Healthy Tips

Jody has not been out of her house for over a year. She is convinced her appearance is so grotesque that people will be physically repulsed by her. She spends her days in her room, looking in a mirror, preoccupied with just how ugly she is. She has been unable to hold down a full-time job, a serious relationship is out of the question and, as such, she has little hope for the future.

With an introduction like that it is only normal to be curious – to wonder just what hideous deformity makes Jody so ugly and unhappy with her own appearance. But the shock that comes from meeting Jody is not at how ugly she is, but how attractive. For she is just one of millions of people who suffer from a little-known condition called Body Dysmorphic Disorder or BDD, a disorder where sufferers are preoccupied with an imagined defect in their appearance to such an extent that it wrecks their lives.

At the last report, some five million were suffering from BDD in the United States, half of whom were men, and there’s evidence to suggest that the condition could also be affecting people all over the world.

You don’t have to suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder to experience negative feelings about your body. Many women find it comfortable with their bodies in today’s image-driven society. A few techniques that can prove useful if you are having trouble with your body image:

• Others do not see you the same way you see yourself. A lot of women think that all they need to do is change their appearance in some way and then they will be happy. Often, those who have plastic surgery find that they are no happier with their appearance afterwards. Try to think about the difference between your body and your body image and then try to work on changing the latter.
• You are your own worst critic. Often we are a lot harder on ourselves than we are on other people, so that while we may think our best friend is incredibly beautiful even when she does have a large pimple on her nose, we’re a lot less forgiving with ourselves.
• Never make comparisons. There’s always to be someone prettier, slimmer, or conversely less attractive and plumper, than we are. It is important to avoid making comparisons between yourself and others to prevent forming distorted images of ourselves.

A growing number of physicians are prescribing drugs such as Prozac with some success. Prozac affects serotonin; a chemical in the brain that medical experts believe plays a part in causing distortions in perception.

Other therapists work on changing a patient’s distorted thinking and substituting healthy behavior for unhealthy behavior – a treatment known as cognitive behavior therapy.

There’s still a way to go before medical professionals fully understand BDD and how to treat it, but the first step is recognizing it exists at all. The real challenge lies in helping men and women like Jody break the powerful link that confines them within the shaky walls of their own appearance to gain a new perception of themselves and their image, and at least live full and healthy lives.