Help Please BDD

I read an article earlier today from psychforums. An article my girlfriend sent me.
This article was on BDD, a disorder which she claims to have.

Now, I'm foreign to this disorder. I know very little about it, except the few things I've read and the things I've read describe my girlfriend quite well.

I believe me and this woman have a very unique relationship. We love each other very much and I would pretty much do anything for her. We can talk about everything and anything, when it comes to how we feel we are exceptionally good at communicating it to each other, maybe a bit too good.

Except this 'BDD' disorder is pretty much ruining our relationship.

She hates herself and pretty much everyone around her, she has massive issues with her physical nature something which I CANNOT understand since she is stunningly beautiful and when she starts ranting about her body I just see it as a need for a compliment or something along those lines. Which I do, all the time, compliment her, which seems to just make it worse.
For the most part of the day, she is this beautiful, intelligent, happy woman. Everyone she meets speaks of her as this gentle, kind, beautiful woman.

But then Miss Hyde drops in for a visit..
It is absolutely devastating watching her tear herself apart. And she makes sure I know how she feels.. Counting up her "chicken legs" and "tumbleweed hair" "Im a freak" "look at all those blonde bodacious babes flicking their hair at me" once she even tried to throw herself down a staircase.
At first I kinda found it amusing.. Didnt understand how someone like her could say things like that, but now its been going on literally for the past 6 months and it is killing us.
I try everything I possibly can.. EVERYTHING. I try to say nice things, I try to say not so nice things, I try to make her laugh, I try to change the subject, I try cooking for her nice food, buy her jewellery, I say stupid things about myself etc etc.
Then when her tantrum is slowing down she starts telling me she has pshycological problems, mental issues, BDD, I warned you last time! and so on. But somehow its like she enjoys it..

Today she did it again. I could just feel that I couldn't handle it anymore.. I said some mean things, things that I didn't mean but i just didn't know how to respond to her anymore..

Then tomorrow morning I wake up and shes just my lovely girlfriend again.

What am I supposed to do? Is there something I can do?
I love her so much, I don't want to lose her, but this story doesn't have a happily ever after.. I can just see it.

Hi,

I'm so sorry that you and your girlfriend are going through this. Is your girlfriend getting help for this? If not I would suggest that she does, as I know first hand that it doesn't get better on it's own. You should know it's extremely hard for someone with BDD to speak about it and to seek help, I think by her telling you is really great and maybe she is seeking help.

There are a few good books you could get which I have found quite helpful, the broken mirror and understanding body dysmorphia both by Katherine A. Phillips. also there is a BDD forum here, it comes under the somatoform section.

I hope things work out for you.

Katrinas-x wrote:Hi,

I'm so sorry that you and your girlfriend are going through this. Is your girlfriend getting help for this? If not I would suggest that she does, as I know first hand that it doesn't get better on it's own. You should know it's extremely hard for someone with BDD to speak about it and to seek help, I think by her telling you is really great and maybe she is seeking help.

Thank you for your reply,
She hasnt seen any help, no. Is there some kind of treatment?

She doesn't seem to have a problem speaking about it.. at all. To me that is.

DTE.

No problem,

Em yeah, you should take her to see a psychologist for therapy. I thnk it's mostly cognitive therapy that's used to treat BDD, similar treatments to OCD I think. And maybe if it's causing depression she could get something for that.

Maybe she finds it really easy to talk to you about It because she has a lot of trust in you, or maybe it's just different for her. I know from personal experience that I can't tell anyone, I've tried and failed miserably.

thanks, going to see what she thinks of it

Any more insights?

Edited by Mod

Edited by Mod

Hi wass, I'm so sorry that you are going through this. There is a BDD thread, where there are other sufferers, like you and myself.

You should check it out and make a post there.

Here is a link:

body-dysmorphic-disorder/

Katrina.

Thank you so much

No problem I hope you find it helpful. I have found it really helpful, it's great to talk to other people and it's a great place to vent and let everything out.

If you ever want anyone to talk to I'm always here

Katrina.