F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
Taking place at: Not my Beautiful House Gallery in Kingston from 29th July – 23rd August (2021)
Julianna Temple discusses her journey to “Claiming Venus” through her photography series. Julianna describes the project, “Claiming Venus explores my relationship with my body and my experience with body dysmorphia. The project comprises three chapters: Before, During, and The Road To After. Together they take the viewer through my journey to understand myself. The first chapter, Before, investigates what has influenced me to feel this way about my body, whether it be from my family or how women are portrayed in the media. The second chapter, During, is my attempt to show how my body dysmorphia currently makes me feel and how confusing it can be. Finally the third chapter, The Road To After, is where I depict myself in a light of self acceptance and defiance of the societal standards placed upon women.”
Trigger warning: the exhibition does contain nudity, themes of sexual assault, Body Dysmorphia, and illness.
F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
I am going to love this body
I am going to be in Love with this body
No one can love this body more than me
I am precious, sexy and beautiful
I accept my body
This love that I give you is inevitable and infinite
I am feminine like a rose
Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder
My body is a universal beauty
A wonder
And I am blessed to own it
“The time I had written this diary entry/love letter to myself I felt the ugliest and didn’t believe any of the words written. They were more of affirmations and what I wanted to eventually think of myself. The scarring on my chest and stomach left me afraid to wear clothes that would reveal them. I couldn’t stand myself naked. I thought giving other people permission to determine whether I was beautiful or not – by any means – would make me love myself.
My standards of beauty began to change when I became intentional in what I consumed in the media. I no longer desired to be white or despised how dark I was. As my standards became more Afrocentric, I sabotaged myself by finding other problems. I wasn’t curvy or didn’t have breasts like the way the average African woman did. It felt like I won but was losing at the same time. So, I modelled at a life drawing class to try to love myself – one of the best things I did. I was so empowered to be standing in what I thought to be my most ugly and vulnerable state whilst watching others appreciate it as art.
7 months later I woke up to feeling no shame for my body or my face. It was sudden and unexpected, as quick as switching the light on. It was one of those moments where people tell you “you are beautiful” but it doesn’t matter unless you actually believe it – and I believed it.
Through my efforts to love this body I can say I’m happy naked, I love being a dark-skinned flat-chested black woman and I believe the words in my diary”
“The bravest thing you can do is reach out and get help.”
You may recognise the sound of Elias’s voice as he provided the story and voice for the brilliant “Because I’m ugly” animation on our homepage.
In this interview, recorded at the 2021 OCD Action and the BDD Foundation’s Joint Virtual Conference, Elias tells us how exposures helped him to do things he couldn’t have done even before he had BDD.
You can download the transcript for this episode here:
F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
Fraser’s Story:
After being diagnosed with BDD in 2016 I’ve learned to be in awe of things my body can do rather than hate it! It’s been a long journey of growth, it hasn’t always been easy but I’m now at a point in my life where I live with it rather than suffer from it. I’m hoping that by supporting the BDD Foundation we can raise awareness off BDD and ensure others receive the support to recover in the process!
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
For just £7.50 you will have access to over 50 speakers in 7 rooms, and can revisit these sessions for up to 6 months – even if you can’t make it on the day.
You will have the chance to watch innovative presentations, attend engaging workshops, and view exciting performances, which will take place in a number of virtual rooms, including: The Mainstage; The OCD Room; The BDD Room; The Community Room; The Family Room; The Youth Room; and The Support Room. Attendees will be able to watch a combination of live and pre-recorded talks, with the majority of talks being available to watch after the event on our Youtube channel
We want to share our conference with as many people affected by OCD, BDD and BFRBs as possible. To help people who could find the cost of a ticket prohibiting, we have put together a bursary fund with Maternal OCD for 40 free tickets.
We are allocating these tickets on a first come, first serve basis.
If you have any questions about the bursary fund or application process, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at conference@ocdaction.org.uk or by calling OCD Action’s London office on 020 7253 5272.
F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
The BDD Foundation and OCD Action have joined forces to bring our wide-reaching community together for a day of education, inspiration and connection. We know that as a community, we have been one of the hardest hit by the restrictions, fear and isolation of the past year, and that as we start to emerge from lockdown, new challenges will emerge too.
We believe that being part of a supportive community and connecting with one another will be at the core of our journey as we move forward together, and since this event is happening online, we can truly make this invitation global.
About the conference
On our main stage, BDD room and OCD room we’ll be hosting a range of world-renowned experts who will explore the latest breakthroughs in research, clinical practice, and emerging treatments. Meanwhile, our breakout rooms will include a jam-packed schedule of workshops, performances and opportunities to connect.
And you can experience all of this and more without even having to leave your home.
So join us as we give our community a platform to gather together and focus on the strength and resilience of people who have lived experience of OCD, BDD and BFRBs.
Whether you want to hear about innovative treatments and research from leading international speakers, learn how to advocate for yourself and others responsibly, or simply want to meet new people and reconnect with old friends, there’s something for everyone!
We are delighted to announce a few of our keynote speakers:
Dr Guy Doron, a clinical psychologist, researcher and senior lecturer at the School of Psychology at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. His main areas of interest include the understanding and treatment of ROCD and the development of mHealth applications for improving body image distress, low mood and obsessive compulsive symptoms.
Danny Gray, an entrepreneur and mental health advocate with lived experience of BDD.
Dr Amita Jassi, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and lead for the national specialist BDD service for young people at South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.
Dr Fugen Neziroglu, a certified behaviour and cognitive psychologist, and leading researcher on OCD related disorders and anxiety disorders.
Professor David Nutt, a psychiatrist and the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in Imperial College London. He is currently leading research into new forms of treatment using Psilocybin at Imperial College London.
Dr Fred Penzel, a Clinical Psychologist, who specialises in Cognitive Behavioural treatment of OCD, BDD, Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania.
Professor Katharine Phillips, a Professor of Psychiatry and Residency Research Director at Weill Cornell Medical College, who specialises in BDD.
The TLC Foundation, a non profit organisation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours.
Professor David Veale, a Consultant Psychiatrist in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust who specialises in OCD and BDD.
…and many more!
We will be revealing more speakers and sessions over the coming weeks. Expect a full schedule of varied sessions, including art workshops, inspirational stories, live performances, peer support groups and more. Watch this space for updates!
What will the virtual conference look like?
The conference will capture the feeling of a physical event as much as possible, so we’ve created several virtual rooms for different types of sessions. We will have:
a main stream for our keynote speakers
break-out channels for a BDD room, an OCD room, a family room, support room, community room and more.
Seamlessly switch between them as you like, and experience all each space has to offer without even having to leave your home!
F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
BDD most typically emerges in adolescence and is estimated to affect 2.2% of the UK adolescent population. There is a dearth of research into children’s and young people’s lived experiences of BDD, particularly in relation to educational contexts. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology, interview data from 10 young people between the ages of 16 and 25 were analysed for this study.
Findings informed the development of a psychological model of BDD in young people: The Shame Identity Model of BDD in Young People. This paper focuses on the educational aspects of this model. Implications for educational professionals are discussed.
You can read the full article which was published 17th March 2021:
F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
There are promising results in previous trials in depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and PTSD. The aim of the research is therefore to investigate the safety and effectiveness of psilocybin, given under one off medically supportive conditions. This will be done in a randomised, controlled trial for people with treatment resistant body dysmorphic disorder. Research in psilocybin is expensive mainly because it is a Class 1 illegal substance. It is however very safe if appropriate screening and support is provided. Our budget is £240,000 and so far we have raised £50,000. We’d like to start in Summer 2021.
We are raising funds via Givey for this trial. Please doDONATE
When you make your donation through Givey, the Charity receives 100% of the donation. Your details are safe with Givey and donating is completely secure. They never share your email address with any third parties except the Charity you donate to.
Tickets for the Virtual Conference on Saturday 26th June 2021 are now on sale!
The BDD Foundation and OCD Action have joined forces to bring our wide-reaching community together for a day of education, inspiration and connection.
We know that as a community, we have been one of the hardest hit by the restrictions, fear and isolation of the past year, and that as we start to emerge from lockdown, new challenges will emerge too.
We believe that being part of a supportive community and connecting with one another will be at the core of our journey as we move forward together, and since this event is happening online, we can truly make this invitation global.
On our main stage, BDD room and OCD room we’ll be hosting a range of world-renowned experts who will explore the latest breakthroughs in research, clinical practice, and emerging treatments. Meanwhile our breakout rooms will include a jam-packed schedule of workshops, performances and opportunities to connect.
And you can experience all of this and more without even having to leave your home.
So join us as we give our community a platform to gather together and focus on the strength and resilience of people who have lived experience of OCD, BDD and BFRBs.
Whether you want to hear about innovative treatments and research from leading international speakers, learn how to advocate for yourself and others responsibly, or simply want to meet new people and reconnect with old friends, there’s something for everyone!
We are delighted to announce our speakers:
Youth Room
We have created a Youth Room, specifically for 14 – 18 year olds. Speaking in our Youth Room are:
Jennifer Clough, an OCD Action Youth Group Facilitator with lived experience of OCD.
Dr Sasha Walters, a Senior Clinical Psychologist currently working part time in the South London and Maudsley National and Specialist CAMHS OCD, BDD & Related Disorders Team. Dr Sasha will be presenting on OCD in young people, making sense of it and getting the best out of treatment. She will then present with Dr Elif Gökçen on OCD and BDD in the context of Autism, and key adaptions to CBT treatment.
Dr Elif Gökçen, a Clinical Psychologist at the National and Specialist OCD, BDD and Related Disorder Clinic at the Maudsley Hospital. Dr Elif will be presenting on Understanding and Treating BDD in young people, followed by a joint presentation with Dr Sasha Walters on OCD and BDD in the context of Autism, and key adaptions to CBT treatment.
Alanah Bagwell, Mairéad Ruane and Zack Tucker, three young people with lived experience of OCD and BDD, discussing the difficulties of growing up with the conditions.
Jack Pridmore, an author, business consultant and CEO of The Accessful Foundation, a UK disability charity. Jack has lived experience of OCD from a young age and he wants to help you to take the pressure out of recovery!
Elias Marchetti, a 21 year old student with lived experience of OCD and BDD. Elias will be talking about how CBT changed his life.
Once we have received your form, we will send you instructions to buy your tickets.
What will the virtual conference look like?
We want the conference to capture the feeling of a physical event as much as possible, so we’ve created several virtual rooms for different types of sessions. We have a main stream for our keynote speakers, and then break-out channels for an BDD room, a OCD room, a family room, a support room, a community room and a youth room. Seamlessly switch between them as you like, and experience all each space has to offer without even having to leave your home!
Bursary Fund people on low incomes
We want to share our conference with as many people affected by OCD, BDD and BFRBs as possible. To help people who could find the cost of a ticket prohibiting, we have put together a bursary fund with Maternal OCD for 40 free tickets.
We are allocating these tickets on a first come, first serve basis.
If you have any questions about the bursary fund or application process, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at conference@ocdaction.org.uk or by calling OCD Action’s London office on 020 7253 5272.
F.E.A.R Collective explores Body Dysmorphia, Individual Sovereignty and Affliction
The event organisers of ‘What’s Going on in your Head?’ chose the theme of body image to coincide with MHAW and we had the fantastic Omari Eccleston-Brown representing the BDD Foundation with an interpretive dance and then discussion about his experience of BDD.
