To some extent we are are concerned about some aspect(s) of our appearance but BDD develops when that concern becomes an obsessive preoccupation. The suffering and torment can range from mild to severe. At the extreme, to turn your attention inward against yourself in such a negative fashion, can lead to very serious consequences which should never be ignored. BDD is a hidden disorder, often misdiagnosed because the real problem is invariably not presented to medical professionals due to guilt or the fear of misunderstanding, but associated problems such as anxiety, depression and social dysfunction are usually treated. However, treatments tend to be ineffective because all these conditions are underpinned by BDD which, as a core belief, needs to be targeted before the attachments can be tackled.
The good news is that, however serious the problem, BDD is treatable and improvement is possible. A combination of medication, usually SSRI anti-depressants, and psychological treatment, cognitive behaviour therapy, can chip away at those entrenched beliefs. Progress, however slow, is still progress and worth pursuing.
For the BDD sufferer, this book is a godsend. You come to realise that you are not alone, you are not mad and that there is a reason for your seemingly peculiar thoughts and behaviours. In the UK alone, it is thought there are about 400,000 sufferers. Read this book by Dr Katherine Phillips who has carried out extensive research into the disorder and is its most authoriative expert. The knowledge the book imparts is the first prerequisite on the road to recovery. This book could save your life no less.