Parliamentary Inquiry on the impact of body image on mental health

Parliamentary Inquiry focussed on the impact of body image on mental health hears evidence from those who have been affected as well as a specialist BDD clinician

MPs are examining the relationship between people’s perception of their body image and their physical and mental health. They will consider how far people’s perception of body image can hinder access to NHS services and whether NHS training and Government messaging should be altered.

As a charity we are incredibly supportive of this inquiry and we believe it could be the start of real change.

We are proud to say that two individuals associated with the BDD Foundation provided witness evidence for this inquiry.

Kim Booker has bravely shared her experience of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and how idealised images in the media as well as cosmetic treatments have played a part in the development and maintenance of her BDD

Watch her brave testimony.

Dr Georgina Krebs, who is an Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor of Young People’s Mental Health and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, at University College London. She speaks on eating disorders and Body Dysmorphic Disorder including Muscle Dysmorphia in her evidence.

Watch her evidence here (go to around 10:47 minutes)

Nyome Nicholas who was involved in our Monki campaign on Selfie Love and petition calling for transparency on altered images online, James McVey from the band the Vamps and others also gave evidence on this.

Sign our Petition on Change.org

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The Mirror shines a light on BDD

Parliamentary Inquiry focussed on the impact of body image on mental health hears evidence from those who have been affected as well as a specialist BDD clinician

Danny told how a crippling mental health issue caused him to drop out of school and become housebound for several months as he was convinced he looked like a ‘monster’.

The condition caused him to perform a number of daily rituals, including scrubbing his skin, spending hours in front of the mirror and taking endless photos of himself in an attempt to look perfect.

Danny, who is now studying towards a PhD in mental health policy, told the Mirror: “I couldn’t leave the house because I was worried that people would be terrified of me, and that prevented me from engaging in anything.“

“Because I was a man, I didn’t think I could suffer from a body image disorder. But I’m lucky that I got the help I did when I did. It enabled me to get my life back”

Danny believes that the lack of awareness around BDD has also led to an increase in common misconceptions – the main one being that the condition is born from vanity.

34-year-old Kitty Wallace, who developed BDD in her late teens and since turned her struggle towards campaigning as Head of Operations at the BDD Foundation, said that the condition dictated every decision and movement she made growing up.

“I would spend eight hours trying to get ready, and still wouldn’t feel like I could leave the house and be seen. I felt so grotesque, so unusual. It was really scary.”

On the BDD Foundation Kitty explained that “we’ve got people visiting our website from all over the world because we are the only charity and website fully dedicated to it.”

Kitty points to the importance of specialised treatment for those who are diagnosed with BDD.

“The recommended treatment for BDD is specialised cognitive behavioural therapy. The reason I highlight specialised therapy is that a lot of people are just referred for generalised CBT for anxiety or depression.”

To read the full story click on this link

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Living the Exposure Life

with Elias Marchetti

My name is Elias Marchetti, I’m 21 years old and now at university studying oceanography: I love the ocean, having been an avid sailor for over ten years now. My favourite hobbies are watching movies, photography, hanging out with friends — and playing fetch with my dogs! CBT — Cognitive Behavioural Therapy — is an essential tool for overcoming OCD and BDD. While it may seem daunting at first, it really is an incredible help to being able to return to living life to the fullest. CBT changed my life for the better and really allowed me to be the person I was before having BDD and OCD. Living the exposure life by pushing yourself and doing exposures whenever you can is an amazing way to keeping healthy and free of BDD and OCD.

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‘The devil is in the detail’

with Elias Marchetti

Georgina is an Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor of Young People’s Mental Health and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, at University College London. Her research interests include developing novel, evidence-based methods for delivering cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in young people, and understanding factors that interfere with recovery in order to inform the development of new treatment approaches.

Body dysmorphic disorder shares many features with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. Previous research has found that people with anorexia nervosa show a tendency to focus on detailed features within visual images, and this means that they sometimes struggle to see ‘the bigger picture’. This is an important issue because a detailed-focussed processing style could fuel appearance concerns and poor body image. In this talk I will summarise our recent research looking at whether body dysmorphic disorder, like anorexia nervosa, is linked with this detailed-processing style. I will also discuss potential implications for treatment and recovery.

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Medication for BDD

with Elias Marchetti

Dr. Phillips is Professor of Psychiatry, Dewitt Wallace Senior Scholar, and Residency Research Director at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending Psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Her pioneering research on BDD has identified and elucidated many important aspects of this common and severe disorder, and she has developed and tested treatments, both medication and therapy, for BDD.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) can often be effectively treated with certain types of medication. Medication and cognitive-behavioural therapy that is tailored to BDD are the only two evidence-based treatments for BDD. For medication to be effective, the correct medication, dosing, and trial duration are needed. This presentation, by Dr. Katharine Phillips, who has conducted most of the published medication studies of BDD, will review first-line medication approaches for BDD, including dosing and trial duration. She will also discuss next-step options if a first-line medication is not adequately helpful. In addition, Dr. Phillips will review myths about medication, some possible side effects and approaches that may alleviate them if they occur, and other topics such as for how long a helpful medication should be continued.

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Application of the CBT Model to BDD treatment

with Elias Marchetti

Dr. Neziroglu is a Board Certified Psychologist who has been involved in the research and treatment of Obsessive Compulsive related disorders and anxiety disorders for over 25 years. She has presented and published over 100 papers in scientific journals and co-authored numerous books. She is clinical director and co-founder of the Bio Behavioral Institute in Greak Neck, New York. Dr. Neziroglu received her PhD in Clinical, School-Community Psychology from Hofstra University. She is Board Certified in both Behavioral (ABBP) and Professional Psychology (ABBP). She is also a Board Member and a Fellow of ABBP’s Academy. She is Full Professor at Hofstra University, Department of Psychology and Clinical Professor of Psychology at New York University.

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Taking the pressure out of recovery

with Elias Marchetti

A participant of BBC Three’s ‘Extreme OCD Camp’ in 2013, Jack has extensively written and spoken about OCD in the national press and TV, including Time to Change, BBC Breakfast and The Victoria Derbyshire Show. Now the CEO of UK-wide disability charity, The Accessful Foundation, Jack is the author of ‘Life On The Other Side’, a two-in-one book about recovery (with proceeds to OCD Action) and a public speaker and business consultant.

A talk on some of the things I wish I’d done differently as a young person, how your version of recovery can be caught (even if you think it can’t), how to avoid the added pressures of ‘enjoying the best years of your life’ and how building a team around you can be one of the greatest things you ever do.

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Parenting a child with BDD – a parent’s story

with Elias Marchetti

Scarlett is a trustee of The BDD Foundation. Since having children, Scarlett has been a stay-at-home mother of four, one of whom has suffered with BDD since 2010. She has had to fight the NHS system to obtain the treatment her daughter so desperately required. Scarlett has gained an extremely close insight into BDD and the struggles of living with and supporting a BDD sufferer.

When a young person experiences BDD, it not only affects them but their parents, carers, family and friends. In this talk, Scarlett will share her insights from parenting a child with BDD. She will discuss the impact this had on familial relationships before, during, and after her daughter Alanah accessed treatment. She will then host a discussion for other parents and answer questions based on her own insights and lived-experience.

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Understanding and treating BDD in young people

with Elias Marchetti

Elif is a Clinical Psychologist at the National and Specialist OCD, BDD and Related Disorder Clinic at the Maudsley Hospital. She provides specialist assessment and evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents with OCD and BDD. Elif is a peer-reviewed author and has a strong interest in developing and delivering effective psychological interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Elif will focus on understanding BDD in young people and the treatment approach taken. The first part of the talk will provide an overview of BDD symptoms, share key facts on the condition, and discuss why BDD remains underdiagnosed. The second part will provide information on how to access help and what to expect from assessment and evidence-based treatment for BDD in children and young people.

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Transition to Adult Mental Health Services

with Elias Marchetti

Gazal is a Senior Clinical Psychologist at the service, providing specialist treatment to children and young people with OCD. She is the diversity representative and leading on initiatives to improve the experience of families from ethnic minorities and considering aspects of diversity in OCD assessment and treatment. She has also appeared on BBC Radio 4 and Talk Radio to myth bust misconceptions around OCD.

Transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health services can be a challenging time for young people and their families. This talk will describe specialist adult services for OCD and BDD as well as non-specialist community adult services, and explain the process of referral and funding. There will also be discussion on the similarities and differences between CAMHS and Adult Mental Health services and top tips for parents. The purpose of this talk is to give parents information about specialist and non-specialist adult services so that they can best navigate the transition from CAMHS to adult services for their child.

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The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation. Charity no. 1153753.