News

Get your ticket for our 10-year Anniversary Conference

Ticket sales are now live for our Conference, and we are excited to share some of the amazing speakers who will be with us on the day!

Tickets available here

Date: Saturday 4th November 2023

Venue: Logan Hall, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL or livestream

This year, we are hosting our celebrating the 10th anniversary of the BDD Foundation & new horizons.

We will be taking the opportunity to reflect on how far we have come and recent achievements, whilst also looking ahead to advance the future of the charity.

Our conferences are an opportunity to bring together our wonderful BDD community in a supportive, inspiring and informative space. Individuals with BDD, their loved ones, as well as mental health professionals and students come together to learn about the condition, innovative approaches to treatment and hear inspiring stories from those in recovery.

There will be countless opportunities to hear from experts, and learn about varied perspectives in the development and treatment of BDD. The conference is also a space for those living with BDD to find comfort in shared experience, know they are not alone and meet other people in the BDD community. This year, we are introducing a community and support room where those with BDD can connect with others and speak with volunteers about ways to access support through their journey of recovery.

We have some really exciting speakers and topics lined up, to include:

  • Professor Paul Gilbert OBE – ‘Compassion as a Transformative approach’.
  • Dr Sabine Wilhelm – ‘The Past, Present, and Future of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)’
  • Dr Jamie Feusner – ‘Visual Processing and Disorted Perception of Appearance in BDD’
  • Professor Roz Shafran – ‘The Relationship between BDD and Perfectionism: Strategies for Change’
  • Professor David Veale and Dr Rob Willson – ‘Unfair to Compare’

Full Schedule for our Main Stage:

Download or view our Full Programme:

Full Programme 10th Anniversary ConferenceDownload

Also Joining us on the day is Alex Light who is hosting a panel discussion on BDD & Fashion:

CHECK OUT our schedule for the Research Summit and Breakout Sessions!

At this year’s conference, we are introducing a Support & Community Room, designed specifically for those who need a listening ear, are seeking community or just need some quiet time.

It will be a softly-lit, cosy and inclusive space for anyone who needs it. Our compassionate and understanding volunteers will welcome you into the space, where you can choose to take some time out, browse the BDD related artwork, sip on a cuppa, or have a chat with someone who truly understands the struggles of living with BDD. In addition to the artwork created by our wonderful community, there will also be a creative corner with resources to create something of your own or calm the mind.

We know how tough it can be for some individuals to attend the Conference and face so many people, so we hope this space provides some comfort and calm. It’s there for anyone who wants or needs to use it 💙

Ticket info:

  • General admission: £25
  • Student admission: £15
  • Livestream: £10
  • Mental health professional: £40 (CPD Certificates will be emailed to professional ticket holders after the event).

Solidarity rate: for those who would otherwise be unable to attend for financial reasons or other barriers. We have a small number of bursary tickets available on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact info@bddfoundation.org for more details.

To avoid disappointment please consider purchasing your ticket to the physical conference early. In previous years we have sold out in advance.

No matter where you live you can now attend the conference via the internet with the option to attend via Webinar/Livestream for a reduced ticket price.

To reach as many people as possible, we will be filming the speakers on stage. Please be assured that the camera will be solely focused on the speakers and that all filming will be sensitively and discretely carried out. There will not be any recorded footage of attendees. If you have any concerns about this, please do not hesitate to approach one of our volunteers on the day.

All halls and rooms at 20 Bedford Way are accessible and a managed evacuation process is available from areas on levels 1 and 3 of the building for persons with mobility impairment. Logan Hall is situated on Level 1.

In previous years, we have gathered feedback from attendees, with many reflecting on the day as one which offers hope and connection. We aim for the day to be inspiring and informative to as many people as possible and hope this year’s event is of benefit to all. If there is anything we can do to support your attendance, or for any questions relating to the 2023 Conference, please email info@bddfoundation.org.

We look forward to seeing you in November for another successful event. It is a day not to be missed!

Tickets available here

What Impact has the BDD Foundation had on you?

What impact has the BDD Foundation had on your life? We want to hear from you!

We are currently evaluating our services and working on our impact report, and we want to hear from you. We hope you will share your experiences of engaging with the BDD Foundation and the impact any of our services and our wider work has had on your life, or the lives of others.

We welcome responses from our entire community. This includes anyone with experience of BDD, including lived experience, providing support to someone experiencing BDD, carers, families, partners, friends, professionals and students.

Please complete the survey here

If you prefer to send your thoughts through a different format or with a creative piece attached, please email impact@bddfoundation.org

Thank you for your input. As well as allowing us to measure our impact, your responses will contribute to the continued growth of the charity and allow us to stay user-led, and to identify our strengths, areas for development and most crucial services.

Survey closes: 11th October 2023

BBC News featuring BDD & Muscle Dysmorphia

We are so encouraged to see the recent reports on BDD & Muscle Dysmorphia on the BBC.

The feature on BDD shared the story of a BDD survivor and spoke with our trustee Dr Amita Jassi to understand more about the prevalence of BDD, how it might present, and the crucial need for further research and training on the condition in a clinical setting.

BBC News also highlighted Muscle Dysmorphia by speaking with our Chairman Dr Rob Willson and sufferer George Mycock. They discussed the severity of the condition, symptoms, and encourages those affected to access support. Muscle Dysmorphia is a serious, debilitating but treatable condition, with many of those suffering still not accessing the help and support they need.

Volunteers Needed!

Come and join us! We are looking for new volunteers to facilitate on our BDD Support Groups. This is a really rewarding role, with the opportunity to work alongside experienced facilitators, support individuals recovering from BDD and develop your facilitation skills.

Support Groups

Our support groups play an important role, alongside treatment, in recovering from and managing BDD. They provide a safe environment where people can talk openly about their BDD, as well as giving support and encouragement to others. Many attendees find comfort in shared experience, knowing they are not alone, and hearing stories from individuals at different stages of their recovery. More information can be found here.

The role of Facilitator

For this role, it’s important to have a good understanding of BDD and the impact it has. We look for individuals with strong listening skills, an ability to make others feel welcome and comfortable, and empathy for others. We encourage applications from those with lived experience of BDD since these groups are peer led – an approach we have found to be particularly effective in supporting those experiencing BDD.

Training and induction will be provided. We require a minimum commitment of 1.5-3 hours per month.

What do our current volunteers say?

“I found facilitating groups incredibly meaningful. Having suffered with BDD for most of my life and finding myself in a stable place of recovery, it felt really rewarding to support those who were at different stages of their journey with empathy and understanding.”

“I am confident that I learn as much from attendees as they do from me. Their honesty, insights, openness and support to one another is like nothing else, and I have had moments that bring up a lot of emotion because their experience resonates with me so much. I feel genuinely humbled and honoured to be a part of their BDD journey. It’s challenging at times, but incredibly rewarding.”

How to Apply

Download the Application Form below, and send completed applications to volunteers@bddfoundation.org

BDD-Foundation-General-Volunteers-FormDownload

Applications will be reviewed and responded to by 18th August.

Help OCD Action Improve Access to Services

If you are a person of colour with lived experience of OCD or a related condition, or a relative of theirs, we would hugely appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete OCD Action’s survey.

OCD Action have a vision of a time where OCD and related conditions (such as BDD) are well understood, and everybody can access the treatment they need, when they need it. However, they recognise that achieving this vision is impossible without addressing the significant barriers, prejudice, and discrimination that global ethnic majority groups frequently face within mental health settings in the UK. OCD Action have shared with us their deep concerned at the clear evidence that people of colour are underserved by OCD services, and their determination to see this change. 

OCD Action has recently established a co-production panel, who are collectively working to ensure OCD Action provide the best support possible for people who face intersectional disadvantage, in particular people of colour living with OCD and related conditions (such as BDD). The panel is made up of volunteers from Black and Asian backgrounds who have lived experience of OCD, as well as OCD Action staff members across all areas of the organisation.

To help improve OCD Action services and understand barriers to wider NHS services OCD Action and their co-production panel have created a short survey to gather the opinions and experiences of people of colour living with OCD and related conditions (such as BDD) regarding their experiences with mental health services. 

If you are a person of colour with lived experience of OCD or a related condition (such as BDD), or a relative of theirs, we would hugely appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete OCD Action’s survey.

Your voice, lived experience and ideas are so important in ensuring change is realised, and that in the future, everyone gets the treatment they need, when they need it. The findings from this survey will also contribute to improving BDDF services and understanding where we can better serve those facing intersectional disadvantage.

Complete the Survey

NOTE from OCD Action: We acknowledge that the terms ‘people of colour’/’POC’ and ‘Global Ethnic Majority Groups’ are far from perfect terms as they group together of people who have a wide variety of very different experiences. We know that this needs to be broken down so we can understand the experiences, challenges and barriers each group experiences and we aim to do this over the life course of this work. Our co-production panel thought carefully about language and could not identify an inclusive term that better reflected the diversity of our lived experiences. If you have views on our use of language, please do share this as part of our survey or email us at info@ocdaction.org.uk. Thank you.

Canadian Research Study – Participants Needed

The purpose of this visual processing study is to help understand how individuals with BDD perceive themselves and how to best address their differences in visual processing.

Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the University of Toronto are looking for participants between the ages of 18 to 40 years who answered yes to any of the questions displayed on the poster, in addition to controls. Participants will be compensated for their time.

All participants must reside near and be able to travel to Toronto, Canada. The purpose of this visual processing study is to help us understand how individuals with BDD perceive themselves and how to best address their differences in visual processing.

If you fit these criteria and would like to participate in our study, please contact us at: bdd.empac@camh.ca 

The Brain, Body, and Perception laboratory’s clinical neuroscience research seeks to understand the brain basis of perception, emotion, and reward across conditions involving body image as well as obsessions and compulsions. Additionally, they study gender identity, own body perception, and the effects of hormone treatments in individuals with gender dysphoria in the interest of improving health outcomes of gender-affirming treatments.

If you would like to learn more about the Brain, Body, and Perception laboratory and their research, visit: https://bbp.lab.utoronto.ca/ You can also learn more about the laboratory on Instagram (@bbplab) or Twitter (@BDD_anorexia).

46 Mile Fundraiser

A walk from Machynlleth to Montgomery, in memory of Morgan-Rose

At the end of June, the wonderful Michelle is embarking on a 46 mile walk to raise crucial funds for the BDD Foundation.

She will be completing Rotary Across Wales, walking across all of Wales in a day, from Machynlleth to Montgomery, in memory of her daughter Morgan-Rose.

The walk follows a mix of public rights of way, Glyndwr’s Way National Trail, country lanes and the meandering Montgomery Canal. Along the way passing through characterful communities and the settlements of Staylittle, Trefeglwys, Caersws, Newtown and Abermule.

It’s an admirable challenge and we are extremely grateful to Michelle for her fundraising efforts to the BDD Foundation.

Please support Michelle through her sponsorship page.

Being At Peace with Oneself

by Ulrike Behrendt

For Ulrike’s master’s project at university, they have created a collection of six artworks focused on the theme of Body Dysmorphia. Ulrike would like to share their work with fellow sufferers to find out if their work resonates with you and receive some feedback.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a body image problem that is marked by an intense preoccupation with one’s physical appearance. It can result in extensive gazing of one’s perceived flaws or – as in my case – in avoiding looking at oneself all together. For me, my body is an alien shell that carries me around and not something I can identify with. I cannot actually look at myself neither in the mirror nor in photos. The body of work created explores different approaches to visualise the tension between me and my body. Photographs were digitally manipulated, worked into and written upon. The object is the subject and vice versa. Initially connected by aversion, they show an attempt to be at peace.

Acceptance and Self Love (featured below) use my eyes perspective’s view of my body creating a neutral distance. It is not always possible to think positively during moments of struggle with BDD. Peace is found in admitting the negative thoughts.

Shadow Dance (featured below) confronts my body indirectly by its shadow, hereby creating enough distance and abstraction to allow looking at myself. Poses explore the interplay between the observer, the arranger, and the ‘me’. Twelve shadows are arranged as a group describing a story of curiosity, instability and peace.

The series Almost Within Reach (featured below) transport the idea of ‘making contact’ with a blurred image in the mirror. My hand is reaching out to the person on the other side offering peace. An impressionistic feel to it transfers the artwork to somewhere between dream and reality. Almost Within Reach III is covered with unfiltered thoughts about me, my art and my body. The text forms a veil and middle ground between the observer and the image. I am almost at peace with myself.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my artwork. Would you be willing to provide me with some feedback?

Does the work resonate with you?

What are thoughts going through your mind when seeing the images?

Would you say it conveys what a struggle with BDD can feel like?

Does the work highlight the frustration with the condition as well as giving a sense of hope?

Please connect with Ulrike to share your responses and feedback on ulrike.behrendt@student.nua.ac.uk

Call for Research Proposals

We are delighted to announce the launch of the first research stream at the BDD Foundation 2023 conference, taking place Saturday 4th November 2023!

Be part of this exciting conference and the launch of the research stream.

The BDD Foundation 2023 Conference is the largest, international event focused uniquely on BDD, bringing together attendees and presenters from a range of backgrounds: BDD sufferers, family members, friends, researchers, clinicians, and other professionals. Keynote speakers for the conference include Prof. David Veale, Dr Rob Wilson, Prof. Roz Shafran and Prof. Paul Gilbert.

This year, we are thrilled to be including a research summit, offering a platform for researchers to share their latest findings on BDD and network with colleagues in the field.

We are inviting researchers to submit a proposal to present at the BDD Foundation 2023 Conference.

Deadline for submission is 7th July 2023 and outcomes will be shared in August. Be part of this exciting conference and the launch of the research stream.

Complete this form to submit your proposal

Beating BDD Podcast #29 – Arie Winograd

“Trust your psychotherapist. They have a much more objective perspective than your BDD.”

A psychotherapist and the founder and director of the Los Angeles BDD & Body Image Clinic, Arie has dedicated his career to working with people with BDD. In this
episode, he shares some of the fascinating insights he’s gained from those thousands of hours of experience.


You can download the transcript for this episode here:

Arie-Winograd-show-notes-Download

The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation. Charity no. 1153753.

Online BDD Conference

An opportunity for professionals, researchers, students, and those with lived experience to find community and to learn more about BDD.

Join this virtual event on Saturday, May 31, 2025!

Tickets available here