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Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
In a world obsessed with appearances, it is not surprising that body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD, has manifested itself as a troubling and relatively common problem for many individuals. In The Broken Mirror, the first andmost definitive book on BDD, Dr. Katharine Phillips draws on years of clinical practice, scientific research, and professional evaluations of over 700 patients to bring readers her expertise and experience with this often debilitating illness. BDD causes sufferers to be obsessed by perceived flaws in their appearance and may afflict as much as two percent of the population, or nearly five million people. Many sufferers are able to function well in society, but remain secretly obsessed by their "hideous acne" or "horrible nose," sneaking constant peeks at a pocket mirror, or spending hours at a time redoing makeup. Others find their lives disintegrate because of their appearance obsessions. It is not an uncommon disorder, simply a hidden one, since sufferers are often embarrassed to tell even their closest friends about their concerns. The author presents the stories and interviews of over 200 individuals to show the many different behaviors and symptoms of BDD, and includes a quick self-assessment questionnaire. Four new chapters provide updated information on treatment of BDD, frequently obtained treatments to be avoided, and more detailed advice for family members and friends on how to cope with the disorder. Left untreated, the torment of BDD can lead to psychiatric hospitalization and sometimes suicide. With treatment, many sufferers are able to lead normal lives. The Broken Mirror is literally a lifesaving handbook for sufferers, their families, and their doctors.
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| THE ANSWER... |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I purchased this book 12 yrs. ago when it was first published, and was moved to tears many times while reading it. That copy was read and reread so many times, that I had to purchase another. I am a parent of a BDD sufferer (gender withheld), and have suffered with that family member as the BDD took hold in mid-teens (always thought it was a passing phase then), and for the many years that followed. Dr. Phillips has written a compassionate and understanding book on a subject that had never been brought into the light of today's society. Reading it makes me realize how many others out there suffer as our now middle-aged child has suffered through all these years. Dr. Phillips gives sound advice to those who are spouses, parents, children or friends who are related or connected to a BDD victim. This book offers hope and guidance...a must read for any BDD sufferer and for those who--like me--suffer along with them.
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| Invaluable resource for a full understanding of BDD |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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Katharine has provided a most comprehensive resource of body dysmorphic disorder. As a health care practitioner, I found the numerous case studies and anecdotes exceptionally detailed and provided insightful background into the suffering that is BDD. As humans, we all have concerns about body image from time to time, however this book clearly delineates acceptable levels of personal attention with dysfunctional and often debilatating behaviour. I was dissapointed to find the treatment section quite heavily focused on pharmaceutical medications, though there is also strong recommendation for supportive psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy. I feel this book is intended for health practitioners and non-sufferers to gain a thorough insight into BDD.
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| Finally a book that sums up how to work with BDD patients |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The book was just what I was after. It provided a good theoretical and psychological basis as well as what evidence based treatments that were effective in this population. It also provided great chapters on effective forms of medication to use, how to conduct an assessment and case studies. Definite recommendation if working with BDD patients.
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| A complete introduction to BDD. Compassionate, a little repeditive, treatment section lacking. Highly recommended |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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A through, informative, accessible introduction to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), grounded in Phillips's clinical practice and interviews with patients. Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a psychological disease characterized with an obsession with perceived flaws in the sufferer's appearance. In reality these flaws are minimal or nonexistent, yet to the sufferer they are very real and can create extreme anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and compulsive behaviors. Phillips's book was the only one of its kind when originally published and is still one of the few books about BDD. She provides a well-written and researched introduction to all aspects of BDD, including diagnostic criteria, signs of the disease, and the impact of the disease on suffers as well as friends and family. At the end of the book she discusses treatment of BDD, but this section is limited by the lack of research done on treatment and remission. Despite this hole, the book is a well-rounded and educational introduction to the disorder, conveying both statistics and emotional impact and proving a lot of information about the how, why, and what of BDD. I highly recommend it to those interested in the subject.
My interest in BDD is primarily academic and casual, therefore I cannot give feedback on this book based on either personal experience of psychological knowledge. The Broken Mirror, however, is an approachable introduction to those with no knowledge about the subject. Phillips starts from square one, giving a number of descriptions of what BDD looks like, how it effects patients, and how crippling it can be. These patient histories are so prevalent they can get tedious, bu they do a fair job of introducing the subject and impressing its severity and reality on to even the causal reader. The body of the book is a through description of BDD: what it is, how it is diagnosed, the thoughts and behaviors it contains, the impact of those thoughts and behaviors, who suffers from BDD, where the disorder originates, and finally how it can be treated. The writing style is clear and simple, important points are highlighted and chapters and subheading are logically divided, sections end with a complete summary, and the appendixes and index are useful and complete.
For all of the strengths of the book, the section on treating BDD is unfortunately its weakness. The book was written ten years ago, before much study had been done on treating BDD, and so most of the information and recommendations comes from Phillips's own practice and observations. Even now then years later, research on the treatment of BDD and long-term nature of the disorder is severely lacking. All in all, Phillips's advice is good: she encourages sufferers to seek help, a good idea no matter what form of treatment they seek, and provides information and suggestions for the friends and family of BDD sufferers about how to provide support, encourage the sufferer to seek help, and maintain a healthy relationship with the sufferer. Hopefully as more research is done we will know more about BDD treatment options and effectiveness, but for now Phillips's book provides a number of suggestions to point patients in the right direction, and it is far better than nothing.
I highly recommend this book to those interested in BDD and also (although I speak without any personal experience) to sufferers and especially to their friends and family. Not only is Broken Mirror a wealth of information about the disorder, it also provides comfort to suffers and information to friends and family, validating the disease, describing others's experiences with BDD and what we know about the causes of it, and creating compassion for the disorder. Because the perceived physical defect in BDD isn't apparent to others, BDD can be a difficult disease to understand, accept, or help with; Phillips does a lot to right that wrong by providing information and compassionate insight. Although the book is a bit repetitive and the therapy section limited, this is a well-rounded and useful introduction to the subject and should be useful to curious, sufferers, and those who are impacted by it alike.
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| Bible for BDD |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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BROKEN MIRROR is simply Bible for "Body Dysmorphic Disorder"(previously called" Dysmorphobia").
Here in my country none is well-known about this debilitating disorder.
I showed to my Health-professional this book. He studied it and only then prescribed me some effective medication. I recommend all health-professional to read this book before they start treating a BDD-patient. Thanks.
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