Have you heard of or experienced body dysphoria?

[Tiptoetamm]

My sister suffers from body dysphoria. I try and be supportive, explain how beautiful she is inside and out. Seems like she get frustrated when I tell her she's is beautiful and I don't know how she doesn't see it. My question how do you support a family member or friend experiencing body dysphoria? How would you want to be supported if you are or were experiencing body dysphoria?

Updates

+1 y

Sorry typo body dysmorphia

[exitseven]

Body Dysphoria has more to do with thinking they were born the wrong sex. You are referring to Body Dysmorphia. Where the person thinks there are flaws with their body that may nor really exist.
I have a weird condition that I was always self conscious about. It made me overcompensate and I started working out at an early age and even though I was in good shape I was never satisfied wit the way I looked.

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO😎

[Tiptoetamm]

Your welcome

[Sonorous]

I've kinda experienced it with building muscle. But then when I stopped working out as much for a few years, I really saw the progress I made before. It changed how I looked at it entirely. Now, I'm able to see my body accurately when I workout. Just gotta remind myself of my limits & compare myself to myself without being so goal-driven that it disrupts the joy that comes from training.

[Anonymous]

I have it. Just remind her that there is nothing wrong with her body. The problem exists in her mind. Our feelings don't dictate reality or we'd be living in a weird amalgamation of Disney World crossed with a swingers club all on cocaine. It's a Small Orgy After All. The Teacups would have sybians. Epcot would have Octoberfest for all ages. Petting zoos would allow beastiality.

[Tiptoetamm]

Thank you hon. I'm going to show her your comment because I feel it will be helpful for her to speak to people going through similar things. I encourage her to join groups that's what I did for my chronic pain and out helped knowing I wasn't alone

[Opinion Owner]

You're welcome

[jennifer_bloom]

I used to be anorexic but reading the bible and learning that my value is based on my love and not on my outward appearances cured me from my anorexia. You could get her to do meditation with you, buy her famous speeches or a pet cat or get her to volunteer at a homeless shelter or hospital, it will make her less self-critical about her body.

[Tiptoetamm]

That's a wonderful idea thank you so much

[DonkeyDan]

Yes, my ex wife had Body Dysmorphic Disorder which is just a different name for it. She stuggled with the face and particularly her eyes, whuch is just strange as her beautiful eyes where the first thing I noticed and feel in love with. She had years of counselling and managed it better but its never something that will ever go away. I think I helped give her some confidence and reassurance that she was beautiful. She always said she doesn't believe me vut I think deep down it did help.

[Tiptoetamm]

Yeah just like negative comments if you hear positive comments enough you'll stat to believe them

[DonkeyDan]

The biggest issue with BD or BDD is that when they look in the mirror the image that they see it bot the same as other see. The mind distorts what they see. We are always taught to believe what we see with our eyes, and this is the problem with BD. Her counselling was all about beibg about to take what her brain is seeing abd accept that it isn't reality. Yes reminding her that she is pretty will help, to reinforce the work done in counselling but it can't be achieved without counselling.

[mstbooblover]

The word "dismorphia" was unknown to me, but I know the phenomenon. It seems like many people suffer from it, considering the success of so-called "esthetic" surgery. The real problem is how people feel the gaze of people around them. "Hell, that's the others" as Sartre put it. Everything happens mostly in our head, and medias do not help!

[Tiptoetamm]

Yeah I fixed it in the update.

[Tiptoetamm]

Your 100% correct

[mstbooblover]

The real key to healing from this kind of negative vision of oneself is plainly to accept how we are, as well the dark as the bright side. Knowing our real nature, accepting it, and use our tendencies as tools according circumstances. Now, in practice, how to teach this to a suffering person... Sorry, I don't know for sure. There are as many ways as there are people. A first step nevertheless would be to avoid fighting our dark side. Such a fight only leads to psychosis. For some people able to, a plain prayer repeated often silently, may help. No need to be really religious, because I mean something as a meditation. Sorry if all this seems confused, but the topic is far beyond the grasp of easy medication.

[Lyndsielee666]

I have body dysmorphia thanks to my eating disorder and nothing anyone says makes it better. I get mad when people compliment me honestly. My best friend buys me clothes because I can’t get myself to go and try things on for myself. Shit sucks

[Tiptoetamm]

Yeah I get that. I feel similar even people tell me they are sorry for me because I have pain. I'm not sorry why should they be. That I do get. But they are just trying to help because they truly believe your beautiful

[Tiptoetamm]

Thank you for sharing hon

[Citizenkirk]

If this is a disorder where she sees herself differently than you do, than try too approach the situation from her perspective, reminding her that she is seeing something completely different when looking at a mirror 🪞 than you are when you look at her.

[FunkyMonkee]

I've known a few girls like that. This one girl in college was DROP DEAD GORGEOUS and SEXY AS ALL HELL!! Nearly EVERY guy on campus wanted to fuck her and be her boyfriend!! She was like a cross between Debby Harry, Kim Cattrall and Marilyn Monroe!! But, she thought of herself as fat & ugly!! Fat & ugly? She could make a bishop kick out a stained glass window!! She couldn't GET any prettier!!

[Andres77]

Daughter.
All I can do is love her and be supportive... but how?
Seek therapy, her current friends treat her well but counting on adolescent girls to always be nice is naive.
Stumped.

[Tiptoetamm]

Totally agree thanks.

[Jamie05rhs]

Aw. That's so sad. Poor thing. She probably has a boyfriend who said mean things to her.

[Cherry234]

@Jamie05rhs I think women get criticized more on their looks. I'm not saying men don't get criticized based on their looks but it seems like it's a common thing with women.

[Jamie05rhs]

@Cherry234 If a man is dating a woman, he should be building her up, not tearing her down.

[Cherry234]

@Jamie05rhs Yes of course.

[Tiptoetamm]

Her husband is super supportive she's been dealing with this since she was a teenager this isn't something new

[Jamie05rhs]

@Tiptoetamm That's good. I'm glad he treats her well.

[Cherry234]

I've heard of it but I'm not experiencing it myself.

[jasco]

Yes its a severe mental disorder that usually focuses on small issues and usually unseen. However the outside can be affected to some degree. Honestly only thing you can do is send is a mental doc

[Hangry06]

I believe i have it. Just stop body shaming or commenting on certain parts or how some clothes make them look

[Tiptoetamm]

Agreed I think that main stream Media created this problem. Where everyone thinks they need to be perfect. No one is perfect. I'd never shame my sister or anyone.

[OddBeMe]

therapists are still wondering. But like any other "phoria" its got to do with something deeper. Its not about looks.

[Anonymous]

there's not much you can do she has to go to therapy and talk it out with a trained therapist and make small steps each day to improve her self esteem

[Nagahime]

More like Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

[Tiptoetamm]

Yes thank you girl that's exactly what I mean thanks for clearing that up. I was doing some research online and totally copied the wrong area lol

[TheMajesticKing777]

She feels ugly, you wanna help her, make her feel pretty, take her for a full makeover and see if you can make her feel pretty, then perhaps maybe it can change her point of view of herself

[Tiptoetamm]

Makeup will not fix this. It's about her telling herself she ugly no matter how many makeovers I do or pay for at the end she always has something negative to day. It's a compulsion to see all the flaws she has.

[TheMajesticKing777]

It will be sorta hard to keep that mindset tho if all the men are staring at her, I'm not talking about just makeup, full makeover, including new clothes, seeing is believing nowadays and sometimes they don't just gotta hear it but they gotta see it as well, it's worth a try, at this point she isn't getting any better by you asking for help on this site so it's either professional help or try doing something that might have a slim chance of working.

[Tiptoetamm]

No I know what your saying. What your not hearing is it doesn't matter to her she sees all the flaws and because of that stays home a lot. Had social anxiety she's married and he's also tells her everyday how beautiful she is. I hear him. We all live together

[TheMajesticKing777]

Obviously she will shrug it off cause y'all tell her that all the time, to her she sees it as words of sympathy, that's what you aren't understanding, it's a sort of mental problem, that's what compulsions are, the only way to fight it is to counter those thoughts with positive ones which can eventually change her mindset on herself and she can break that chain and cycle of negative compulsions, on her own mind, she believes she is ugly, like any other human, convincing them is how you change a mindset, I'm not a psychologist, I'm just using common sense by the way, if you are telling me that there's no way to change her mind then there's no cure to what she has is what you are telling me, take her to a psychologist cause they probably have medications for these things, I'm just trying to give you a much healthier and natural solution, because I can't relate to many of the problems here simply because I have God in my life and a simple prayer can cure my depression, anxiety, negative thoughts, suicidal thoughts, aggressive thoughts, etc. People here just don't like me talking about God so I'm just trying to help how I can 🤷🏽

[Tiptoetamm]

I've done everything bought the best make up for her brought her to a makeup store so she could learn how to properly apply make up. All I know is I'm doing my best to be supported. She is 23 years old and that's a rough she alone

[TheMajesticKing777]

Then there's no choice but to prescribe her some medication

[EaterPeter]

I have experienced it

[EaterPeter]

Dysmorphia oh, be there for her be patience be kind small things often. Try to relate. Try convincing her at very gentle pace. One thing at a time. Go back in her past pose questions where she gets to think of answer which you already remember as positive answer. Use experiences she have shared with you. Have detailed love map on her. I am sorry you feel that way. I am sure your heart goes out when you see her suffering.

[TallAnon]

I know a couple of people who have it.

[CuriousMufuxka]

Sounds like some made up bullshit.

[Erron_Black]

i didn't hear any

[Anonymous]

aI don't have body dysmorphia. i'm actually ugly