Diss More Fia
I recently came across an article that has inspired this blog post.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is defined by the Anxiety and Depression Association of Americas as, "BDD is a body-image disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive preoccupations with an imagined or slight defect in one's appearance."
This does not refer to the fact that most of us have one thing we would like to change about our appearance. For instance I've always wanted breast implants, because I am unsatisfied and self conscious with the rack I've got. Some other people may want a nose job or a face lift or something else. Having BDD is being so preoccupied with one 'flaw' that emotional distress occurs. Folks that suffer with BDD do not see parts of their body accurately. I thought that maybe I suffered from Body Dysmorphia, but wasn't sure. My future therapist in treatment declared that I did in fact suffer from BDD.
For me, regardless of my weight I see myself as extremely obese. To give an example, my therapist and I worked on body image by doing the 'string test'. I took a string and made it into the shape of a circle that I felt was the size of my thighs, stomach and arms and proceeded to trace each one onto a piece of poster paper. My therapist then took the string and measured those same body parts respectively and I then traced those on the same piece of poster paper. I stared at the paper in disbelief. I saw her measure me, but there is no way that my thighs, stomach and arms are that much smaller than what I see. I compared the designs on the poster paper to the shape of a doughnut. The empty circle in the middle was my actual size, vs. the larger outside of the doughnut that I see.
WARNING: No Sprinkles or Frosting were harmed in this analogy.
This therapy session was eye opening for me. I realized at that moment, the Tracy I was seeing for years wasn't actually what others see. Sometimes when I'm having a bad body image day I will take out some string and poster paper and do this exercise to give myself some piece of mind.
What is most interesting about BDD is that regardless of how I see myself, I see everyone around me accurately. How I define others that I see around me, ironically enough, has nothing to do with what they look like. I have always seen and always will see others as beautiful, kind, funny, smart, compassionate, strong, amazing. I have seen myself as quite the opposite and additionally as morbidly obese, disgusting and an embarrassment. It is a challenge everyday, but I am working on seeing myself as more that my body and appearance and more as the positive words I choose to describe others with. My BDD is still there, but I do believe it is getting better...and will continue to get better the stronger I become.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is defined by the Anxiety and Depression Association of Americas as, "BDD is a body-image disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive preoccupations with an imagined or slight defect in one's appearance."
This does not refer to the fact that most of us have one thing we would like to change about our appearance. For instance I've always wanted breast implants, because I am unsatisfied and self conscious with the rack I've got. Some other people may want a nose job or a face lift or something else. Having BDD is being so preoccupied with one 'flaw' that emotional distress occurs. Folks that suffer with BDD do not see parts of their body accurately. I thought that maybe I suffered from Body Dysmorphia, but wasn't sure. My future therapist in treatment declared that I did in fact suffer from BDD.
For me, regardless of my weight I see myself as extremely obese. To give an example, my therapist and I worked on body image by doing the 'string test'. I took a string and made it into the shape of a circle that I felt was the size of my thighs, stomach and arms and proceeded to trace each one onto a piece of poster paper. My therapist then took the string and measured those same body parts respectively and I then traced those on the same piece of poster paper. I stared at the paper in disbelief. I saw her measure me, but there is no way that my thighs, stomach and arms are that much smaller than what I see. I compared the designs on the poster paper to the shape of a doughnut. The empty circle in the middle was my actual size, vs. the larger outside of the doughnut that I see.
WARNING: No Sprinkles or Frosting were harmed in this analogy.
This therapy session was eye opening for me. I realized at that moment, the Tracy I was seeing for years wasn't actually what others see. Sometimes when I'm having a bad body image day I will take out some string and poster paper and do this exercise to give myself some piece of mind.
What is most interesting about BDD is that regardless of how I see myself, I see everyone around me accurately. How I define others that I see around me, ironically enough, has nothing to do with what they look like. I have always seen and always will see others as beautiful, kind, funny, smart, compassionate, strong, amazing. I have seen myself as quite the opposite and additionally as morbidly obese, disgusting and an embarrassment. It is a challenge everyday, but I am working on seeing myself as more that my body and appearance and more as the positive words I choose to describe others with. My BDD is still there, but I do believe it is getting better...and will continue to get better the stronger I become.
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