Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Help in Hampshire
Kind, effective support to quiet the harsh inner critic and build a gentler relationship with yourself, in person across Hampshire or online.
CBT, counselling & hypnotherapy in Fareham, Hampshire, and online
Therapy for body dysmorphic disorder, without judgement
BDD is a recognised condition and it is treatable. Kind, practical support to loosen the grip of the mirror, the checking and the comparing. In person in Fareham or online across the UK.
Fareham, Hampshire, plus online therapy UK wide
Free · Confidential · No obligation · You set the pace
Free support is there while you wait for an appointment
Understanding it
It is not vanity, and you are not alone
Body dysmorphic disorder is a recognised mental health condition, closely related to OCD, involving a distressing preoccupation with how you look. It usually focuses on something other people barely notice or do not see at all, and it can take up hours of every day.
BDD is the opposite of vanity. Most people living with it feel deeply ashamed, which is exactly why it so often goes unmentioned for years, including to partners, family and GPs. If you have never said any of this out loud, you are in the majority.
It is also treatable. There is established clinical guidance on what helps, and things genuinely can get easier.
You may recognise some of this
How BDD tends to show up
You do not need to recognise all of these, and you do not need a diagnosis to get in touch.
- Checking mirrors repeatedly
- Avoiding mirrors altogether
- Comparing yourself with others
- Hours lost to the same worry
- Seeking reassurance from people
- Camouflaging or covering up
- Avoiding photos or video calls
- Cancelling social plans
- Difficulty at work or study
- Considering cosmetic procedures
- Anxiety and low mood alongside it
- Shame about having these worries
The pattern matters more than the detail. If a worry about your appearance is taking up significant time and shrinking your life, that is enough of a reason to talk to someone.
What the guidance says
CBT is the recommended treatment for BDD
NICE covers body dysmorphic disorder in the same clinical guideline as OCD, and recommends cognitive behavioural therapy including exposure and response prevention. For some people an SSRI is offered alongside it, which is a conversation for your GP.
Exposure and response prevention sounds daunting, and it is worth being clear about what it means in practice. It is the gradual, agreed work of reducing the checking, the reassurance seeking and the avoidance, at a pace you set. Nobody springs anything on you, and nothing happens that you have not agreed to first.
Counselling and hypnotherapy are used alongside CBT here rather than instead of it. They can help with the shame, the anxiety and the self-criticism that surround BDD, and the evidence behind them for BDD specifically is thinner. We would rather say that plainly.
More about CBT at OLIPYour options
Which therapy might suit you
Most people use a combination. You do not have to decide now, and your therapist will talk it through with you.
CBT
The most researched treatment for BDD. Work on the thoughts that drive the distress, and gradual, agreed reduction of the checking and avoidance that keep it going.
About CBTCounselling
Space to look at where this started, whether that is bullying, comparison, a comment that stuck or something older, and to be honest about how exhausting it has been.
About counsellingHypnotherapy
Used alongside the above to ease the anxiety and build self-compassion. Complementary support rather than a treatment for BDD in its own right.
About hypnotherapyWhat actually changes
A realistic picture of getting better
Therapy will not ask you to look in the mirror and suddenly love what you see, and we would not pretend that is the goal. What tends to change is the amount of your life the worry takes up.
- Less time lost to checking, comparing and planning around it
- Fewer things avoided, so plans, photographs and rooms full of people become possible again
- A quieter inner critic, even on the days the thoughts are still there
- Less shame, which for many people is the heaviest part of all
Progress is rarely a straight line, and a difficult week does not undo the work.
No surprises
What happens when you get in touch
- 1
You send a message or call
A line or two is plenty. If writing feels easier than speaking, message us and we will reply that way.
- 2
A free 15 minute call
A relaxed, confidential chat with an experienced therapist. You will not be asked to describe or show anything.
- 3
We match you with the right therapist
We suggest the approach and therapist we think fits, in person in Fareham or online, and you decide whether to start.
CBT and hypnotherapy from £90 a session. Counselling from £72. See all fees
You will not be asked to prove anything
Nobody here will inspect what you are worried about, tell you that you look fine, or ask you to explain why you feel this way. Reassurance is not treatment, and being told you are imagining it is precisely what has probably kept you quiet. You will be taken seriously.
Gentle answers
Questions people ask us
Is BDD just vanity?
No, and it is close to the opposite. BDD is a recognised mental health condition related to OCD, and most people living with it feel ashamed rather than admiring. It causes real distress and it is nothing to feel embarrassed about.
What is the best treatment for body dysmorphic disorder?
NICE covers BDD in the same guideline as OCD and recommends cognitive behavioural therapy including exposure and response prevention, with an SSRI offered alongside it for some people. That is why CBT is where we usually start. Counselling and hypnotherapy sit alongside it, supporting the shame and anxiety rather than treating the BDD itself.
Should I see my GP as well?
Yes, we would encourage it. A GP can refer you into NHS services and discuss whether medication would help, which is a decision only they can make with you. Therapy here works alongside that rather than instead of it.
Would cosmetic surgery fix it?
Usually not. Cosmetic and surgical procedures rarely relieve BDD. People often find the distress stays exactly where it was or moves to a different feature, and some feel considerably worse afterwards. This is why NHS guidance points to therapy rather than procedures, and why reputable surgeons screen for BDD.
I do not have a diagnosis. Can I still come?
Yes. You do not need a diagnosis or a label to get support. If appearance worries are taking up significant time and shrinking your life, that is reason enough. If a formal assessment would help, we can talk about how to go about it.
Will I have to talk about what I am worried about?
Not in more detail than you want to. Your therapist is far more interested in what the worry is doing to your day than in the specifics of the feature itself. Nobody will ask to look, and nobody will offer an opinion on how you look.
What does exposure and response prevention actually involve?
It means gradually reducing the behaviours that keep BDD going, such as checking, reassurance seeking and avoidance, in small agreed steps at a pace you set. Nothing is sprung on you and nothing happens without your agreement. It is uncomfortable at times, which is why having someone alongside you makes the difference.
How many sessions will I need?
It varies. BDD usually needs a course of work rather than one or two sessions, particularly where it has been going on for years. You will get an honest sense of it after the first session or two, and you are never tied into a block you have not chosen.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes. Your sessions are private and treated with the strictest confidence. In the rare situation where there is a serious risk to your safety, a therapist may need to involve others to help keep you safe, and they would talk that through with you. Nothing is shared with family, employers or your GP without your agreement.
Is support available online?
Yes. We offer sessions in person at our Fareham practice and online across the UK. Video calls are worth mentioning if seeing yourself on screen is difficult, as your therapist can suggest ways round that, including turning off your own camera view.
Take a gentle first step
Start with a free 15 minute call. A relaxed, confidential conversation with an experienced therapist, a chance to be heard and to ask anything, with no cost and no obligation.
hello@oliptherapy.co.uk · Samaritans 116 123, free any time