by Roberto Olivardia, PhD Although not yet recognized in the scientific literature, the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is worthy of attention. As a specialist in treating patients with BDD, as well as an ADHD expert, I have observed how ADHD can have a negative impact on body image…. Read more »
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Stress, COVID-19, and Body Dysmorphic Disorder
by Stella Kim Hansen, LMHC and Michele T. Pato, MD It wouldn’t be possible to write a blog post about body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) without acknowledging the stressful effects of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Through our own experiences in clinical work and doing research on the unique disorder of BDD, I am struck by how… Read more »
Walking with Love and Possibilities
by Denis Asselin In confinement no one can hear you scream. I know from experience. It’s frustrating to be required to isolate and reduce a bigger world to a restricted one, especially if you suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and/or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). For many, being stuck in static, familiar surroundings may even… Read more »
Hope and help for individuals with BDD
by Eva E. Fisher, PhD PLEASE NOTE: The following blog post contains discussion of topics that may be upsetting, including suicide. Please take care of yourself as you read this article. If you are in crisis, know that help is only a call or click away at 1-800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org. My goal since recovering from… Read more »
BDD-Related Quarantine Tips During COVID-19
by Angela Fang, PhD In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe with massive uncertainty about people’s jobs, relationships, and social lives, and has left behind an unprecedented wake of illness anxiety in the general population. Much of the focus during COVID-19 has been on obsessive compulsive symptoms (in particular, contamination-related obsessions and… Read more »
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A pediatric dermatologist’s perspective
Dr Margaret Lee, Boston University School of Medicine Imagine talking to a teenager who wants the strongest therapy available for acne, but you don’t see any red bumps. Imagine being told by a young woman that when she wears a bikini she constantly holds her arm a certain way to make sure no one can… Read more »
Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Me
by Scott M. Granet, LCSW This may sound like an odd way to put it, but up until the age of 19 I had a normal relationship with my hair. I didn’t try to avoid being in the wind and wouldn’t feel panicky if someone looked like they might touch it. I also didn’t care… Read more »
In the News: Guys and the Pressure to be Beach Body Perfect
Dr. Kathy Phillips — director of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Program at Rhode Island Hospital, member of the IOCDF Scientific & Clinical Advisory Board, and author of many of the articles on this website — was recently interviewed by CBS News for a story about men’s body image concerns. “Body image concerns are common in boys… Read more »
Perception versus Reality: Sharing Lindsey’s Personal Story
“The first feeling I ever had about my appearance was panic.” A recent article published on Refinery29 by recovery blogger Lindsey Hall opens with the sentence above, introducing readers to an engaging personal story from Lindsey that explains struggles and challenges she’s faced related to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Read more of Lindsey’s story below,… Read more »
Introducing HelpforBDD.org — A New Source of Hope for those Affected by BDD
In 2012, Denis Asselin walked over 500 miles — or roughly one million steps — from his home in Cheyney, PA, to Boston, MA, in memory of his son Nathaniel. Nathaniel took his own life at just 24, after a long struggle with severe body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and OCD. After Nathaniel’s death, Denis embarked… Read more »