Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and eating disorders are frequently confused with one another, and are sometimes assumed to be the same condition. However, they are in fact distinct disorders with important differences.
In this webinar, Dr Rob Willson explores how to differentiate between BDD and eating disorders, and why getting the diagnosis right matters.
The session covers:
Key similarities and differences between BDD and eating disorders
Common areas of diagnostic overlap and confusion
How each condition is maintained psychologically
Some of the key elements of psychological treatment for both conditions, and how they differ.
What clinicians, individuals, and families should be aware of
Drawing on his clinical knowledge and experience, Rob will provide clarity to help improve understanding, recovery, and support.
Meet the Speaker
Dr Rob Willson is a CBT therapist based in North London, with a special interest in BDD, OCD and Health Anxiety. He currently divides the majority of his work time between seeing patients, conducting research, writing and teaching. He is chair of the BDD Foundation. Rob has co-authored several books, including the bestselling ‘Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Dummies’ and ‘Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder’. His main clinical interests are anxiety and obsessional problems, and disseminating CBT principles through self-help. He has featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles and had made several TV and radio appearances.
This is a practical webinar with Professor David Veale, a leading expert in BDD and cognitive behavioural therapy, focusing on how to prepare for and engage in effective exposure and behavioural experiments in BDD treatment.
This session explores what distinguishes high quality, well designed exposure work, motivation to face your fears and how behavioural experiments can be used to test and challenge BDD beliefs. Professor Veale will draw on clinical experience and research to explain common pitfalls, best practice, and how to tailor interventions to the complexities of BDD.
Meet the Speaker
Professor David Veale is a Consultant Psychiatrist in Cognitive Behaviour Therapyat the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, where he directs a national specialist service for people with BDD & The Nightingale Hospital London in Marylebone. He is a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. He has co-authored a self-help book on Overcoming Body Image Problems including BDD and a treatment manual for BDD for professionals. He has been researching BDD for nearly 30 years and has published about 40 scientific and teaching articles in BDD. He was motivated to improve the care of people with BDD after the suicide of one of his in-patients with BDD in 1991. David is a long standing and highly valued Patron of the BDD Foundation.
We’re delighted to share that we are once again taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge – and this year, your support will help us towards delivering our 2026 BDD Conference.
From 2–9 December, every donation made to our campaign will be doubled, up to £4,500. That means your contribution will have twice the impact, helping us create a meaningful, inspiring, and accessible conference for our community.
Why Our Conferences Matter
BDD is a severe and often misunderstood mental health condition. Many people affected feel isolated, alone, ashamed, and struggle to access appropriate support. Our conferences play a vital role in breaking this cycle of isolation.
They offer:
A rare, safe space for connection and understanding
Evidence-based insights into treatment and recovery
Opportunities for families, professionals, and those with lived experience to learn together
A platform to reduce stigma and raise awareness of BDD
Feedback from our 2023 Conference
“What stood out to me was feeling the power and strength of people with lived experience of BDD coming together in one room.”
“The conference gave me hope and inspiration to carry on supporting my daughter positively. It really helped me to feel that I am not alone.”
“The knowledge that others have overcome and/or are able to manage their BDD is inspiring. It’s also very reassuring to know there is ongoing research into BDD, and the condition is being more widely recognised.”
Our Vision for 2026
With your help, we will deliver an in-person BDD Conference in 2026 with a focus on supporting those with lived experience. This includes:
Creating a safe, inclusive space for people affected by BDD
Delivering interactive workshops and support groups focused on practical recovery tools
Reducing isolation and stigma through shared experience and community building
Increasing understanding of BDD and its treatments
Supporting long-term recovery by equipping individuals with strategies rooted in real-life experience
Our community has told us that this conference is essential. And because running these events costs more than we can ever recoup through ticket sales, this funding ensures we can continue offering low-cost tickets to those who need them most.
One attendee captured the impact beautifully:
“I have been to dozens of medical conferences. This was, without doubt, the most fascinating and best organised I have ever been to. The quality of the lectures and the lecture hall and acoustics was amazing.”
Each year, we’re moved by the generosity and spirit of our community, and we hope you’ll stand with us once again.
If you can give, we are incredibly grateful. If you can’t, simply sharing the campaign link makes a real difference.
Thank you for helping us build hope, connection, and understanding within the BDD community.
“That article changed my life. I felt empowered by the information about BDD diagnosis and treatment. For the first time in almost 20 years, I had hope that my ugliness was more imagined than real.”
I remember starting to stare at myself in the mirror when I was 16 years old. Before then, I would spend most of my free time walking and reading outdoors, watching television, writing, or playing with my friends and pets. After I turned 16, I became increasingly critical of my appearance, especially my face. My eyes were too small and close together, my nose was too large, my forehead too short, and my chin too long.
I confessed to my mother how much I hated my appearance, especially my nose. I told her that I didn’t want to get married and have children, in case they ended up with my fat, ugly nose. Her response was to pay for plastic surgery (a rhinoplasty) to have my nose “corrected” by making it thinner. After the surgery, I was horrified by the facial swelling and black eyes. My mother had to cover all the mirrors in the house while my nose healed.
However, soon after the swelling went down, I realized I still hated my nose. My profile looked odd to me now. I never mentioned my displeasure with the results to my mother. She was pleased with my altered appearance and thinner nose. I now felt depressed and guilty that the surgery had left me feeling worse about myself and my appearance.
Self Diagnosis & Getting Treatment
After I turned 30, I decided to move from Boston to Boulder, Colorado, where my brother and best friend lived. Trail running and hiking in the Rocky Mountains helped to relieve the depression I often felt upon waking. My appearance still preoccupied me, so being outdoors definitely helped to relieve my symptoms for a while. If I could not look at my face, I didn’t obsess about my nose.
Then, one day while waiting in line at the grocery store, a magazine cover caught my attention. On the cover of the SHAPE Magazine (May, 1997) was a beautiful blond model in a bright blue bikini. As I scanned the headlines surrounding the model, I noticed an article titled, “Hate your looks? What it means when your mirror lies.” The title caught my attention because my friends, past boyfriends, and family members had always insisted I looked fine to them, which contradicted what the mirror told me.
Inside the magazine was an article by Liz Brody about Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). The article described the symptoms, possible causes, and treatment for the disorder. There was a five-item self-diagnosis questionnaire and a list of 10 common symptoms of the disorder. The information was taken from the seminal book by Dr. Katharine Phillips, The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder (Oxford University Press, 1996, 2005).
The article discussed effective treatments for BDD, including anti-depressants and therapy. Patients described feelings of shame and embarrassment that were incredibly familiar to me. I was also relieved to learn that people with the disorder were often considered to be quite attractive, even while believing they were ugly.
That article changed my life. I felt empowered by the information about BDD diagnosis and treatment. For the first time in almost 20 years, I had hope that my ugliness was more imagined than real. That article gave me the insight and knowledge I needed to diagnose myself with the disorder.
I was both relieved and dismayed by the possibility that what I saw in the mirror was not accurate. As an artist, I wanted to trust what my eyes were telling me. It took educating myself about the disorder to understand how my body image was being distorted by the BDD. The stigma regarding having a mental health condition was less important to me than the stigma and shame I felt regarding my perceived appearance defects. As a result, I referred myself for treatment.
The psychiatrist at the health maintenance organization (HMO) was not familiar with BDD so she diagnosed me with depression. She put me on Prozac, which is one of the medications that reduce symptoms of the disorder. I also entered therapy with a clinical psychologist at the HMO. The medication started to take effect after a few weeks, and my anxiety and preoccupation with my appearance slowly started to diminish.
After being on Prozac and in clinical treatment for two years, my symptoms improved. My anxiety about my ugliness dissipated and became manageable. I was no longer obsessed about my appearance. Over time, I was able to work with my psychiatrist to slowly decrease the dosage and stop taking Prozac. A counsellor I worked with in the following years taught me meditation and mindfulness techniques. My treatment also involved coming to terms with childhood fears about abandonment and loss of love.
Moving Beyond Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Now, 25 years after getting treatment, I consider myself to be recovered from the disorder. I no longer agonize about my appearance, and most of the time, I am at peace with how I look. I now enjoy my physical self, and appreciate what I can do with my body, rather than worrying about how it appears to others. I recognize that my feelings about my appearance originate inside me. That makes them manageable. My self-worth is no longer dependent upon how I look or the shape and size of my nose. I still don’t like my nose. That’s okay. I am not my nose.
I have moved from being a victim of this debilitating disorder to becoming an advocate for those seeking hope for recovery. You may contact me about my recovery from BDD at eva@recoveryfrombdd.com.
“If you can live with something so mentally crippling, that’s extreme strength – acknowledge it.”
This episode features Kim Booker, whose body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) first emerged when she was just five years old. Now the mum of a two-and-a-half-year-old, Kim is harnessing what she calls the BDD warrior within to raise awareness of the disorder while continuing with her own recovery. She shares great insights, particularly around the decision to become a parent and the complex impact of repeated cosmetic treatments.
You can download the transcript for this episode here:
We’re delighted to welcome three new trustees to the BDD Foundation Board. Each brings a wealth of experience, passion, and commitment to our mission of raising awareness, supporting those affected by BDD, and driving positive change. You can meet our new trustees and learn more about their backgrounds, expertise, and what inspired them to join the Foundation below.
Louisa Cottrell
Louisa is a partner and a business development director at investment management firm, Brown Advisory. She supports the growth of the private client and charity business in the UK, and oversees the international event and sponsorship strategy. She began her career at Brown Advisory in 2011 after graduating from the University of Exeter with a Bachelor of Arts in History and English Literature. She is a keen volunteer and has given her time to a number of charities including The BDD Foundation. Louisa has a strong personal connection to the BDDF through the long term support of a close friend with BDD.
Mike Pounsford
Mike is a strategic communication leader with over 30 years’ experience helping organisations engage people around change, purpose and culture. He is the author of Leading the Listening Organisation (2024) and has worked with global companies, charities and government bodies on inclusive communication and behaviour change. A former Samaritans volunteer and experienced facilitator, he co-facilitates the BDD Foundation’s Overcoming BDD Programme and is also a parent of an adult daughter with lived experience of BDD.
Holly Staunton
Holly brings over a decade of experience in the charity sector, focusing on mental health, social inclusion, and impact. Alongside her role as Operations Manager for a human rights charity, she advises values-led organisations on impact and strategy. Having lived experience of BDD since her teens, Holly is deeply committed to the Foundation’s mission. Before joining the board, she played a key role in shaping our mission, vision, and values, strengthening user voice, and developing our impact frameworks and reports. Guided by compassion and integrity, Holly is passionate about ensuring lived experience remains at the heart of all we do.
For the very first time, we are excited to announce our London Marathon team! We have a group of incredible individuals who are uniting to raise awareness, support, and vital funds for people affected by BDD. Each runner brings their own unique story, motivation, and connection to BDD, making this team not only inspiring but also really meaningful. We can’t wait to cheer them on every step of the way – and we hope you’ll join us in supporting their fundraising journeys!
Meet the Team ⬇️
Charlie Walker
“I’m not sure if I’m more excited or terrified to be running the London Marathon for the BDD Foundation – very few things in life could inspire me to run 26 miles, but this incredible charity is one of them. My first taste of running was signing up for a half marathon with a friend, completely forgetting until two days before, and then rocking up to the start line with zero training, a mild hangover, and a big ego thinking I’d be fine. I was then violently humbled – losing two toenails, 80% of the skin on my heels, and, most significantly, my dignity. I hobbled over the finish line, swore off running for life – yet here I am, dusting off my running shoes.
The BDD Foundation is a cause worth all the chafing. This phenomenal charity was my North Star when I was lost in the disorder a few years ago. Their online resources demystified available support, their conference connected me with experts who advocated for my treatment, and their weekly support group gave me a community that made me feel seen and hopeful. I’m eternally grateful for everything they do, and it’s a genuine honour to give back to a charity that has helped me so much (and yes, I promise I’ll actually train this time). See you on the start line!”
“I’m incredibly proud to be running the London Marathon in 2026 in support of The BDD Foundation. It’ll be my fifth marathon – but without question, the most meaningful.
Running the London Marathon has been a dream of mine for over a decade – one I shared with my sister Charlotte. We’d enter the ballot year after year, but never got in. In 2026, I’ll finally be on that start line – not alongside Charlotte, as we’d hoped, but in her memory. I’m running in honour of the BDD Foundation and to raise awareness of body dysmorphic disorder, which we now believe played a devastating role in Charlotte’s passing in December 2023.
I’m in the process of running 32 half marathons in 32 weeks for the charity in the lead up to the big day, so I hope I have some energy left in the tank by April! I can’t wait to give it my all.”
“I’m a professor of clinical psychology at Münster University in Germany, specialising in BDD. My journey into this field began during my graduate studies, when I conducted my master’s thesis on BDD under the supervision of Richard McNally at Harvard University and Sabine Wilhelm at Massachusetts General Hospital. What started as an academic project quickly became a lifelong passion to understand and support those affected. Today, my research focuses on the daily fluctuations of BDD symptoms and the factors linked to suicidal thoughts, aiming to improve prevention and treatment.
Running has always been a deeply personal part of my life. Since my first marathon in New York City in 2006, each race has been dedicated to a cause or a loved one. This year feels especially meaningful, as it will be the first time I’m running as part of a team – and not just any team, but Team BDDF. I’m incredibly proud to join this group of runners who share a common goal of raising awareness and support for those affected. Every mile represents compassion, perseverance, and hope for better understanding and care for those living with BDD. And if you’re at the marathon, look out for ‘magic snail’ – please cheer me on!”
“I was inspired to run for the BDD Foundation because of my own experience living with severe Body Dysmorphic Disorder. At its worst, BDD took over every aspect of my life, leaving me housebound, forcing me to drop out of education, and bringing me close to losing my life.
Thanks to the BDD Foundation and the exceptional clinicians at the Maudsley Hospital, I was able to recover. With the right support, my life was transformed – I went on to pursue a PhD, gain meaningful employment, and even stand as a Parliamentary candidate. That same determination and resilience now drives me through my marathon training, following the excellent plan set out by the London Marathon team.
Training is going well, and I’m steadily building my stamina ahead of race day. More than anything, I’m looking forward to standing on the start line alongside my fellow Team BDDF runners – taking in the atmosphere, feeling the unity, and being ready to take on the challenge together.
This charity has given me so much. Now, it’s my turn to give something back.”
Cosmetic procedures are often promoted as a quick route to confidence – but for people experiencing body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) or body image distress, they can sometimes worsen the insecurities they aim to fix.
In this webinar, clinical psychologist and researcher, Dr Toni Pikoos, explores the complex relationship between cosmetic procedures, beauty treatments and BDD. Drawing on clinical experience and current research, Toni will unpack why cosmetic interventions can feel so compelling, what happens when expectations aren’t met, and how practitioners and individuals can make safer, more informed choices.
Meet the Speaker
Dr Toni Pikoos is a clinical psychologist, postdoctoral researcher, and recognised authority on the psychology of cosmetic procedures and body image. Her research explores the motivations, expectations, and mental health outcomes of people seeking cosmetic treatments, helping to shape safer and more ethical practice. Toni contributed to Australia’s national practice standards for cosmetic procedures, introducing psychological screening to support safer, more ethical care. As Co-Founder of ReadyMind, she develops tools and training to help practitioners identify and support patients at risk of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). In her clinical work, she provides therapy for individuals experiencing BDD and appearance-related concerns.
We’re currently hiring to cover a member of staff for a 3 month period in April – July 2026
About the Role
Working alongside the Managing Director, you will play a key role in supporting the day to day running of the BDD Foundation. You will help support the smooth operation of charity projects, media campaigns, and collaborations, while supporting the delivery of the charity’s community engagement and outreach activities.
A key focus of this role will be managing and maintaining the charity’s digital presence, including social media channels, newsletters, and website updates. You will plan, create, edit, and share content that reflects the charity’s mission and values, moderate online communities in line with our Social Media Policy, and collate insights to continually improve engagement and reach. The role also includes oversight of the volunteer and fundraising inboxes, ensuring timely responses and smooth communication. In addition, you will provide support for fundraising initiatives, including preparing funding applications, exploring new funding opportunities, and working closely with the Manging Director to help drive the charity’s impact.
This is a meaningful and rewarding opportunity for someone who is organised, values driven and keen to contribute to positive change for people living with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
How to Apply
Please submit a CV and a personal statement (maximum 750 words) via CharityJob by 12pm midday on 3rd December 2025.
In your personal statement, please include:
Why you are interested in the role
Any connection you may have to BDD or passion for the cause
The skills and qualities you would bring
How your experience makes you suitable for this position
Interviews are due to take place on 11th and 12th December 2025
Please note: We are currently recruiting for two separate roles – Project Manager and Administrator. However, we welcome applicants who may wish to apply for both roles combined as a full-time position. These roles are usually carried out by one person, with a combined salary of up to £34,000. If you wish to apply for both roles, please complete only one application and clearly state at the top of your personal statement that you are applying for the full time combined role.
This role is open to UK based applicants only and subject to a DBS check.
We’re currently hiring to cover a member of staff for a 3 month period in April – July 2026
About the Role
Working alongside the Managing Director, you will play a key role in supporting the day to day running of the BDD Foundation while leading on key projects during this three month cover period. The primary focus of this role will be to oversee and manage the Overcoming BDD Programme (OBP), ensuring effective delivery, volunteer support and supervision, and a high quality, compassionate experience for all participants.
In addition to the Overcoming BDD Programme, you will provide project management support across other core initiatives, including the Schools Project, Conference planning, and any additional projects that form part of the charity’s priorities during this period. You will work collaboratively with the team to maintain operational efficiency, uphold the charity’s values, and contribute to activities that extend our impact and support the BDD community.
This role also involves HR responsibilities, including overseeing the full employee life cycle of staff and volunteers, reviewing and updating charity policies, and managing any people or volunteer related queries or concerns. Knowledge and understanding of HR processes is desirable, but not essential – this can be discussed at interview or offer stage should it not already be part of your skillset.
This is a meaningful and rewarding opportunity for someone who is organised, values driven and keen to contribute to positive change for people living with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
How to Apply
Please submit a CV and a personal statement (maximum 750 words) via CharityJob by 12pm midday on 3rd December 2025.
In your personal statement, please include:
Why you are interested in the role
Any connection you may have to BDD or passion for the cause
The skills and qualities you would bring
How your experience makes you suitable for this position
Interviews are due to take place on 11th and 12th December 2025
Please note: We are currently recruiting for two separate roles – Project Manager and Administrator. However, we welcome applicants who may wish to apply for both roles combined as a full-time position. These roles are usually carried out by one person, with a combined salary of up to £34,000. If you wish to apply for both roles, please complete only one application and clearly state at the top of your personal statement that you are applying for the full time combined role.
This role is open to UK based applicants only and subject to a DBS check.
