there any grown up or neutral sympathetic third party that you can talk to like a teacher or counselor at school? Are you still a minor or are you over 18? Is there any way you can do research about the resources available to you in your area. You did not specify what country you are in but most developed nations have crisis hotlines or free to low cost support groups. You can also try to show your parents a wikipedia article which lists all the famous and rich people who had a diganosable mental illness.I feel your pain. Its been about 20 years since severe depression really hit me. I wish you the best of luck. Some people will never get it about mental illness so it is up to you to find people who are supportive. Believe me, there are way more of us than you think.
What is it like to have hyperemesis gravidarum, and did anything help?
the worst case of nausea you can possibly have of and then max that by 200. You unable to keep down anything. Any movement or even thought of food will send you throwing up. Follow that by extreme dehydration and weight loss to the point where you have to spend all your free time in the emergency room, hooked up to IVs to try and replenish your fluids. Its like having the worst case of food posioning, stomach flu (without the pooping) and hang over all combined. Then in the back of your mind you start to panic because instead of gaining weight you actually lose weight to the point that your dr suggests a feeding tube if things dont get better. Theres not much they can do other than give you constant ivs and strong prescription medication for nausea.
Any other BDD recluses out there... how do you deal with it? The loneliness, depression, bordem, self loathing?
How do I say this... Well, I hardly ever leave my house(apartment really) anymore and feel so alone. I live alone, have no friends, no job, no life really. I talk to no one, see no one, hear from no one, and just wait for the day I'll die. And sadly it never comes. Needless to say, I have pretty severe social anxiety when I do go out. I am afraid of what people think about me. Having Body Dysmorphic Disorder, I believe I am ugly, too ugly to live most days, and don't want anyone to even have a glimpse of me. I hide from the world, but cannot hide from myself and my self loathing. I hate myself. I wish I could kill myself, but I don't have the courage. Being a recluse, I'm unable to go anywhere, do anything, or at least I feel/believe this is the case. I'm depressed virtually all the time, sleep a lot, ten hours a day generally, have no energy or motivation to do anything. As a consequence, I feel lazy and stupid, unaccomplished; inferior to other people who are better looking, smarter, have more money, accomplishments, et cetera. I know I need to change if I am to live, but have to say that I don't know how, or if I even want to. I mean, I've been like this for as long as I can remember, and it's become a part of me, who I am. And as crazy as it sounds, I don't want to change that, even if it kills me so it seems. I've been in therapy with so many doctors, so many social workers.... tried so many medications that I've lost count. Nothing has worked in about 20 years now. And over that time, I've lost my faith, my hope, my strength, if ever I had any. I don't know.... I don't want anybody to feel sorry or pity for me, and I'm not just looking for somebody's attention here, but I guess I don't want to kill myself and just want someone to at least sense my pain. And in the end, I guess that's the crux of it, Pain. I just want the pain to stop; the ache in my heart, the torment in my mind, hurt in my body, the agony of my soul. All I want is to once again know peace, if not bliss. I hope that I will get there, but right now I cannot see how that could ever be possible. How does one go on ???
I'm a 21 year old female and I'm becoming extremely concerned about the way I look. Its slightly affecting my daily activities and I'm scared I'm mildly developing body dysmorphic disorder. What do I do to deal with this?
First of all…..congratulations on being ‘aware’ that you’re getting a bit obsessive about the way you look. That in itself is VERY positive.When you say “it’s slightly affecting my daily activities” - in what way? Are you making yourself late for work by taking too much time looking in the mirror or changing outfits ?You’re 21. This is such a fabulous age…no longer a child and the world unfolding for you as a young adult. I would suggest the following:Try changing your ‘getting ready’ routine. You could pick out something to wear the night before.Put a timer on for your make up application. Say 10 minutes. If this is too short for you, start out with longer time and then reduce it over a period of a couple of weeks.How many times do you look in the mirror to check yourself out? Make a conscious effort to reduce the time spent in front of the mirror or reflective window etc.Depending on where you live, you could also do some volunteer work in your community. Focusing attention on other people, who are less fortunate than you, is a wonderful way to take the focus off yourself. It’ll also give you a natural ‘high’ as helping others creates dopamine in the brain and makes us feel good!Good luck! Love Lee x
How can I overcome body dysmorphic disorder due to a birthmark?
Plastic surgery can be very helpful. BDD is a disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with imaginary defects and their appearance. But your birthmark isn’t imaginary.(my english isn’t very good, but I will try to explain…)I was born with severe pectus excavatum - a chest/ribcage deformity that produces a caved-in or sunken appearance of the chest (in my case it also deformed my breasts). I was depressed beacuse of that since I was 13. My doctors, family and friends thought that I just feel sorry for myself, that it is all in my head and that I just have to embrace my body. My psychologist diagnosed me with depression, anxiety and BDD.When I was 27 I finally went to the thoracic surgeon. He told me that I could have an operation when I was 20 and that that operation could completely fix my chest deformity. At the age of 27 bones are not so soft anymore, so it was harder to fix this, but I decided to have an operation anyway. And it was the BEST decision in my life!So basically, my solution was always there - I could fix my problem so many years ago if I just stopped listening to others and stopped thinking that I am bad and superficial person just because I wanted to look normal. I feel so much better now, I am more confident, relaxed and happy.You have all the right to go to a plastic surgeon and ask him/her for help!I wish you all the best!
How effective is Wellbutrin in treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with BDD. SSRI's (along with cognitive behavioral therapy) are commonly prescribed for the treatment of BDD. Common body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) medications include anti-depressants such as: Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, and Anafranil. These medications have all been found to be helpful in treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and are believed to be helpful in those suffering from body dysmorphic disorder. Wellbutrin is not an SSRI, it's an atypical, so I'm not sure that it's a good choice for the treatment of BDD, but ask your psychiatrist and I'm sure he/she will tell you. The effects of these body dysmorphic disorder medications is gradual and can take 2 weeks or more before any benefit is realized. The full benefit of body dysmorphic medications can take 4 months or more. Hope this helps, and good luck.
Do my ears stick out or do i have BDD? Pic?
Hi I think my ears stick out..BIG TIME; dumbo standard! I'm 15 and my mum said i could get them pinned back on the nhs BUT my gp said that they dont stick out and im "being obsessive" Firstly i would be happy if they didnt stick out but i am confused because girls always dare each other to do horrible stuff like try to slap my ears with a ruler in class or pull there ears out like a monkey :( Anyway was just wondering if my ears are that bad? http://www.flickr.com/photos/66785248@N03/ Thanks