Jane is an attractive woman in her mid-thirties, tall, thin and
stately. She believes she is breathtakingly ugly. Tormented by what
she sees as her huge nose, crooked lip, big jaw, fat buttocks, and
tiny breasts, she hasn't left her house in six years. Though she
lives in the same house as her mother, she once went two years
without seeing her. When relatives come over, she avoids them,
hiding in her room, even on Thanksgiving. The one time she left the
house - forced to see a doctor - she covered her face with
bandages. Eventually, she attempted suicide. "I can't imagine any
suffering greater than this," she said. "If I had my choice, I'd
rather be blind or have my arm cut off. I'd be happy to have
cancer." Jane has body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. In this revised
and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror, Dr Katherine Phillips
draws on years of scientific research, clinical practice, and
detailed interviews with patients to bring readers an updated and
expanded book on this troubling and sometimes debilitating
disorder, in which sufferers are obsessed with perceived flaws in
their appearance. Phillips describes severe cases, such as Jane's,
but also milder cases, such as Carl, a successful lawyer who uses
work to distract him from his slightly thinning hair. Many
sufferers function well, but remain secretly obsessed by their
"hideous acne" or "horrible nose", sneaking constant peaks at a
pocket mirror, or spending hours redoing makeup. BDD afflict
millions of people. It isn't an uncommon disorder, simply a hidden
one, since sufferers are often embarrassed to tell even their
closest friends about their concerns; one woman, after fifty years
of marriage, still kept her appearance worries a secret from her
husband. This revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror
provides updated information from recent research that sheds new
light on this serious illness. Besides the fascinating story of the
disorder itself, The Broken Mirror is also a lifesaving handbook
for sufferers, their families, and their doctors. Left untreated,
the torment of BDD can lead to hospitalization and sometimes
suicide. With treatment, many sufferers are able to lead normal
lives. Phillips provides a quick self-assessment questionnaire,
helping readers distinguish between normal appearance concerns and
the obsession of BDD to determine whether they or someone they know
have BDD. She includes common clues to BDD - such as frequent
mirror checking, covering up with clothing, and excessive exercise.
Four new chapters on treatment contain updated information and
recommendations on how to effectively treat BDD - as well as
frequently obtained treatments that should be avoided. A revised
chapter offers helpful advice and reassurance for friends and
families of BDD sufferers. Profoundly affected by the disorder
themselves, those who care about someone with BDD will find both
helpful advice and reassurance in this indispensable book. The
revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror is the most
comprehensive book on BDD and is written by the leading expert on
this disorder. It is essential reading for psychiatrists, other
mental health professionals, dermatologists and plastic surgeons;
for the friends and family concerned about a loved one who won't
believe their reassurance; and for the millions who suffer from BDD
in silence and secrecy.
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