Author Topic: I think I might have developed BDD  (Read 6445 times)

x

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I think I might have developed BDD
« on: January 08, 2013, 09:30:26 PM »
aka Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I just went through the list of symptoms and they pretty much describe me to a T. Anyone else have this and what have you done about it?

It's pretty embarrassing, not something I'd want to bring up with people I know personally.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2013, 09:39:35 PM by Euphoria »

x

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2013, 10:23:31 PM »
Ok I took a look at OCD and unless I'm reading into things the way I want to, I would say this describes me pretty adequately: Its sufferers commonly share personality traits such as high attention to detail, avoidance of risk, careful planning, exaggerated sense of responsibility and a tendency to take time in making decisions.[6] M

Lazlo

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2013, 02:56:59 AM »
Ok I took a look at OCD and unless I'm reading into things the way I want to, I would say this describes me pretty adequately: Its sufferers commonly share personality traits such as high attention to detail, avoidance of risk, careful planning, exaggerated sense of responsibility and a tendency to take time in making decisions.[6] M

Euphoria, if I can put my two cents into this. I honestly think most of us who are going through this whole jaw surgery process have or have developed what could be called BDD and OCD. That said, I would not be too alarmed. I actually think theres an unfortunate tendency to "pathologize" what are very real concerns and in fact putting labels on oneself such as "bdd" or whatever can lead to a feeling of increased helplessness and make the problem worse (the same I think is true for many cases of "depression" which then immediately lead to being prescribed meds when simpler and healthier treatments such as exercise and relaxation techniques may have been more beneficial). Technically, I probably too currently suffer from many of the symptoms of BDD and OCD, but I've decided to kind of will myself out of this by just leading a more regulated lifestyle and managing my thoughts(which I think is the most imp. thing, and yes, meditation/relaxation is teaching me that one's thoughts are not necessarily tracking anything REAL, but that they can be managed). So I just wanted to give you a kind of alternate perspective from the clinical one, and I do think you can pull yourself out of this.



trigeminalneuralgia

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2013, 06:14:24 AM »
I personally would take a break from all of this..reading the forums and anything jaw related on the Internet.   It really messes with your head after awhile and you need a break!

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2013, 03:40:34 PM »
Euphoria, if I can put my two cents into this. I honestly think most of us who are going through this whole jaw surgery process have or have developed what could be called BDD and OCD. That said, I would not be too alarmed. I actually think theres an unfortunate tendency to "pathologize" what are very real concerns and in fact putting labels on oneself such as "bdd" or whatever can lead to a feeling of increased helplessness and make the problem worse (the same I think is true for many cases of "depression" which then immediately lead to being prescribed meds when simpler and healthier treatments such as exercise and relaxation techniques may have been more beneficial). Technically, I probably too currently suffer from many of the symptoms of BDD and OCD, but I've decided to kind of will myself out of this by just leading a more regulated lifestyle and managing my thoughts(which I think is the most imp. thing, and yes, meditation/relaxation is teaching me that one's thoughts are not necessarily tracking anything REAL, but that they can be managed). So I just wanted to give you a kind of alternate perspective from the clinical one, and I do think you can pull yourself out of this.



I hear what you're saying man, and I feel like that's what I've attempted to do for the last 5 years (minus the meditation), but I don't have the willpower or guidance or whatever to completely alter a mindset. If you have any links or suggestions though, I'd check them out

Lazlo

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2013, 08:11:13 AM »
I hear what you're saying man, and I feel like that's what I've attempted to do for the last 5 years (minus the meditation), but I don't have the willpower or guidance or whatever to completely alter a mindset. If you have any links or suggestions though, I'd check them out

No problem, before you jump at the title --it's about much, much more than simply "depression" which you may or may not have (recent medical statistics show however that 1/3 of North American population will suffer from a major bout of some sort of mental anxiety, panic, etc. disorder over the course of their lifetime) --but the book really hones in on this idea of managing your thoughts, questioning them etc. and it includes a CD that is VERY helpful in guiding you through the mindfulness practice --I honestly recommend you give it a real shot, it helped me.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mindful-Way-through-Depression/dp/1593851286/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357920437&sr=8-1&keywords=mindfulness+for+depression

this talk is a good intro, I've posted it before. Good luck man, I know what you're going through and it ABSOLUTELY can be overcome.
And by the way, these practices will not only help your BDD or whatever psychological distress you may have, but if you decide to have surgery, they'll help you get through the challenges of that as well.

Jon Kabat-Zinn - "The Healing Power of Mindfulness"

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2013, 04:55:10 PM »
No problem, before you jump at the title --it's about much, much more than simply "depression" which you may or may not have (recent medical statistics show however that 1/3 of North American population will suffer from a major bout of some sort of mental anxiety, panic, etc. disorder over the course of their lifetime) --but the book really hones in on this idea of managing your thoughts, questioning them etc. and it includes a CD that is VERY helpful in guiding you through the mindfulness practice --I honestly recommend you give it a real shot, it helped me.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mindful-Way-through-Depression/dp/1593851286/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357920437&sr=8-1&keywords=mindfulness+for+depression

this talk is a good intro, I've posted it before. Good luck man, I know what you're going through and it ABSOLUTELY can be overcome.
And by the way, these practices will not only help your BDD or whatever psychological distress you may have, but if you decide to have surgery, they'll help you get through the challenges of that as well.

Jon Kabat-Zinn - "The Healing Power of Mindfulness"

That's a beast of a video. I'll watch it when I have a couple hours to kill.

Appreciate it man, and good to hear from someone who can relate.

Lazlo

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2013, 06:37:17 PM »
That's a beast of a video. I'll watch it when I have a couple hours to kill.

Appreciate it man, and good to hear from someone who can relate.

For sure. Hang in there its a daily struggle i know...but every now and then i get a glimpse of the fact that  im obsessing over things no one else even notices.

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2013, 08:12:09 PM »
For sure. Hang in there its a daily struggle i know...but every now and then i get a glimpse of the fact that  im obsessing over things no one else even notices.
Truth. And usually when I'm alone I recognize this, it's only when I'm out and about that the insecurities and delusions come out

angelstrings

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2013, 11:07:14 PM »
I used to wouldn't go out of the house but at night, for fear of people seeing me in daylight. I lived in constant fear of being judged as unacceptable. That came from being viewed as a loser by the losers I went to school with. Then I got out of Alabama, got into the Southwest, and what do you know? I made friends. They didn't judge me, anymore or less than they judged one another. Then I moved to Alaska. Here, you are free to be as you want to be with no judgement placed on you. Everyone is so accepting of each other, helpful, and courteous. It has been during these past 2 years that I have literally dumped all the stuff that I carried with me all those years. I saw that no one could answer my questions for me. I had to do it myself. Everyone up here cautions me against a genioplasty (you don't need it, you're pretty enough). But what's pretty enough? I was talking to my rookie the other day, and she said,"The only reason you're doing this is because you want to be the prettiest girl on the block." I said, "No, I'm doing it for me, because I have wanted a chin since I was 12. If I wanted to be the hottest girl on the block, I'd make my Acups a C, trust me. And besides, there is always someone better looking to outshine me, and someone maybe who's less shiny than me. But through whose eyes? It's always changing. People's opinions change as fast as aging changes the faces they had the opinions about in the first place. So all that said, we do for ourselves whatever it is that will relieve the anxiety about how we feel. Not in a way of trying to create a false ego, but in a way that builds us up as people with character and strength. We dance, draw, paint, hike trails, run a 5k, invite friends over for book club...And at the end of the week, when I'm at my lowest and feeling ugly, unacceptable, I sit down with my breath, and see how it's always going in and out, over and over, and things change like this. So one week I'm up, then maybe next week I'm down, but that will change too. And this acceptance has made my life set free of the BDD, the OCD my poor brother still suffers from. We are each only as real as we choose to allow ourselves to be. I am an artist first, then a nurse. That's just how I'm trained and wired, genetically even. And I remember my accomplishments in these areas when I start to lose ground in how I feel about my appearance.

CK

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2013, 12:48:45 AM »
i dont think u have bdd based on the info u have provided.

people who have bdd fall into the same category as people who are anorexic. they don't have a weight problem, they have a chemical imbalance.

in your case, and many others, you didn't experience sufficient growth and are now dealing with the consequences. it is a relatively unique situation few understand, especially if you aren't deformed looking.

the question is is your reaction disproportionate to the actual problem. i dont know, how would the average person react in such circumstances?




stupidjaws

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Re: I think I might have developed BDD
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2013, 06:22:03 AM »
i think we all have bdd to some extent