You Are Not Alone: How This New Video Is Highlighting Body Dysmorphia...

The new video from the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation is highlighting the symptoms of body dysmorphia and how it can be treated

A new charity called the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation has released a video which you can watch below, to raise awareness of Body Dysmorphia, which affects at least 2% of people in the UK. Body Dysmorphia is an obsessive anxiety disorder and is characterised by a preoccupation with perceived defects or flaws in appearance, which are unnoticeable to others.

The two-minute film titled 'You are Not Alone' was directed by Steve Caplin and addresses the fact that BDD sufferers often feel isolated and misunderstood. BDD can cause anxiety, shame and depression although it is completely treatable.

People with BDD most commonly find problems and imperfections with their skin, nose, hair, eyes, chin, lips and overall body build, perceiving them as distorted or with a lack of symmetry. They are often exceptionally self-conscious, checking their appearance over and over again and trying to hide their perceived flaws in a number of ways.

Sufferers might undergo unnecessary cosmetic treatments or try to cover their flaws with make-up and the condition can even stop them from leaving the house. Other people may find it hard to understand what they’re going through since people with BDD look completely normal, which is why sufferers often feel alone with their problems.

Robert Pattinson recently admitted that he suffers with BDD to Australia's Sunday Style magazine. 'I get a ton of anxiety, right up until the second I get out of the car to the event, when suddenly it completely dissipates,' said Pattinson. 'But up until that moment I’m a nut case. Body dysmorphia, overall tremendous anxiety.'

The BDD Foundation will be holding their first ever conference aimed at people with BDD and their families on 30th May. More information is available here on their website. If you would like to find out more about body dysmorphia or how you can get help visit the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation’s website.