The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder

"I have just received this book and CANNOT put it down. I have done a lot fo reasearch into the condition that this books refers to: BDD and this is definately one of the best. Dr. Philips writes so compassionately about sufferers and gives insight into all the variations such as muscle dysmorphia (which I think my brother is definately suffering from) and gives a full list on how you can diagnose this condition. Although I think this condition is a little over self-diagnosed what with celebraties thinking they have it, I did find the list in this book helpful and made me really think about how my brothers personality is actually all to do with this condition.

I think this book would help anyone- someone wanting to understand which is why i bought it, or even a sufferer themselves. I think the hardest part about having BDD is actually acknowledging that you have it.

Thank you Dr. Philips for writing this incredible book. "
~ Written on 2008-05-07

"Being diagnosed is the first step to getting better from any disorder- reading on the internet and reading books like this allow you to understand your diagnosis better and start to be healed. As a BDD sufferer myself I was very interested to read up about the disorder and found this book very helpful. I am not a complete loony- I have an illness that is understood and treatable. This book left no questions unanswered- it is the best self help book I have read and did not confuse with long scientific jargon. It inspired and helped me to write my memoir about suffering BDD 'Suicide Junkie' that is also available from Amazon. Read these two books if you are a sufferer or are trying to understand a sufferer better- they are invaluable."
~ Written on 2007-02-04

"BDD is such a bizarre disorder and affects people in so many different ways that it can not be adequately summed up in a few paragraphs.
As a sufferer, just reading this book helped me to recognise that BDD was behind many of my own behaviours and that the shame of being obsessed with something so 'trivial' is shared by many. BDD sufferers are not vain and many would just like to consider themselves normal. The treatments covered in this book have helped me to lead a normal life."
~ Written on 2002-11-02

"To some extent we are are concerned about some aspect(s) of our appearance but BDD develops when that concern becomes an obsessive preoccupation. The suffering and torment can range from mild to severe. At the extreme, to turn your attention inward against yourself in such a negative fashion, can lead to very serious consequences which should never be ignored. BDD is a hidden disorder, often misdiagnosed because the real problem is invariably not presented to medical professionals due to guilt or the fear of misunderstanding, but associated problems such as anxiety, depression and social dysfunction are usually treated. However, treatments tend to be ineffective because all these conditions are underpinned by BDD which, as a core belief, needs to be targeted before the attachments can be tackled.

The good news is that, however serious the problem, BDD is treatable and improvement is possible. A combination of medication, usually SSRI anti-depressants, and psychological treatment, cognitive behaviour therapy, can chip away at those entrenched beliefs. Progress, however slow, is still progress and worth pursuing.

For the BDD sufferer, this book is a godsend. You come to realise that you are not alone, you are not mad and that there is a reason for your seemingly peculiar thoughts and behaviours. In the UK alone, it is thought there are about 400,000 sufferers. Read this book by Dr Katherine Phillips who has carried out extensive research into the disorder and is its most authoriative expert. The knowledge the book imparts is the first prerequisite on the road to recovery. This book could save your life no less."
~ Written on 2001-10-13