I have a huge issue with my body image and also eating/my thoughts toward food. It affects me everyday an awful lot and sometimes I will not go out due to the way I feel and think about my body. I know we cannot diagnose ourselves but I really do think I may have Body Dysmorphic Disorder, I have tried talking to my care co-ordinator about this but due to me being overweight, I am just shut down with 'have you tried losing weight?' And 'lose some weight, I'm sure it'll be fine if you do so'. I'm sick of hearing this. I am sick of feeling disgusted and horrified when I look in a mirror. I hate what I see. It's affecting every part of my life. I do hardly go out much, I do not work anymore because I couldn't cope any longer, I have a few friends but only see them now and again as I cannot cope with going out. As much as I hate my appearance I am constantly checking if I look 'somewhat ok' and am always preoccupied/thinking how others sre looking at me and picking holes in the way I look. It's getting me down because I know this goes further than just low self esteem but I don't feel I'm being listened to and I'm losing faith in what to do!! Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks
Hi Jodie,
I kind of did notice I suffer from BDD, not extremely like you, but somewhat. And it's always worse before my period.
I read that it can be helped with serotonin. Anti-depressants.
I remember reading that your brain processes the information it receives from your eyes through two channels. One channel is purely visual information. The other channel evaluates the information. Screw ups in that channel lead to BDD. It is also related to obsessive thinking, which I have also experienced with depression.
I am sorry your doctors are not listening to you. It is possible (but not for sure!) that a psychiatrist might understand, so maybe you should try to get an appointment with one. However, your doctor can put you on anti-depressants easily.
I also notice I eat too much when I am depressed. This makes me gain weight (well, I gain weight when I am depressed and take it off when I am not). I am in menopause, so it is hard to achieve a stable mood, but at least I can observe these things!! It might be that going on anti-depressants might stop you from overeating.
Not that that is important. I am so sorry you are suffering with this, and I hope you can achieve a better balance.
Thankyou for the response. I am already on antidepressants and have been on several before but none seem to have any benefit on me so far. I just feel like giving up, mo one seems to listen when you say you know something is up anymore.
I am sorry the anti depressants you have tried don't seem to work, but I reckon that's where the solution might lie. Keep trying them. Take higher doses maybe. And I know that a lot of time doctors don't want to hear your problem, when it's in your brain where they can't measure and take tests. They try to shuffle you out of their offices. Try another and another, find a good one. Are you in the UK?
Yes I'm in the UK, my doctor listens an does try to do the best she can but unfortunately it's very difficult to get an appointment with her. I will tg speaking to my care co ordinator again in August at my next appointment.