Online Support Groups
Support groups provide a safe environment where you can talk openly about your BDD, as well as giving support and encouragement to others.
Support groups can play an important role during and after treatment in helping you recover from and manage your BDD and often they also include family members too.
You can access our online support groups from anywhere in the world. We hope the online groups will help build a supportive BDD Community that anyone can become a part of. Please note the time zones of the different groups.
All the support groups the we advertise here are independent of the BDD Foundation.
Groups for under 18s
Zoom/ Phone Youth Support Group for OCD, BDD, Trich & Derm run by OCD Action (ages 16 – 20)
Type: This online group is run by OCD Actions ‘Even Better Together project’ and and uses Zoom and Phone to run the sessions. There are two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom and phone. For the phone group, there are no phone costs to joining a session or fees to attend. The group is an informal and supportive environment to share experiences and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 1st & 3rd Thursday of every month, 7 – 9pm
Where: Two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom (video use optional) and Phone
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Groups for over 18s
Zoom BDD Foundation Support Group (UK based but open to all)
Type: User led. The group will provide an opportunity to meet other people with BDD, share experiences and concerns about the illness and provide mutual support.
When: 2nd & 4th Monday of every Month. 6.30-8pm GMT.
Upcoming dates 2024: May 13th & 27th, June 10th & 24th, July 8th & 22nd, August 12th & 26th, September 9th & 23rd, October 14th & 28th, November 11th & 25th, December 9th & 23rd.
Where: On Zoom (camera use optional)
Contact: support@bddfoundation.org to register
Zoom Evening BDD Support Groups run by OCD Action
Type: This Zoom group is run by OCD Actions ‘Always Better Together project’ and uses Zoom meetings with video. We send the meeting details out and there are no costs with joining a session or fees to attend. The group is an informal and supportive environment to share experiences of having BDD and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays and Wednesdays of every Month, 7pm
Where: Zoom (camera use optional)
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom/ Phone OCD, BDD & Depression Support Group run by OCD Action
Type: This Zoom group is run by OCD Actions ‘Always Better Together project’ and uses Zoom meetings with video. We send the meeting details out and there are no costs with joining a session or fees to attend. The group is an informal and supportive environment to share experiences of having BDD and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 1st Monday of the month on zoom, & 3rd Tuesday of the month via phone, 7pm
Where: Zoom/ phone
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Phone Parents BDD Support Group run by OCD Action (landline or mobile)
Type: This online group is run by OCD Actions ‘Even Better Together project’. The group is an informal and supportive environment to share experiences of having a child with BDD and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 3rd Monday of every Month, 7pm
Where: Phone
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom Parents BDD Support Group run by OCD Action
Type: This online group is run by OCD Actions ‘Even Better Together project’ and uses Zoom (camera use optional). It is free to attend. The group is an informal and supportive environment to share experiences of having a child with BDD and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 1st Tuesday of every Month, 7pm
Where: Zoom (camera use optional)
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom Student Group, OCD, BDD & Related Disorders run by OCD Action
The student group package includes two monthly support group sessions, a quarterly Navigating Services session and a quarterly Speaker Session.
When: First Tuesday and third Wednesday, 7pm
Where: Zoom (camera use optional)
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom/ Phone Partners of people with OCD/BDD run by OCD Action
Type: This online group is run by OCD Actions ‘Even Better Together project’ and and uses Zoom and Phone to run the sessions. There are two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom and phone. For the phone group, there are no phone costs to joining a session or fees to attend. The group is an informal and supportive environment for family members of a person with OCD, BDD & Hoarding issues to share experiences and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 2nd & 4th Thursday of every month, 7 – 9pm
Where: Two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom (video use optional) and Phone
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
GoogleMeet BFRB UK & Ireland peer-support Group
Type: BFRB UK & Ireland runs peer-led support groups for people living with body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs) such as trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), dermatillomania (skin picking disorder) and related disorders. They also run a group for family, carers, and friends of people living BFRBs.
When: Fortnightly on Sundays from 2-3.30pm for people with BFRBs, Monthly on Wednesdays from 8-9pm for loved ones of those with BFRBs. These times are subject to change, please check our website for up-to-date details.
Where: GoogleMeet
Contact: hello@bfrbukandireland.com or go to bfrbukireland.com
Zoom/ Phone Trichotillomania & Dermatillomania Support Group run by OCD Action
Type: This online group is run by OCD Actions ‘Even Better Together project’ and and uses Zoom and Phone to run the sessions. There are two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom and phone. For the phone group, there are no phone costs to joining a session or fees to attend. The group is an informal and supportive environment to share experiences of Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and Dermatillomania (skin picking) issues and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 1st & 3rd Wednesday of every Month, 7 – 9pm
Where: Two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom (video use optional) and Phone
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom/ Phone Youth Support Group for OCD, BDD, Trich & Derm run by OCD Action (ages 16 – 20)
Type: This online group is run by OCD Actions ‘Even Better Together project’ and and uses Zoom and Phone to run the sessions. There are two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom and phone. For the phone group, there are no phone costs to joining a session or fees to attend. The group is an informal and supportive environment to share experiences and to offer encouragement to others. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 1st & 3rd Thursday of every month, 7 – 9pm
Where: Two sessions a month which alternate between Zoom (video use optional) and Phone
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom OCD & BDD & Eating disorders group run by OCD Action
Type: This group is run by OCD Actions ‘Always Better Together project’. The group is an informal and supportive environment for people to share experiences of having eating disorders, OCD and BDD and to offer encouragement to other people.
When: 4th Monday of every Month, 7pm
Where: Zoom (camera use optional)
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom LGBTQ OCD & BDD support group run by OCD Action
Type: The group is an informal and supportive environment for people who identify as LGBTQ+ to share experiences of OCD & BDD and to offer encouragement to others. This Zoom group is run by OCD Actions ‘Always Better Together project’. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 1st Tuesday of every Month, 7pm
Where: Zoom
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
Zoom/ Phone Men’s OCD & BDD support group run by OCD Action
Type: The group is an informal and supportive environment for men to share experiences of OCD & BDD and to offer encouragement to others. This Zoom / phone group is run by OCD Actions ‘Always Better Together project’. The group also has a closed Facebook group of which participants are offered access to if they wish.
When: 2nd Tuesday of the month via phone, 4th Tuesday of the month on zoom
Where: Zoom/ Phone
Contact: sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk or 0303 040 1112
GoogleMeet BDD New Mindset support group
Type: The group is a friendly and informal non-judgemental safe space to talk openly, facilitated by a peer support specialist, who has lived experience of BDD. This group does not offer professional guidance, but is an opportunity to share experiences and concerns, to foster a supportive community, and provide information sharing and mutual support to feel understood and encouraged in coping with, recovering from, and management of appearance dissatisfaction and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). The group is UK based but open to all. For adults age 18 and over.
When: Weekly, Tuesdays 6pm – 7pm GMT
Where: GoogleMeet (camera use optional). The group also offers and in person support group in Cheshire, United Kingdom, on the first Saturday of each month, contact Jem for more information.
Contact: jem@jemgunn.com
Body Dysmorphic Anonymous (BDA) (USA based but open to all)
Type: User led. We are a 12 step group that support each other to recover from the cruel disorder of Body Dysmorphia. Our support group can be helpful in finding life beyond the confining, painful grip of BDD. We share our experience, strength and hope in recovery. Our voices are powerful, as we uniquely understand the experience of BDD. This group does not offer professional guidance but is an opportunity to share ideas and provide mutual support. The group is open to those afflicted and or caring/supportive others.
When: Wednesdays & Sundays at 10am (PST)
Where: Zoom (camera use optional)
Contact: Lon lss602014@icloud.com
Skype BDD Recovery Support Group (USA)
Type: Skype peer support group for people suffering from BDD symptoms. The focus is on sharing personal experiences and getting/providing support to others who coping with and recovering from BDD. Participants can join via audio and video or just audio.
When: Second & Fourth Thursday of each month, 7pm MT or 9pm ET (US)
Where: Skype
Contact: Eva eva@recoveryfrombdd.com
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