How is BDD Treated?

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This is last blog and we want to acknowledge everyone on how to overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder! It is important that the patients to follow the advice of the experts, take the medication if prescribed and follow through with all the therapy offered to. It’s also helpful to get family and friends whom you trust involved in helping you achieve your goals. There are also specialist counsellors who can help the BDD patients for over the longer-term.

 The process of BDD’s treatment will involve patients being asked questions by a psychologist, covering areas like any compulsions, obsessions or disappointing feelings they have over their body image or appearance and about their overall emotional state.

The questions will be asked like ‘do you have any excessive grooming habits’, ‘avoidance tactics you might use in relation to social situations’ and ‘what is your overall perception about how you feel about yourself as a person from a physical perspective’?

Treatment for patients who are suffering from BDD might initially come in the form of anti-depressant medication. And the most effective treatment is called cognitive behaviour therapy or psychotherapy to get to the root of the problem. During these ‘talk therapy’ sessions, patients will be taught how to channel their negative thoughts about their image and how to replace them with positive ones.

Furthermore, the BDD patients often are asked to carry out certain behavioural assignments with the aim of enabling them to break patterns of negative behaviour. For instance, they might be encouraged and taught how to reduce the number of times they look in the mirror each day to start with. And then, their perceptions will become less distorted. They will be given help in learning how to feel more comfortable in social settings and around other people, without feeling so self-conscious.

Both therapy and medication-based treatment chooses are used to help those with BDD patients.  These treatments are aimed to improve quality of life and overall day-to-day functioning of those with BDD, while also reducing the distress associated with appearance concerns and compulsive behaviors that are also commonly seen in BDD.

What is Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)?

It has been shown to be helpful in treating BDD symptoms both in individual therapy or group therapy. It is a form of talking therapy that aims to identify connections between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and help you to develop practical skills to manage them. CBT can be delivered one-to-one or in a group. It is the only type of psychological treatment for BDD that is supported by research. Another CBT technique that is extremely valuable is called “Cognitive Restructuring”, in which clients learn to challenge the validity of their distorted body-related thoughts.

CBT is aim to address the key features of BDD to make the patients feel less distressed about your body:

• It can improve the general attitude to body image and physical appearance
• Talking concerns about patients’ perceived physical flaws
• It can reduce the need to carry out unhelpful behaviours

A type of medication called serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) is the first-line medication for treating BDD. These medications are antidepressants and can help reduce obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours (symptoms of BDD).

I hope everyone can takeaway some useful information about the treatment for BDD!

How physical activity and exercise can improve your BDD?

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We all know that regular exercise is good for our body. And exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve our mental health. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better and boosts overall mood. Evidence indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better.

How much exercise should I be doing?

We are recommended that adults should aim to be active daily and complete 2.5 hours of moderate intensity activity for a week (30 minutes for 5 times a week). It may sound like a lot, but it isn’t as intimidating as it first appears. We will help you to get started!

How should I get started?

 You can start by going on a walk, doing housework and gardening. These all are physical activities. Also, you can invite your friends to exercise together. Social support is a great motivator. Sharing your experiences, goals and achievements will help you to keep focus and enthusiasm.

Integrate it as a part of daily life

 You can adopt a more active lifestyle by simply doing daily tasks more energetically or making small changes to your routine like walking up of stairs instead of taking elevator, doing housework, quick walking and walking the dog.

Overcoming barriers

It can be a bit difficult to make changes to your life and most people get worried about trying something new. Some common barriers, such as cost, injury or illness, lack of energy, fear of failure, or even the weather can hinder people from getting started! Practical and emotional support from friends, family and experts really does help!

Body image can be a barrier to do physical activity. People who are worried about how their body will look to others while they are exercising may avoid exercise as a result. Exercising with a companion can also help to reduce anxiety about how your body looks to others and may be particularly helpful during the first few exercise sessions. The environment can also influence how you feel; gyms with mirrored walls tend to heighten anxiety, as does exercising near a window or other space where you might feel ‘on show’.

Image from whyiexercise.com

6 benefits of exercises:

1. Reduce stress

One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief. Working up a sweat can help manage physical and mental stress. Get sweaty – exercising can reduce stress and enhance our body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension. It’s win-win!

2. Boost happy chemicals

Exercise can release endorphins that create feelings of happiness and euphoria. Studies have shown that exercise can even alleviate symptoms among the clinically depressed. In some cases, exercise can be just as effective as antidepressant pills in treating depression. Getting a happy buzz from working out for just 30 minutes a few times a week can instantly boost overall mood.

3. Improve self-confidence

Physical fitness can boost self-esteem and improve positive self-image. Exercise can quickly elevate a person’s perception of our attractiveness. It is self-worth! For an extra boost of self-love, take that workout outside!

4. Enjoy the great outdoors.

Find an outdoor workout that fits your style, whether it’s rock-climbing, hiking, renting a canoe or just jobbing in the park. Also, all the Vitamin D acquired from soaking up the sun (Remember to wear sunscreen!) can reduce the likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms. You can just book a spa day when there is a little fresh air and sunshine. And exercise can work wonders for happiness and self-confidence!

5. Increase relaxation

A moderate workout can be the equivalent of a sleeping pill. Doing physical activity for 5-6 hours before bedtime can raise the body’s core temperature. When the body temp drops back to normal a few hours later, it indicates the body that it’s time to sleep.

How diet can improve BDD?

 

Having good diet can help give us:

• More energy
• Positive feelings
• Clear thinking
• Calmer moods

How should I eat?

Breakfast

Remember to incorporate a healthy breakfast into your routine. If you are tight on time in the mornings, take a whole grain granola bar, yogurt and a piece of fruit to get you off to a good start.

Lunch and Dinner

Eat a diet that relies on fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish and unsaturated fats like olive oil. People who follow this kind of diet are up to 30% less likely to develop depression than people who eat lots of meat and dairy products.

Having a good diet is important in our daily Here are some useful tips on how to eat healthy and keep ourselves feeling good as well as to help with mental health problems if you are dealing with:

Be mindful when you are eating

Have a clear concept of what we eat. It can probably help us to eat healthier. For instance, people tend to eat too much when they are watching TV and sitting in one spot. Try to practice mindfulness and be aware of what we are eating has its own benefits. Track the reasons why you select particular foods and at particular times with some tools like the mood monitor.

Sleep More

It is important to get enough sleep. The foods like spinach, bananas, cherries almonds and fish can help us to sleep better. Eat our main meal 2-3 hours before going to sleep. If you feel starving, the best bedtime snack is to grab a piece of fruit or a glass of milk.

Fish Fish Fish

Long chain omega-3 fatty acids are really good for our mental health. We can contain them in oily fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, perch, herrings and sardines. Eat oily fish for 2 to 3 meals a week can provide us enough omega-3. We can also eat white fish, snapper, haddock and bass.

Swapping Healthy food

Try swapping white breads for whole meal or wholegrain breads, frying pan for the grill, salted nuts for unsalted nuts. Just try thinking of healthy food swaps.

Stay away from alcohol

Alcohol is a sedative. Although it can help you to feel good for a while, it cam make you feel terrible. Especially when you are taking antidepressant medication, alcohol affects how effectiveness of their work.

Go easier on yourself

Think of “change” won’t happen overnight. Be optimistic to try taking small steps to improve your diet, making changes and practicing positive self-talk. Knowing that changes can be easy and be hard sometimes. Eventually, we will be naturally able to develop healthy eating habits.

References:

Miller, K. 2015, ‘Can What You Eat Affect Your Mental Health?’, WebMD, viewed 21 October, 2016, <http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20150820/food-mental-health&gt;

Moser, C. 2012,’How Diet and Nutrition Affect Mental HealthYouth’, Young Adults, & Mental Health, vol.26, no.1, pp. 15-17

 

Healthy Diet and Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Source:http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/diet-mental-health_n_6566376

Recent evidence has suggested good nutrition is vital for our mental health and there is a number of mental health conditions can be influenced by dietary factors. One of the most significant factors that develop the major trends in mental health is the role of nutrition. There is rapidly growing rate for the body of evidence linking diet and mental health. For both its impact on long and shot-term mental health, it indicates that food and nutrition have played an important role in developing, managing and preventing particular mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, BDD, ADD and Alzheimer’s disease.

Nearly 66% of those who don’t repot daily mental health problems eat fresh food and fruit juice every day. For those who are reported to have some level of mental health problem often eat less healthy food like fresh vegetables, fruit, organic foods and meals made from scratch. They tend to eat more unhealthy foods like fast food, chips, chocolate and takeaways. Therefore, a balanced mood and feelings of wellbeing can be preserved by assuring that our diet has sufficient amounts of mixed carbohydrates, essentials fats, vitamins, minerals and water. While a healthy diet can help to recovery the mental problem, it should also receive suitable treatments recommended by the doctors and therapists.

What should I eat?

Here are some foods and mind body boosting nutrients to improve our Mental Health:

 Folate (Folic Acid, Vitamin B9)

• Increase intake of folate is associated with a lower risk of depression
• Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, fruits, nuts, beans and whole grains contain high amounts of folate or folic acid

Vitamin D

• Rates of depression are higher in people with Vitamin D deficiency compared to people who have adequate levels of vitamin D
• Fatty fish like salmon and tuna have the most naturally having Vitamin D
• Vitamin D have added in foods like milk, orange juice and breakfast cereals
• 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure 2 times a week can produce enough Vitamin D (If you have lights-skinned, you require less time than those with darker skin)

 Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Omega-3s is helpful in treating depression and having a mood-stabilising effect
• Foods like walnuts, flax , olive oil, fresh basil and dark green leafy vegetables have rich omega-3

Lean Protein

• The foods we eat into our stomach can be used to produce neurotransmitters and other chemicals, allowing different parts of our nervous system to effectively function and communicate with each other
• Lean protein can be found in fish, turkey, chicken, eggs and beans that helps keeping serotonin levels balanced
• The complex carbohydrates are very important that they can enable facilitating the entry of tryptophan into our brain, decreasing the symptoms of anxiety and depression to improve overall cognitive functioning

Yogurt with Active Cultures

Yogurt with active cultures, kefir, kimchi, tempeh and certain pickled vegetables have healthy bacteria that can reduce anxiety and stress hormones

References:

Gregoire, C. 2015, ‘Diet May Be As Important To Mental Health As It Is To Physical Health’, The Huffington Post, viewed 17 October 2016,<http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/diet-mental-health_n_6566376&gt;

Williamsreports, H. 2009, ‘How to beat depression with the right diet’, Independent, viewed 17 October 2016 <http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/how-to-beat-depression-with-the-right-diet-1817675.html&gt;