Many people occasionally suffer from a negative body self-image but, for an increasing number of people, this can turn into a more serious preoccupation. One per cent of the population will develop Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a condition characterised by severe preoccupation with a perceived physical defect. Body image problems can cause significant distress and can lead to further problems such as anxiety, eating disorders and social phobia. It has long been recognised that negative body image problems are a factor in the onset and maintenance of many eating disorders. However, they can be successfully treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Praise for Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Overcoming series: '[Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder] is an affordable and highly recommended read.' The Psychologist 'The best consumer-friendly CBT-based books...All are very thorough.' Observer

If you suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), you are all too aware of the negative impact this condition can have on your life. You may experience intense anxiety about perceived body or facial flaws, or obsess over thinning hair, acne, wrinkles, and scars. You may even undergo repeated cosmetic treatments and surgeries, or avoid going outside for fear of scrutiny—becoming a virtual prisoner in your own home. However, if you are ready to make a change, this book can help. Overcoming Body Dysmorphic Disorder will help you gain a better understanding of your condition so that you can begin recovering. Based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), this book offers practical exercises and worksheets to help you target the cause of your BDD, begin to change the way you think about your body, and prevent future relapse. With this book as your guide, you can move beyond your anxieties and start living with a greater sense of freedom and confidence.

In a society where a blemish or “bad hair” can ruin an otherwise perfect day and airbrushed abs dominate the magazine rack, many of us feel ashamed of our bodies. If dissatisfaction with your looks is a distressing preoccupation, this compassionate book offers a way to break free from the mirror. Harvard psychologist Sabine Wilhelm leads you through a step-by-step program that helps you fight the urge to spend hours “fixing” your skin and hair, working out, or shopping for flattering clothes. Reality-check exercises based on cognitive-behavioral therapy demonstrate how to identify unfounded beliefs about your appearance. Once you understand the negative thoughts and feelings that distort your self-image, you’ll be able to shed lengthy grooming rituals and overcome the embarrassment that keeps you from enjoying life. With Dr. Wilhelm’s expert guidance, you’ll learn to replace self-doubt and insecurity with confidence and a positive outlook. Whether you’ve spent thousands on plastic surgery or avoid trips to the beach, dating, or socializing, you owe yourself this opportunity to make peace with your looks. If you or someone you care about is struggling with a body image problem, effective care is finally at hand. Health care professionals, see also the related treatment manual: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

"Presenting an effective treatment approach specifically tailored to the unique challenges of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), this book is grounded in state-of-the-art research. The authors are experts on BDD and related conditions. They describe ways to engage patients who believe they have defects or flaws in their appearance, not a psychological problem. Provided are clear-cut strategies for helping patients overcome the self-defeating thoughts, impairments in functioning, and sometimes dangerous ritualistic behaviors that are core features of BDD. Clinician-friendly features include step-by-step instructions for conducting each session and more than 50 reproducible handouts and forms; the large-size format facilitates photocopying. See also the related self-help guide by Dr. Wilhelm, Feeling Good about the Way You Look, an ideal recommendation for clients with BDD or less severe body image problems."--

'It's time to re-acquaint yourself with all the many, wonderful, unique, and precious things about you.' From the heart and soul of Chloe Catchpole, who battled body dysmorphia for years, and the expert insight of her psychologists, Lauren Callaghan and Annemarie O'Connor, comes the definitive recovery guide for anyone suffering from body image concerns. This unique self-help book contains advice and recovery tools from the separate perspectives of two leading psychologists and their patient to help you learn about body image issues and teach you effective strategies to challenge and overcome them.

Learn how to assess and treat body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) Presents the best treatment practices Instructions for novel and advanced treatment strategies Tips for improving client engagement Illustrated with case studies Printable tools for clinical use More about the book This volume provides a user-friendly, evidence-based guide to the diagnosis, phenomenology, etiology, and treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). New and seasoned clinicians can learn about the foundations of CBT for BDD as well as the rationale and instructions for modifying the approach to meet the differences in symptoms found in this client group. The book explores techniques for treatment engagement, including adjusting therapeutic style, appropriate utilization of behavioral and cognitive therapy, family involvement, and motivational interviewing techniques. Other issues associated with BDD are also highlighted: poor insight, comorbidity, concerning rates of suicidality, and ambivalence regarding treatment. The authors outline step-by-step instructions for numerous novel and advanced treatment strategies, including perceptual re-training, attentional training, acceptance and commitment approaches, and ways to manage ongoing desire for cosmetic surgery. Detailed case examples are presented with corresponding treatment guidelines to highlight the variety in clinical presentation and corresponding treatment approaches. Printable tools in the appendices can be used in daily practice. Watch a video interview with the authors

The first book offering support for parents and carers of children and young people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), this guidebook explains the condition as well as the impact that it may have in education settings, family life and socialisation. The guide begins by explaining how and why BDD emerges, before moving onto an exploration of how the mental health condition presents itself emotionally, psychologically, physically and behaviourally. It then offers practical advice and guidance for parents and carers on talking to their child about BDD, seeking professional treatment, considering medication, managing social media use, working with schools to build a recovery team and more. The Parent's Guide to Body Dysmorphic Disorder is an essential guidebook for parents of children of children and young people with BDD.

In a world obsessed with appearance, it is not surprising that body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD -- an emotionally painful obsession with perceived flaws in one's appearance -- has manifested itself as a troubling and relatively common problem for many individuals. In The Broken Mirror, the first and most definitive book on BDD, Dr. Katharine A. Phillips provided a comprehensive manual for patients and their physicians by drawing on years of clinical practice, scientific research, and professional evaluations of over 1,000 patients. Now, in Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide , the world's leading authority on BDD reaches out to patients, their friends, and their families with this concise and updated handbook. BDD causes sufferers to be obsessed by perceived flaws in their appearance and may afflict as much as two percent of the population, or nearly five million people. Many sufferers are able to function well in society, but remain secretly obsessed by their "hideous acne" or "horrible nose," sneaking constant peeks at a pocket mirror, or spending hours at a time redoing makeup. Others find their lives disintegrate because of their appearance obsessions. It is not an uncommon disorder, simply a hidden one, since sufferers are often embarrassed to tell even their closest friends about their concerns. Using stories and interviews to show the many different behaviors and symptoms of BDD, and a quick self-assessment questionnaire, Dr. Phillips guides readers through the basics of the disorder and through the many treatment options that work and don't work. With Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide, sufferers will find both helpful advice and much needed reassurance in a compact, down-to-earth indispensable book.

Do you struggle with constant feelings that your body is not good enough? Do you imagine that, if you could just change you appearance, you would be happier and more fulfilled? If you do, you might be dealing with the effects of a problem call body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Individuals who suffer from BDD are excessively preoccupied with the shape or size of their body-obsessed with a facial blemish, a minor bodily defect, or some specific aspect of their appearance. They spend hours each day thinking about their perceived deformity, checking and rechecking their appearance in the mirror, camouflaging themselves with makeup or clothing. Men affected by a form of BDD known as muscle dysmorphia are obsessively concerned about their muscular development, no matter how large and pumped up they are. In extreme cases BDD leads to unnecessary plastic surgery, serious eating disorders, steroid abuse, and even suicide. The good news is that BDD is highly treatable with cognitive-behavioral techniques provided in The BDD Workbook in a step-by-step, easy-to-follow format. OCD experts Claiborn and Pedrick guide you through a proven intervention plan that helps you recognize your distorted self-perception and come to terms with how it leads you to self-inflicted emotional and physical pain. Exercises, charts, and worksheets help you to develop a healthier response to your body and a more balanced self-image. The book provides information about BDD-related eating disorders and the special problems of children with self-image issues. It also offers suggestions to help you gain support from family members, medical professionals, and support groups. This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Let’s be honest: most people are unhappy with at least some aspect of their physical appearance. Just think of all the money we spend each year trying to improve our looks! But if worrying about your appearance is getting in the way of living, maybe it’s time to start thinking about body image in a completely new way. Based in proven-effective acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Living with Your Body and Other Things You Hate offers a unique approach to addressing your struggle with body image. In this book, you will not be told that your self-perceptions are wrong, that your thoughts are irrational, or that your feelings are misguided. Instead, you will learn to live with the reality that these often painful thoughts and beliefs about yourself will arise from time to time, and that what is really important is accepting these distressing thoughts without allowing them to dominate your life. You know what it’s like to constantly be checking the mirror, to avoid certain social situations where your body may be exposed, or to gaze longingly at a fashion model in a magazine and think, “Why can’t I be her?” But what you may not know is that people who struggle with negative body image are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. Body image problems can even lead to major financial issues. By focusing on your appearance and little else, you are hurting yourself in more ways than one. If you are ready to find a purpose in life that is more important than the pain you feel about your appearance, this book provides a truthful, powerful resource.