Body Dysmorphia Disorder (BDD)

Body dysmorphia is a repulse or loathing of all or certain part or parts of your body. This dislike can be so large that you may choose to isolate yourself from social gatherings, even though no one else can see your perceived problem. Dysphoria is a defined as a general unhappiness with life. Someone suffering with body dysphoria will be dissatisfied with the body or more specifically the gender of the body that they have been born with.

The symptoms of BDD are a constant pre-occupation or focus on a particular part of your body, that other’s hardly notice. You may believe that you have been born deformed as the body you see is influenced by what you perceive. This distorted view of the outside world can lead to a negative spiral as you believe others are pointing at you and talking about your ugly physical floor.

Studies into adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) highlight that many of us suffer adversity at an early age. If we view body dysmorphia through a psychophysiological lens, then it becomes easier to see where the origins of BDD may lie. Other probable causes are listed below but they still remain within the psychological (mind) and physiological (body) remit:

• abuse or bullying.
• low self-esteem.
• fear of being alone or isolated.
• perfectionism or competing with others.
• genetics.
• depression, anxiety or OCD.

Please note that genetics is also influenced by the way that we think.

Sadly, the mainstream media is set up to influence our minds, from a very early age the comparison game begins. If you find yourself constantly looking at others and comparing yourself to them, then you my friend, have learned to be body dysmorphic. Maybe your parents have told you that a big bum runs in the family genes, and you’ve grown up a size 10 believing you’re a size 14. Looking at yourself in the mirror, or actually avoiding the mirror altogether are both signs that you’re not happy with your size and shape. Do you need a little make up or lots? A lot of body dysmorphic females get their lips and face injected with botox, in an attempt to transform the face that they’re not happy with. The reality is, you’re the most beautiful ‘you’ you’ll ever be, there is only one of you and that’s why you’re so special.

An online search for ‘what causes body dysmorphic disorder’ comes up with, “it’s like many other mental health conditions”, pointing to adverse childhood experiences about your body or self-image. There are even posts that point to abnormalities in the brain and/or family history of the disorder. But here we’ll have you consider, the main driving force behind body dysmorphic disorder is the mainstream media. In the past 10 years body dysmorphia has expanded along with the rate of social media use and mainstream media influences that impact our lives more today than ever before. Those models and amazing ‘superhuman’ people, that we see on the networks are usually covered in make-up and filmed using a special camera lens and specific lighting. It’s not just models in the year 2021 who photoshop their images, this is easily done using various apps and filters. The problem is that the media is teaching and training you from a very early age that you’re not good enough and the only way for you to feel better is to buy and use their products. This is a sickening catch 22 situation! If you’re still wondering if you’re suffering, then ask yourself if you can take a photograph of yourself with your mobile phone and accept the person that you see.

Whether you have body dysmorphia or you’re feeling insecure, something has to change. It could be that you’ve developed body dysmorphia, so you’re spending a lot of time focusing on specific areas of your body that are too large or too small. Perhaps your feelings of insecurity could have a connection to your family, your family history or maybe you grew up thinking your parents loved your brother or sister more than you. It could also be than an adverse childhood experience is still impacting you.

You can’t fix body dysmorphia because you’d have to be broken in order to be ‘fixed’. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been shown to help you manage your BDD symptoms, by influencing the way you think and behave. Similarly, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which are a type of anti-depressant are regularly prescribed to change the way you think. There is a growing majority of people who are turning to alcohol and self-medicating in an attempt to change the image that they are seeing. If you were to imagine that each of us functions from our own personal informational field, it’s the live feed from this feed that drives our thoughts and feelings. Our beliefs influence and edit the data that we perceive to be reality, therefore, the negative emotional memory images (EMIs) that are stored in this field continually trigger the freeze response in our primitive brain. The ‘freeze’ will prevent you from seeing the real you and living your one true life!

Most people are referred for cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) individually or in groups. The challenge here is that your problem is subconscious and the treatment offered is conscious. Anti-depressant drugs are also offered to affect the mental image that you are viewing. The key, we believe, is to remove the negative emotional memory image (EMI) from a troubled past, that dwells inside your minds eye. This becomes the filter with which you view your world, therefore removing or clearing this filter can set you free.

Hypnotherapy has been used successfully for centuries. The key for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is to rebuild trust, love and self-confidence within the subconscious mind. This may be developed over a short series of sessions, each building upon the one before.

Body dysmorphic disorder is hypnosis by definition. The dysmorphic person is in a hypnotic trance, they look at their body and are unable to see or verify what others can see. They need to be dehypnotised not rehypnotised. This distorted view is created via a childhood that was full of uncertainties, if we clear this original blueprint or cached memory (to use a computer term) then the mind is free to be overwritten and upgraded.

BDD is a mental condition that affects both men and women equally. BDD involves a person’s excessive concern over specific parts of their body. Thoughts of a person’s imperfections become obsessive and can take up hours of their day.

This audio production is designed to help the listener overcome BDD. By clearing negatively charged Emotional Memory Images from your external screen, your mind and body are able to adapt to the present moment, allowing you to enjoy life free of limiting subconscious patterns. This audio is your own personal 1 to 1 session with Matt, always available at your convenience.

Matt’s calming, assuring voice gently guides both your conscious mind and unconscious mind towards healing through the left and right ear respectively. By tapping into the body’s psychoneuroimmunilogical mechanisms – the link between the mind, nervous system and physical wellbeing – this audio promotes enhanced mental balance and a healthy self image.

For best results, listen to this audio download first thing in the morning or during the day, every day for 4 weeks. Ensure you’re free from interruptions and distractions when listening. Download now to start overcoming BDD today.

This audio is a .MP3 file, compatible with smartphones, tablets, PC’s and other electronic devices.

Audio length: 30 minutes.