When an individual spends massive amounts of time obsessing about minor defects or even normal elements of their appearance that it begins to impair daily life, then they are said to be plagued by Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Eve Fisher tells her personal story about BDD recovery. When Eve was 16 she began looking in the mirror for long periods of time fixating on the appearance of her nose. When she was younger, she would spend her time with friends and participate in various activities. As she got older, her preoccupation with her appearance prevented her from doing things that she used to enjoy. Eve was so dissatisfied with her nose that she even got plastic surgery. To her dismay however, the plastic surgery did not change the way she felt about her appearance.
Eve’s mom had started using Prozac after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother was so amazed with the improvement in her attitude that she recommended the same treatment for Eve. At that time, Eve refused because she felt that her self loathing was not without reason. One day when in the store, Eve saw a magazine article named, “Hate your looks? What is means when your mirror lies.” The article was abotu Body Dysmorphic Disorder and talked about the different symptoms and treatments. Eve felt that she fit the description of BDD and felt reassured that her family and friends were not lying to her when she said that she looked fine. She realized that maybe she was the one creating a distorted view of herself.
After this revelation, Eve decided to start using Prozac and noticed positive changes in her attitude and view of herself. Because she didn’t want to be on medication for life, Eve started looking for other treatments with less negatie side effects. She turned to meditation and was able to stop taking medication entirely.
Eve has accepted the way that she looks and is happy that she no longer spends hours in front of the mirror inspecting her faults. She has learned to not equate physical attractiveness with self worth.
The causes of BDD are not known for certain, but there are theories that the disorder is related to low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Treatments for BDD include CBT, SSRIs, and exposure therapy. Exposing their believed defect in social situations allows individuals to reduce compulsive behaviors after seeing that there fears are not a reality.
More details about Eve’s story can be found at this website.