The BDD Family Book

THE BDD FAMILY: Coping with Body Dysmorphic Disorder in a Peer Support Group

Am I ugly or do I have BDD?

If you ask yourself this question, you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), an underrecognized mental health condition that causes individuals to feel ugly and disfigured when they actually appear normal or attractive to others.

The BDD Family: Coping with Body Dysmorphic Disorder in a Peer Support Group explores the support exchanged in a virtual BDD community. Members shared feelings of intense shame, fear, anger, and guilt kept hidden from their friends, family members, partners, and therapists. Their stories may resonate with what you endure every day.

Group members provided advice and information about coping with symptoms, getting diagnosed, and seeking treatment. They formed friendships, provided emotional support, and became part of the global BDD family.

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What are your hopes, goals, and dreams?

Writing a book for people with BDD was Eva’s goal since recovering from the disorder nearly twenty years ago. The BDD Family offers hope to individuals struggling with this devastating body image disorder. Millions of people around the world suffer from BDD; significantly less get the treatment and help they need to recover.

But there is help for people with BDD. Peer support groups offer access to information, advice, and empathy from others who understand. These groups supplement support from family members, friends, partners, and treatment specialists. Eva studied the personal disclosures and social support exchanged in an online BDD public forum for her dissertation research. Many participants viewed the group as a supportive online community where they could share their deepest fears with others who understood their struggles.

The BDD Family contains excerpts from hundreds of group members who posted messages to the BDD forum over the course of one year. Their messages describe in detail the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors individuals with BDD experience every day. Men and women from countries around the globe, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, and Malaysia shared their personal experiences and provided support to others.

Eva Fisher, PhD, transforms her dissertation into a remarkable book that brings hope and help to individuals who suffer from BDD. Eva’s own recovery story is included, along with contact information for treatment centers, BDD specialists, and organizations that provide BDD resources.

Buy the BDD Family Book for a friend

The book makes a great gift for a friend or loved one.