Body Dysmorphic Disorder

I don't suffer from it but I want to express my sympathy and also bump you up so you can get some responses. I can't even begin to imagine it.

I do! I swear I'm 200lbs..and thats the person I see in the mirror....like I dont see 148 AT ALL...I see FAT and that never changes..it sucks. but Ive suffered from this forever and tried to get help and it didnt help.

the only time i recognize it is YEARS LATER when I look back at pictures and think omg i look good and then remember wait i thought i was huge and hated myself

I don't think I've ever gotten to that point, but I know how you feel, to a point. *hugs*
Bumping so you can get answers and more support

I do! I swear I'm 200lbs..and thats the person I see in the mirror....like I dont see 148 AT ALL...I see FAT and that never changes..it sucks. but Ive suffered from this forever and tried to get help and it didnt help.

the only time i recognize it is YEARS LATER when I look back at pictures and think omg i look good and then remember wait i thought i was huge and hated myself

Oh my goodness i do the same thing....I think "How could i have thought I was fat, now look at me".
Thank you for all the responses...
I have a problem with the mirror...I am sure many people think I am vain...trying to catch looks at myself in a mirror, window reflection etc...but NO! Its me destroying myself in my head.....constant bombing of insults at myself.

well hello me in another person! haha this is exactly what i do. I don't LIKE the mirror I just feel like i need to look to see how i can improve.and when im going out i feel like i look like crap and have to pretend I LOVE how i look because i dont want the lectures anymore from people.

I do! I swear I'm 200lbs..and thats the person I see in the mirror....like I dont see 148 AT ALL...I see FAT and that never changes..it sucks. but Ive suffered from this forever and tried to get help and it didnt help.

the only time i recognize it is YEARS LATER when I look back at pictures and think omg i look good and then remember wait i thought i was huge and hated myself

Oh my goodness i do the same thing....I think "How could i have thought I was fat, now look at me".
Thank you for all the responses...
I have a problem with the mirror...I am sure many people think I am vain...trying to catch looks at myself in a mirror, window reflection etc...but NO! Its me destroying myself in my head.....constant bombing of insults at myself.

well hello me in another person! haha this is exactly what i do. I don't LIKE the mirror I just feel like i need to look to see how i can improve.and when im going out i feel like i look like crap and have to pretend I LOVE how i look because i dont want the lectures anymore from people.

Do any of you guys have cognitive behavioural therapy for it? I did a couple of sessions before my therapist was off work due to "unforeseen circumstances" and it seemed to be slowly working for me

bump.

I have changed my body, I know it has changed because I can see in photos that it has changed and that it is me but sometimes i do not relate to that image at all. I feel huge, sometimes i just dont feel at all or think about it so then its no prob, but it is there the unconnectedness with my bod. every now and again I will get a glimpse at the smaller me and really enjoy it but my head has not caught up with it, i think when you have been a different shape it takes a looooonnnngggg time to adapt, if ever! maybe that fattie wasnt a fattie it was just me and i was expecting things to change when i lost weight that never were going to???? dunno

Cognitive behavioural therapy is an alternative to medication, you basically talk through how maybe you thought you got this way, assess how your disorder affects your life, work out the way you think then the therapist tries to help you evaluate situations and problems you encounter due to BDD in different ways

I do! I swear I'm 200lbs..and thats the person I see in the mirror....like I dont see 148 AT ALL...I see FAT and that never changes..it sucks. but Ive suffered from this forever and tried to get help and it didnt help.

the only time i recognize it is YEARS LATER when I look back at pictures and think omg i look good and then remember wait i thought i was huge and hated myself

Oh my goodness i do the same thing....I think "How could i have thought I was fat, now look at me".
Thank you for all the responses...
I have a problem with the mirror...I am sure many people think I am vain...trying to catch looks at myself in a mirror, window reflection etc...but NO! Its me destroying myself in my head.....constant bombing of insults at myself.

omg this is me 100%

I suffer from this and have cognitive behavioural therapy to cope with it. It led me to having an eating disorder which I am now recovering from. It's hard but we cant help it. It's something to do with neurotic part of the brain I'm told? xxxx

Totally!! But hopefully that will fade when my weight does.

i have this and it is destroying my life. I look in the mirror and see only faults. I call myself the meanest ugliest words. And compare myself and give myself a hard time for not being perfect. I look in the mirror and hate what i see i see the more ugliest girl in the world from head to toe. And i am always paranoid about the way i look and feel like my husband sees the 'ugly' image in the mirror that i see. And it hurts me so much. I remember taking a self esteem workshop in school and learning about this disorder and i always knew i had it. Just dont know how to be better and change this outlook. If i get this solved then i think alot of other problems in my life would be solved as well.

I can relate to THIS. I Never really remember liking anything about the way I look, if ever someone gives me a compliment I automatically think they r lying and just trying to be nice. I have never considered that I have this? I am so used to feeling this way I thought it was normal or just shltty self esteem.

yes. oh my gosh, all the time. it gets to that point where it is hard to be happy with yourself and your body

my husband "claims" I suffer from this... This morning, I went to hop in the shower, hubby walked in and said "WOW!!!!! you are looking SKINNY!!"! and I said 0.0 "wth are you talking about, I still have so much to lose".... I don't C what he sees... and honestly, I'm glad he doesn't c what I c! I'm pretty sure that he's a chubby chaser 'cuz skinny I am not, but regardless I'm thrilled he sees whatever the hell he does

omg! i experience the same thing with my husband! and when i was 40 pounds lighter i still saw myself as fat with fat arms, and i look in the mirror and see a huuuuuuge person in my reflection. But when i look back at pictures i am shocked as to how tiny i was.

i have this and it is destroying my life. I look in the mirror and see only faults. I call myself the meanest ugliest words. And compare myself and give myself a hard time for not being perfect. I look in the mirror and hate what i see i see the more ugliest girl in the world from head to toe. And i am always paranoid about the way i look and feel like my husband sees the 'ugly' image in the mirror that i see. And it hurts me so much. I remember taking a self esteem workshop in school and learning about this disorder and i always knew i had it. Just dont know how to be better and change this outlook. If i get this solved then i think alot of other problems in my life would be solved as well.

I can completely relate to this. My bdd is not centred around how fat I think I am but around my face and how ugly I think it is. I used to spend 3hours every morning scrubbing away at my face in the shower and then putting on huge amounts of makeup to cover it up and was terrified of getting caught with no makeup on. The amount of times I missed lectures and things because I couldn't bring myself to leave the house looking so 'ugly', I'd have to get back in the shower and re-do it all over again. I thought that was the way I was!

Then I read an article about BDD and realised that maybe I have the same problem and therefore maybe I can fix it? SO I went to the doctor and told them, who referred me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with it. I did 16weeks of CBD and it has helped so much, I would really reccommend it. My confidence is constantly growing, I can go for a run in the mornings with yesterdays makeup on and not be worried about it and I havent had an anxiety attack in more than a year now - whereas before they happened a few times a week. I'm not completely recovered as these things take time, but I am very content with the way things are now

Even if your not sure if you have it, no one is supposed to feel anxious and uncomfortable with themselves - it is a problem which can be treated and overcome. I would always reccommend seeing a doctor and getting help, whats there to lose??