How To Support Someone With BDD
Why doesn't my loved one believe me when I tell them they're not ugly?
Well, it's really difficult to give reassurance to somebody with BDD that actually sinks in because they really see what they see. They have this perceptual distortion. It's going to be hard for anybody else to convince them otherwise. A lot of times when it's a family member, they think the family member is just trying to make them feel better. They are just trying to placate them. They don't believe it.
Should I continue to offer reassurance to a loved one with BDD?
Sometimes it helps temporarily and if somebody keeps asking for it, it probably is helping maybe a little bit temporarily. But they just go back to feeling worse shortly after that. So in the long run, it actually doesn't help.Probably a better way of dealing with it is maybe one point in time giving the reassurance and then afterwards saying I know this is a reassurance seeking and it's going to make it worse if I answer it.
How can I help my loved one see their behavior is not normal?
It's also very tough to be able to show someone with BBD that their behavior is not normal, that they have a psychiatric problem. I think a family member getting educated and understanding all the components of it could help, and then really encouraging the person to get the evaluation and the treatment as the next stop.
How can I encourage someone to get help for BDD?
Well sometimes, especially if somebody has BDD, he or she may think "this is because I'm ugly." They could be agreeable to get a treatment if it is about dealing with some of the other symptoms that they have. You can say "well listen, I know we disagree about what you think about your appearance, but we both know that you are depressed, we both know that you dropped out of school, and I think you need some help with that, so why don't you at least get that addressed?"
How can I support someone with BDD through treatment?
The first thing is you really have to understand what BDD is like because it is hard to understand how someone can have these concerns about appearance which are so severe. So getting educated yourself, reading books about it is the first step so that when you can see the person you can offer support and empathy because you really understand how hard it is. I think encouragement, encouraging the person to do their homework even though it is very difficult is another important and helpful thing.
How can I encourage my friend with BDD to go out?
Encouraging somebody with BDD to go out with them is very important because it's important for them not to avoid so much and it's important for them to maintain relationships. And again, I think, being able to empathize with how it may be difficult is a first step, and then maybe starting with something that is easy for the person to do, and then working your way up, like "Why don't you just come over to my house - We'll hang out for a little bit," and then maybe next time say "Well, step outside for a little bit and we'll take a little walk" and it will gradually help them get better.
Why are people with BDD so selfish?
People sometimes wonder themselves, are they selfish? Why is that they are thinking about themselves all the time or other people may say "this person is thinking about himself, their appearance all the time, he is very self absorbed. Yes, they are self absorbed, but it is not because they want to be, and it is not because they feel good about doing that, it is because they just cannot stop thinking about their appearence.
Why is it so hard for someone with BDD to work?
Having BDD really does make it difficult to work because it is very hard to focus. It's very hard when you feel so self-conscious and when it takes you hours to prepare in the morning to get there. Sometimes there are other reasons why the person doesn't want to work. Maybe they want to stay dependent and maybe the BDD serves a function that way. So it can be complicated.
Is it my fault my child has BDD?
No. We think that the cause of BDD probably have multiple different sources, and one of them being biological. We don't think that there's a certain kind of parenting type that makes, makes BDD happen, and I think that emphasizing appearance may not help, but it probably doesn't itself cause BDD. It's not your fault.
