Body image self-assessment quiz

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  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Wow, mine was 31. I didn't really realize how much I'm still struggling with my body image. Yikes, I wonder what it was before I started this!
  • newman84
    newman84 Posts: 234 Member
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    I got a 51. I was working with my therapist on trying to feel better about myself but she left so not so much anymore.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Surprised how low mine was, I got 20. I feel self-concious a lot now, or at least I think I do. Back before I lost weight I didn't give a rats *kitten*, so I guess I would've scored even lower!
  • amymaytay
    amymaytay Posts: 55 Member
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    How good is your body image?

    You have scored 51 points.-You are suffering from a condition called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) which is translated as body hatred. This is not a reflection of how you actually look or how other people see you, because there are very many people who have physical handicap, or, who look different from the norm.

    This is why I decided to change everything in my life, hopefully I start losing more weight and can take this again and score quite a bit better and feel more confident with my body!
  • Jude_V
    Jude_V Posts: 72 Member
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    I'm not sure about this test..BDD is not (in the terms of psychological understanding) translated as "body hatred". It is a complex psychological dysfunction that has to do with seeing your body in a different way to how others see it. i.e an unrealistic hatred or obsession with a particular body part. Many people who suffer are incredibly beautiful (by others standards) but believe themselves to be hideously ugly. It's a bit like anorexics who are incredibly thin but feel they are still fat - that's dysmorphia....

    It's very hard to measure objectively with a test - but, myself as an example - I am very overweight and dislike the fact that I am overweight and it makes me very uncomfortable in many situations. I don't like to stand naked in front of a mirror, but I'm not sure I'm dysmorphic about the way I look - I don't think you'd want to see me naked either - it's just not pretty to look at - and I'm not being unrealistic about it....

    Anyway - I got 58...but I don't think me or any of us is dysmorphic about it, necessarily...
  • sunnyhlw77
    sunnyhlw77 Posts: 204 Member
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    I scored 20. I'm not surprised though. I know I am overweight, about 83 lbs overweight but when I look in the mirror I don't see it. I'm not sure why but my mind sees me at a much lighter, smaller size. It actually wasn't until I saw a picture of myself last fall that I realized what I actually looked like but you know, instead of getting down on myself, I see/saw it as an opportunity to get up, dust off my boots and improve myself and my self image. I guess in my mind what doesn't kill me can only make me stronger and seeing what I looked like was just an eye opener. I choose to be positive about such things, I guess its from past experiences. I was 15 when my dad died from lung cancer (from smoking) and I chose at that time to tell myself instead of looking at the situation completely negatively to remind myself that the sun will always come up the next morning, some days there'll be cloud but some where in our world, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer a year after we were married, I chose to think the same way. And my weight situation, well, its something I can fix and I will fix. I've lost 23 lbs since January and I feel awesome. I don't care what other people think of me, I'm me and I'm unique and if people don't like it, let them. I think its my confidence they are jealous of. Words cannot hurt me, the way I've seen it, I've already been through hell and my life isn't that bad and all I can do is improve on it. Not sure if my rambling makes sense.
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
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    Okay, I'm not a Psychologist, but I am going to school to be one, and I feel like this test is totally misleading. Just because you are unhappy with your appearance does not classify you to have Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    OOps, I'm a nutso....here's my resulting score:

    "You have scored 58 points.

    SCORE 40+
    You are suffering from a condition called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) which is translated as body hatred. This is not a reflection of how you actually look or how other people see you, because there are very many people who have physical handicap, or, who look different from the norm. But they do not feel this badly about themselves. Similarly there are people who look very normal in reality but they experience this sense of deep hostility toward the way they look. BDD and a damaged sense of self-esteem go hand in hand.
    People with BDD are at high risk of developing a variety of serious emotional problems such as social phobias, depression and eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia for example, are examples of BDD, but BDD shows itself in many ways, some people develop an obsession with weighing themselves, seeking cosmetic surgery or engaging in punishing exercise regimes.
    Forget diets, obsessive exercise plans or surgery – BDD is a form of emotional illness and requires urgent attention from a qualified therapist. Counselling can heal the distorted body feelings and also release you from the behavioural problems that you may have adopted as a result of having these feelings. It is helpful to trace back your body image memories to early childhood to uncover where the negative feelings first emerged. The therapist will need to know if you had pressure from others to look a certain way or if you were upset by unacceptable physical or emotional attention. Or perhaps you were teased and made to feel inadequate about the way you looked.
    The therapist will also need to work with you to improve your general self-esteem. There are many things that can be done which will help you feel better about yourself. Learning assertion skills, communication skills and ways of managing your emotions will always be met by a recovery in the way you experience your physical body.
    Doing this exercise is the first step toward recovery of body and personal self-confidence. We have brought to your attention just how imprisoned you have been till now by feelings and ideas about your body. However we trust that this will provide you with an incentive to deal with it and acquire the confidence that you deserve.
    Useful exercises
    Relaxation or meditation will help keep your mind from leaping into familiar self-critical thoughts and will help you to put all things into a proper perspective.
    Masssage helps you to rediscover a sense of connectedness and healing.
    Exercise one of your senses each day. One day concentrate on smell.Smell flowers, a baby's hair, wear your best perfume. Next day really listen. Listen to the birds, to the sound of silence, to music. Then touch… touch silk, your skin, a crystal. Rediscover the ways in which your body is a source of pleasure.
    Repeat positive assertions. 'I approve of myself' 'I look good enough for me' especially if you are feeling body-bad.
    Exercise, gently, stretch and breathe, learn to take pleasure in movement. Dance. Get in touch with the spirit inside the body - it is who you really are.
    Learn to be assertive. Assertion and a sense of self-control go together.
    Move through fear into freedom. Think of all the things you would do if you looked the way you dream of. Start slowly, with professional help if necessary, to do these things now, living is not just for perfect people."

    --but at least I'm not nutso enough to go looking for babies and running up to them to smell their hair. Or start running around rubbing crystals? What am I an ocarina? WTF?
  • emmgetsfit
    emmgetsfit Posts: 203 Member
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    Wrongfully accused of having BDD? Come join us.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/13445-bdd-is-depressing
  • Emily_20x
    Emily_20x Posts: 175 Member
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    ...mine was 72...
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Wrongfully accused of having BDD? Come join us.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/13445-bdd-is-depressing

    LOL. Fo' Sho!
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
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    26. Some questions are hard to answer because the old me would have said 'often' or always', and the current me hasn't been in those situations yet.
  • iorahkwano
    iorahkwano Posts: 709 Member
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    I got 7
  • MudDancer
    MudDancer Posts: 151 Member
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    57 *Ugh*
  • 7Alex9
    7Alex9 Posts: 4 Member
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    I got 17. I'm a little surprised, as I thought I was hard on myself. I guess I'm realistic.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
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    Wrongfully accused of having BDD? Come join us.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/13445-bdd-is-depressing

    Oh look, a group mocking mental illness. How funny and cute :indifferent:
  • HerHusbandTheirDaddy
    HerHusbandTheirDaddy Posts: 13
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    16 for me... Most if my image issues do not come from my wieght anymore (I've lost ~34 lbs). I wish I didn't always have dark circles under my eyes making people constantly ask me if I am sick. I also, wish I was a little taller, but that doesn't bother me as much as my eyes. My wife has definately aged better than me, as she is more beautiful than ever.
  • annakow
    annakow Posts: 385 Member
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    Holy Moly 44....
  • LadyZephyr
    LadyZephyr Posts: 286 Member
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    I scored 78, but I do have Body Dysmorphia, so that's no surprise.
  • mandipandi75
    mandipandi75 Posts: 6,035 Member
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    16

    You live comfortably in your body - most of the time. However, your body image and, therefore, your self-confidence can from time to time be a little shaky and there is a risk that certain situations could make you anxious on account of the way you feel about your body, size, shape or appearance. There are several aspects to this that you may need to work on in order to reduce this anxiety and make your life more comfortable.

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