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The Humanians x BDD Foundation

We are proud to announce that the BDD Foundation is the charity partner of The Humanians.

The Humanians is a socially conscious NFT collection born on the Ethereum Blockchain led by the celebrated female artist Amber Day, creator of VISBII – bridging art and utility in the NFTverse, while bringing awareness to the growing mental health issue of Body Dysmorphia. Through their inclusive and supportive Web3 communities on Twitter and Discord, The Humanians celebrate everyone and anyone, free of prejudice and judgement.

The team behind Humania, Odd One Out Labs joined forces with Amber to make a real difference in the NFT space. Together they curate and collaborate relationships with organisations, people and communities, advocating for social change around mental health stigma especially focused on BDD.

The Humanians have partnered with The Be Well Collective and The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation as co-charity partners with the aim to make a difference in the real-world – serving as the bridge between social causes, communities, cultures, creatives and the Blockchain.

In case you didn’t know, Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are single one off cryptographic assets sitting on a blockchain with unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from one another. NFTs can represent real-world or digital assets like artwork, music even to things like real estate; “Tokenizing” these assets makes buying, selling, and trading them more efficient while reducing the probability of fraud as all transactions are fully transparent with the purchase agreements viewable and not editable via smart contracts on the blockchain.

The Humanians aims to help promote The BDD Foundation’s aim which is to relieve the suffering for people with BDD, while donating to the BDDF to advance research, treatments and awareness of the condition which is often under-diagnosed. The founders will also be video documenting the entire journey along the way.

Meet The Founders

The Humanians and the BDD Foundation will be working together closely to make a sustained difference built around the BDD Foundation’s three pillars of action which are Awareness, Information, and Support. The Humanians aim to be an advocate for change by tackling unrealistic body expectations perpetuated by social and modern media. As part of this support effort The Humanians have an in-house certified NHS Mental Health Nurse Ouma Cazaril who runs an interactive discussion every Tuesday / Wednesdays at 8-9pm GMT, and Saturday Mornings at 7-8am GMT, where she discusses tips on healthy coping mechanisms. You can attend this on The Humanians Discord Channel. 

Amber Day the artist for The Humanians has endured her own battles with body self image – which can be seen in her art style, where characters have exaggerated physical traits and quirky designs and proportions. “The idea of the human form has always fascinated me, and I believe the work I create is my way of exploring and seeing just how far I can push the boundaries of what society and ourselves deem as normal,” says Amber, adding that she is forever exploring her world of emotions, mental states, hardships, struggles, and the possibilities to live a more balanced life.

“As an abstract expression of humanity, The Humanians depict the human form in all of its glory and beauty: You are perfect no matter your size or proportion.” Says Amber.

Meet The Artist

Working to raise awareness The Humanians will also be raising funds for BDDF which is greatly needed – The BDD Foundation is the only charity in the world exclusively dedicated to raising awareness and alleviating the suffering caused by Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The BDDF runs on a very limited budget. They have a dedicated and diverse board of trustees consisting of leading clinicians and individuals with lived experience of BDD.

Together our aim is to spread positivity and support for our amazing community with tools and resources that promote active support and research.

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Research into the facial recognition of emotion in BDD

This study will explore the effects of face orientation, both right-side up and upside down, on emotion recognition for individuals with BDD.

The main benefit for research participants taking part in the current study is that further research exploring the potential impacts for emotion recognition for individuals with BDD may provide better insight into the overall function of BDD emotion recognition and potentially add to previous face-processing literature.

You are invited to participate in this research project because you are either diagnosed or self-diagnosed with BDD and over the age of 18 and not currently in therapy for BDD.

Your participation will involve completing an online Qualtrics questionnaire that will take less than 30 minutes of your time.
The quiz will ask you to input which emotion you believe is being presented by images of faces that are either right-side up or upside down.

To take part, follow this link

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Research study into the day to day factors that contribute severe appearance concerns

This study will explore the effects of face orientation, both right-side up and upside down, on emotion recognition for individuals with BDD.

Are you very CONCERNED with your appearance?

Do you often WORRY about your looks?

Do you CHECK your appearance many times a day?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, and if you are 18+ years old and live in the U.S., you may be eligible to participate in our smartphone research on severe body image concerns. This research is being conducted remotely (no in-person visits) by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

“My name is Julia and I am writing to you from Massachusetts General Hospital, where I work in our Body Dysmorphic Disorder Program. We are running a smartphone research study in which we are seeking to understand the day to day factors that contribute to negative thoughts, emotions and/or substance use in people with severe appearance concerns.

We are looking for adults (18+) with severe appearance concerns in the United States who might be interested in participating.  The study is fully remote, with no in-person visits, and participants are compensated for their involvement.”

If you are interested in participating or learning more, please visit our website https://mghocd.org/bddphonestudy/ . Fill out the brief survey at the bottom of the site, and if it looks like you may be a good fit, someone from our research team will be in touch!

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Artwork shining a light on a little known condition – Skin Picking

Evie has channelled her experience of skin picking (also known as dermatillomania) into her artwork creating posters to raise awareness and understanding of this little known condition.

“For one of my final year university projects, I decided to base it around a subject close to my heart – Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I created these two posters in the hopes of shedding light on something that has truly affected my life for many years – skin picking. Growing up, I never knew it was part of a disorder to get help for as I had never seen or heard anyone talk up about it. It was almost pushed under the carpet. I felt ashamed and embarrassed at what I was doing yet I couldn’t stop and never understood why.

Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have parents who were understanding when I opened up to them about it five years ago and they have supported me ever since. However, I have become increasingly aware that there are many others out there who pick their skin and struggle alone because they think it is something to be embarrassed about. But I am here to tell them it’s not. I used a 3D print of my face as a canvas to display skin picking. At first I was scared about doing this because only my close friends and family know about it, but I am sick of hiding and want to be able to try and squash the stigma around it so that others don’t feel so alone the way I did growing up. There is a QR code that takes anyone who sees the posters to the best source of information (the BDD Foundation) to either read about and educate themselves on BDD or to find the best help if they are struggling.

My goal is to get the posters out in as many places as possible to help others like me and be a part of raising awareness for Body Dysmorphic Disorder!” – Evie Horrell

skin-picking-final-2Download
skin-picking-final-3Download

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Life Drawing marathon fundraiser

This study will explore the effects of face orientation, both right-side up and upside down, on emotion recognition for individuals with BDD.

Vilidian organized ‘Beyond Form’, a life-drawing marathon that consisted of 21 art models posing for artists all around the world for over 6 hours.

What a fantastic & creative way to celebrate the diversity of the human form whilst appreciating the nuanced interpretation of the beholder.

You can find the artworks following the hashtag #beyondform or visiting Vilidian’s profile: @vilidian_artmodel where you can see the names of all the participant models.

Here are some examples of the fantastic artwork produced:

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Call out for volunteers!

This study will explore the effects of face orientation, both right-side up and upside down, on emotion recognition for individuals with BDD.

We have successfully run four iterations of Overcoming BDD Programme, where self-guided Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (CBT-BDD) was delivered in a peer support group context.

Outcomes from the groups have been very positive, with participants experiencing both a decrease in scores on the Appearance Anxiety Inventory as well as an improved overall quality of life. For the next iterations, we are looking at increasing our volunteer base so that we can run even more of these groups. 

We are looking for 4 volunteers to co-facilitate the online sessions. The time commitment would be ~2 hours per week, for ~5 months (October 2022 – March 2023), plus up to 2 training session before the role commences. There will also be an opportunity to shadow facilitation in our cycle taking place May 2022 – October 2022). 

We invite applications from people with lived-experience of BDD, as well as people who have trained in the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, who have skills in group facilitation or peer-support.

How to apply:
Please submit your CV and a personal statement which highlights the following:
•    Your (direct/indirect) experience with BDD
•    Why you would like to apply for this position 
•    Your relevant experience (either as an expert-by-experience, an expert-by-training or both)
•    What relevant skills and qualities you have

Please submit your CV and personal statement to hannah@bddfoundation.org no later than 5pm 21st March 2022.

Sponsored by the National Lottery Community Fund.

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Kitty shares experience of BDD with the Guardian

Kitty is the Head of Operations for the BDD Foundation and she shared her experiences of BDD with Annie Kelly from the Guardian.

Kitty describes that finding the BDD website and reading the list of symptoms was “like someone had crawled inside my brain and written down everything they could find. The idea that what I had was a condition, that it wasn’t my fault, was like a huge weight disappearing from my shoulders. For years, I’d blamed myself for everything.”

After discovering what BDD was and seeking help, she began treatment with a CBT specialist for BDD.


“At the beginning, going into treatment was really tough but soon I was having these huge moments. I clipped my fringe back off my face for the first time and was able to walk down the street without believing that everyone was staring at me,” she says. “It was a slow release from the grip that BDD had held over me since childhood.”

After a BDD relapse in her late 20s she decided she wanted to get involved in helping others and made contact with the Foundation again.


‘In her job now, as the BDDF’s head of operations, Wallace is constantly in contact with people who have BDD and sees her story reflected in their struggles. “For me, it was an overwhelming belief that there was something wrong with the very core of who I was, inside and out, and that is really isolating,” she says. “At the BDDF, a lot of our work is trying to show people that they’re not alone and it’s not their fault.”

Read the full article

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Beating BDD Podcast #24 – Simon Antony

“In the last five years, I don’t remember a day that BDD has stopped me from doing something.”

Simon describes how the brutal bullying he suffered at school set him on a long journey with BDD, which culminated in a transformative stay in psychiatric hospital and writing a book about his experiences.


You can download the transcript for this episode here:

Simon-Antony-show-notesDownload

Monki x BDD Foundation

This study will explore the effects of face orientation, both right-side up and upside down, on emotion recognition for individuals with BDD.

We’re teaming up with Monki to raise awareness of Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

They are supporting our petition directed at the EU Parliament calling for transparency on altered images on social media. We believe organisations, companies, and influencers should be legally required to state when images have been manipulated for paid content online.

BDD is largely overlooked and undiagnosed and it can seriously affect a person’s daily life, including work, education, social life and relationships. As a result, social anxiety, isolation and depression are very common in BDD. This is why we think it’s important that the condition receives more awareness to be able to give more information and support to the ones who need it. We know that the highest rates of BDD are seen in adolescent girls (5.6%) and the proliferation of unrealistic images being viewed by this age group is causing harm.

By signing the petition, you’re advocating for change and helping raise awareness. We see a petition calling for transparency on altered images online as vital to transparency of online representation. Your signature is crucial in driving change and making an impact.

Sign the petition now!

Spread the word by using the Monki filter!

Monki collaborated with amazing female AR artists to launch a set of purpose-driven filters that help spread the word about the petition and BDD as a condition.

Both Monki and BDD Foundation believe that these filters play a part in raising awareness on the danger of comparing ourselves with altered/unrealistic images.  The filters are not beauty filters and they do not portray an unrealistic beauty standard. Instead, they are fun and creative whilst promoting a positive message and supporting an important cause.

We hope that everyone using the filters will help promote an unfiltered/unretouched reality and be part of advocating for transparency in social media.

So please go ahead, download the filters, and join our movement for more transparency online.

Download the filters!

Why has the BDD Foundation decided to collaborate with Monki?

We see Monki as an ideal fit for a collaboration with the BDD Foundation.  As a brand, they have long-standing ethical policies around their marketing. They strive to challenge beauty norms in their casting from ethnicity to body shape and size and have championed a pioneering #NoFilter campaign. They do not airbrush out features such as stretch marks, body hair, birthmarks etc. Their body positive attitude, inclusivity and continued dedication to the cause signifies that Monki is a brand that genuinely cares about the wellbeing of their community and the BDD Foundation is proud to partner with them.

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Research study into the role of Architecture on BDD

This study will explore the effects of face orientation, both right-side up and upside down, on emotion recognition for individuals with BDD.

Luke Thomas is looking at the human impact of BDD through an anonymous questionnaire. He will then explore the experience of BDD through art and other abstract spatial methods. His aim is to design and create outputs that challenge people’s understanding of BDD and hopefully raise awareness.

If you would like to participate you can follow this link.

Or you can contact Luke directly: luke.thomas-4@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

You can follow his design process via his instagram profile: @bdd_in_architecture

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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