BDD SUCKS

Overcoming Body Dysmorphic Disorder - My Story of Living With BDD

"It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see."
~ Henry David Thoreau

Contact | About | Resources Archives

This is the Story of My Life Living With Body Dysmorphic Disorder

You are here: Home / Overcoming Body Dysmorphic Disorder / Can God Help You Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Can God Help You Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

By

I started going to church again this week.

It has been a while…  Certain things happen in life and I am not sure if there is a reason for them or not.

But my recent trip to Haiti landed smack dab in the middle of the worst depression and anxiety I have had over my image concerns in quite some time.

I was extremely excited to fulfill a lifelong dream of providing much needed medical care in a third world country.

The recent facial laceration I sustained sent me over the edge and I had trouble leaving the house, not to mention going to work and seeing my patients.

As I have mentioned before, I started to perform all the same positioning routines, mirror checking and obsessive rituals. I had to place myself for the first time on antidepressants; I started to have suicidal thoughts.

I treat a lot of people with anxiety disorders. My situation may or may not be unique but I am talking about it because I want you to know that even those of us who sit on the other side of the exam room table experience these types of illnesses. Even though I have an awareness of my body dysmorphic disorder it doesn’t mean it is any easier for me to cure it.

Seeking God

On our trip to Haiti we prayed several times every day.

We would pause and take a moment to thank God for things that I normally take for granted:

Things such as good health, access to good food and clean water, a bed to sleep in, a roof over my head, a family that loves me, a chance to receive an educations, a chance to live life with a goal of more than day to day survival.

Taking time to recognize our blessings can have a powerful effect. It makes you ask the most important questions: Where do these blessing come from? And what did I do to deserve them?

When you realize you don’t have an answer to this, you are required to look beyond yourself.

Up to this point in time, at least for the last month all I could think about was how hard my life was now that I had this facial scar. All I could think about was how the world was unfair, how my looks were God’s way of playing a cruel trick on me.

In the face of extreme poverty, starvation, homelessness and despair it became increasingly hard to feel sorry for myself.

It was a reminder of the many blessings I have been given, a chance to stop blaming God and be thankful.  Thankful for the little things I take for granted, which in comparison were not so little after all.

Books Worth Reading

Shattered Image: My Triumph Over Body Dysmorphic Disorder

This is a wonderful book written by Brian Cuban – The brother of famed billionaire and tech mogul Mark Cuban from The Shark Tank. It is great to finally hear a man’s voice in this space. The book is honest, timely, and gives practical advice that we can all use to overcome BDD. The book is also available in the Kindle Lending library which is how I found it. This is a must-read.
The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder

A fantastic, concise, and essential book to understand the diagnosis and treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It is a fairly short and easy read, that is full of top-notch information! Material is complete and presented in an organized and useful way. The understanding enabled for both client and therapist is one of the main traits of this book. And the author is obviously committed to the betterment/healing of her clients.
Feeling Good about the Way You Look A Program for Overcoming Body Image Problems

This is a wonderful book!  Written by the Director of the MGH OCD and Related Disorders Program, and Founder of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Clinic, this book offers individuals suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder with critical tools to understand BDD and to bring their disorder under control. The step by step approach detailed in the book is exactly what is needed for patients and clinicians alike. I have enthusiastically been recommending it to all of my clients who have BDD, and to colleagues interested in learning more about it. This book offers new hope to the millions of people worldwide who live with this troubling, but treatable disorder.
The BDD Workbook: Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder and End Body Image Obsessions

This workbook really delves into the thought processes of a person who suffers from this exhausting illness. The worksheets and exercises really cause you to challenge the beliefs which have been ingrained in your memory for decades. I would highly recommend this workbook for anyone who is self-directed and able to work through the exercises on their own.

About Stephen

My name is Stephen and I was officially diagnosed with BDD in October of 2012. I have lived with it my whole life. This blog is my story, my shame, and my path to recovery. It starts on Day 1 of my new life. To live, and love myself, to teach others how to do the same, and learn more about what it means to live with body dysmorphic disorder. Here are some resources that I use...

Comments

    • Stephen says

      Hi Samantha, I just sent you a personal email to your inbox. Please contact me if you have time, I am here to help.

      – Stephen