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Calling all Creatives! BDD Foundation x Tilted East

Design Opportunity: Heart on Your Sleeve

At the BDD Foundation and Tilted East, we have a shared ethos and belief in the power of creativity for healing and connection. We’ve teamed up on the project ‘Heart on Your Sleeve’ to offer an opportunity to showcase your design on a limited edition Tilted East t- shirt (pre-order available from end of March).

How it works

Using the given prompts for inspiration, design your artwork to represent your experience of living with BDD, the journey you’ve endured or personal growth through recovery. This piece is totally unique to you and your individual experience. We want to give voice to your experience through creativity and design.

Prompts

  • Create an image that represents your emotional state during a particularly challenging time with BDD.
  • Design an illustration that shows the internal struggle you have when dealing with BDD.
  • Create a series of abstract patterns that represent the highs and lows of living with BDD.
  • Create a piece of art that represents the journey you took to overcome your BDD.
  • Design an image that represents the sense of relief you feel after seeking professional help for your BDD.
  • Create an abstract interpretation of the physical symptoms you experience living with BDD.
  • Design an image that represents the positive impact self-care practices have on your mental health.
  • Make a mixed media piece that shows the duality of living with a mental health condition, with positive and negative aspects.
  • Create an image of how social media has affected you and your BDD.
  • What does a day in the life look like for you, as someone who has BDD?
  • Have you been diagnosed with a mental health condition that you feel ashamed about? How does that make you feel? What does that look like to you on paper?
  • Is there something really obscure that has an ongoing impact on your mental health? Maybe something that someone has said to you?
  • Is there a particular technique you have learnt that is really helping you with managing your BDD? What is it and how does the technique itself or the feeling you get from it look to you?

Featured design

One chosen design will be featured on a limited edition BDDF x Tilted East t-shirt. As part of this process, the chosen design will go to sale on the Tilted East website with 50% of profits going towards the BDD Foundation. The designer will collaborate with Tilted East from submission, through to manufacturing and printing stage giving the opportunity to learn more about this process. Please note, some minor tweaks may be made to the design so that it’s ready for manufacture.

But it doesn’t end there…this is about sharing stories. Every design, regardless of being on a t-shirt, will be showcased on both BBDF website & Tilted East social media, sharing the full collection of all submissions. Everyone is a valuable contributor and each submission takes us closer to improved understanding of BDD and sharing stories of mental health.

Narrative

Alongside your design submission, please share a few words on the inspiration behind your design, your experience or anything you are doing to help with what you are experiencing. This is to help create a proactive culture towards healing. Your description will feature alongside your design.

Community, not competition

This isn’t so much about winning or losing. We want to celebrate the wonderful creatives amongst the BDD community and collaborate with a like-minded clothing brand, Tilted East. Come together with fellow creatives to showcase the unique experiences of living with BDD through art.

How to enter

  • Please submit your design through this link.
  • Deadline for submissions is 17th March 2024.

Any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a chat on info@bddfoundation.org or shop@tiltedeast.com

SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN

Shame: Stories About Things We Hide

“I have a brain that distorts reality. That tells me things are very wrong when actually they’re not. That tells me my appearance, my face, my skin are very wrong when actually they are not.”

Mike Lambert, writer, comedian and story teller based in California, recently shared his story of BDD, and journey to developing self-acceptance at Story Collider’s live podcast event.

He describes the experience of BDD as ‘hard cold fact, it presents as reality and certainty, the monster you see in the mirror is you’.

As a writer and comedian, he provides such a genuine and relatable exploration of the challenges faced by individuals dealing with BDD in a way that engages even those who don’t suffer with the condition. Mike approaches the telling of his story with humour and authenticity. For those with BDD, his shared experience will be comforting and relatable.

‘I became more and more obsessed with finding the exact right pair of glasses, I was looking for the pair that would make me whole, and healed and fixed’.

Listen to the full podcast

Research Participants Needed – Plymouth University

Are you a parent or carer of a young person with BDD?

Participate in a research study to better understand the experience of parents and carers to those living with BDD. Lucy de Garis, a Master’s student in Psychology at the University of Plymouth is seeking participants to contribute to BDD research.

Participation will involve online interviews with 6-10 parents/ carers. Interviews will last 60-90 minutes.

To find out more or take part, contact lucy.degaris@postgrad.plymouth.ac.uk

2024 Community Fundraisers

Is 2024 the year you take on a fundraising challenge?⁠

Get Involved

We are looking for community fundraisers to support us in funding vital resources for individuals struggling with BDD and help us continue to raise awareness.⁠ Last year, individuals ran half-marathons, completed Iron Man challenges, trekked some huge mileage, sold at car boot sales, took part in sponsored wax-a-thons, delivered art exhibition events and hosted bake sales, all in the name of helping those with BDD.⁠
⁠
It really can be any kind of event or challenge!⁠

Get in Touch

If you’d like to contribute to the BDD Foundation in this way, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to discuss your idea and we can support you through the process of fundraising for us.

fundraising@bddfoundation.org

Yahoo Life UK Reports on Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Professor David Veale and Kitty Wallace share their thoughts and insights with Yahoo Life UK

Yahoo Life sheds light on Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), providing valuable insights into the condition. The article comprehensively covers what BDD is, its symptoms, underlying causes, and available treatments.

Crucially, the article dispels misconceptions surrounding BDD, emphasising that it is not merely a matter of vanity but a serious mental health disorder causing significant distress. By addressing these misconceptions, the article contributes to a better understanding of BDD and improves understanding for those grappling with the disorder.

Read the Full Article

E-Helpline Volunteers Needed!

Come and join us! We are looking for new volunteers to support our E-Helpline service. This is a really rewarding role, with the opportunity to make a difference and provide crucial advice, support and guidance to those suffering with BDD.

The E-Helpline

The BDD Foundation’s email support service is for anyone affected by BDD, or anyone who is concerned that they, their friends or family may have BDD or a related disorder. The service carefully reads through concerns and questions and aims to reply with high quality and accessible information about BDD and the recommended treatments. Where appropriate volunteers will also direct individuals to other sources of support for BDD, or signpost to support for other conditions and other issues. More information can be found here.

The role of Volunteer

The key tasks carried about by volunteers include:

  • Responding to questions and concerns of individuals that email the service
  • Offering a compassionate, understanding and safe online space for those struggling
  • Identifying other sources of support both within and outside of the charity
  • Working within the policies set by the BDD Foundation
  • Attendance of ongoing training and development sessions

Skills and Qualities

For this role, it’s important to have a good understanding of BDD and the impact it has. We look for individuals with a non-judgmental attitude, empathy and understanding, and strong written communication skills. Since the role operates remotely, we are also looking for individuals with a good level of IT literacy and confidence using a web based email system.

Training and induction will be provided. We require a minimum commitment of 2.5 hours per week on a rota basis.

How to Apply

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

For any questions about the role, please contact christian@bddfoundation.org

BDD-Foundation-General-Volunteers-FormDownload

Applications will be reviewed and responded to by mid -February 2024

Please note – due to insurance reasons, this opportunity is open to those aged 18+, based in the UK and is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Channel 4 Documentary ‘Obsessed with My Muscles’ – Untold Stories

Miles Nazaire investigates Muscle Dysmorphia, also known as Bigorexia. He shares his own story and speaks to experts calling for increased awareness of the condition.

Channel 4 Untold speak out on Muscle Dysmorphia. The documentary featuring Miles Nazaire, follows his journey in understanding more about the condition and how it manifests, realising this is something he is suffering with and committing to continuing to raise awareness of Muscle Dysmorphia.

Miles discusses treatment options with our trustee Dr. Amita Jassi, the criteria for diagnosis and dangers of the condition with Chairman Dr. Rob Willson, and learns from the lived experience story of our ambassador George Mycock.

Check out the full video on All 4 catch up. Well worth the watch!

Research Participants Needed – Swinburne University

The purpose of this study is to survey everyday thinking skills in people with body dysmorphic symptoms.

The Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences at Swinburne University is conducting an important survey for those with symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, regarding their everyday thinking experiences. They are keen to hear about individuals’ with BDD everyday experience of thinking skills such as memory, attention, decision-making and planning, and would really appreciate you taking this survey. It could be used to help design new cognitive treatments for BDD.

Participation is online, open to any adults who may have symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder and English-language proficiency and will take between 15 to 25 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary. Click on the link below to participate.

Take part here!

Welcome Introduction

Welcome Introduction with Dr Rob Willson

More stories from the community

Visual Processing and Distorted Perceptions in BDD

with Dr Jamie Feusner

People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) misperceive that parts of their appearance are flawed and unattractive. Our brain imaging studies, and previous psychological studies, suggested abnormalities in how people with BDD process what they see. This could lead to distortions in how they view their appearance. Recently, we have made exciting discoveries using various techniques that suggest we can potentially change the way the brain perceives things in people with BDD. This could be a crucial step in helping people see themselves more accurately. This talk will take you through a journey from the early research into these differences to ongoing efforts to test methods that might one day become part of treatments for individuals with BDD.

Dr. Jamie Feusner is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Director of the Brain, Body, and Perception Research Program. His research focuses on perceptual and emotional processing in conditions related to body image and obsessions/compulsions, including body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Dr. Feusner is renowned for his pioneering functional brain imaging studies in BDD, uncovering key insights into its neurobiology, including the discovery of visual perceptual abnormalities related to appearance distortions. He is currently developing and testing innovative interventions and their mechanisms to address imbalances in global and local visual processing that underlie distorted self-perception in BDD and body image disorders. Additionally, he has created digital tools for assessing appearance distortions and body dissatisfaction. With two decades of clinical expertise, Dr. Feusner also provides psychiatric care to people with BDD.

More stories from the community

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