Hair loss and Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Paz

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Hi, I'm new to the board, but have spent some time in looking over some of the recent messages posted.

Of myself, I am 25 and have been concerned about the state of my hair for nigh on five years now. I have tried propecia/proscar on two occasions but lasted about 6 months each. Currently I am using nothing but am siffictiently worried to be posting here. I would rate myself at a Norwood 2 - so minor recession round the temples, no loss at the back or mid-scalp area.

Looking though some of the messages, it would appear that members fall in part into a specific, well defined group. Young men in their late teens or very early twenties who define themselves as having obstensibly minor hair loss. This is of course not eveyone. Some of the pictures I have seen generally show little to no loss (to me) but dont show the psychological burdens we see to carry about our hair.

There is a condition called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) - you may have heard of it and to me (I am no psychologist) some of the members here show classic signs - an intense conern and preoccupation with a percived or minor defect. I think to many young men, the first stages of a percieved hair loss are the worst - you still have hair but you know the end is coming. I remember when I was 21 thinking 'I will be bald by 23' well hey, I'm nearly 26 and have lost a small amount but I worry about it daily.

Hair is an important part of our self image, the thought of losing it young is almost like being diagnosed with cancer. Yes that sounds harsh and perhaps an isult to cancer sufferers, but that is what if feels like sometimes. Hours can be spent checking and often you dont want to be seen by anyone. The worse thing is, people dont seem to understand that, and think it is excess vanity, which in turn can envoke a deep shame and guilt. Treating hair loss is a natural reaction - hell, its what I do, but hair loss is a symptom in many of a deep seated lack of confidence. No one wants to lose their hair, but espcecially not in your teens or twnties. The high incidence of younger suffererers here confirms this.

I am not offering solutions, just another way of looking at things. There is a good book I have read, called 'The Broken Mirror', I think many people here will be able to indentify with some of the issues.

If anyone wants to doscuss this, please reply. If not, good luck to you all with dealing with this.

Paul
 

Stopworryingdudes

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Excellent post. BDD runs rampant in young teens and young adults. It's amazing how many have it. I know alot bout this subject because I was diagnosed with BDD. I didnt get diagnosed until I was 23. But I remember when I was younger (5thgrade through highschool) I would spend at least an hour fixing my hair and it had to be PERFECT before I left the house. I often kept my dad late to work because of this nonsense. When I would get in the car, everyone would say "you're hair looks exactly the same as 30min ago man . WTH are you doing in there?" I am a pretty decent looking guy and have had my fair share of chicks. But when you're young, and being called names like "chink" etc..your self esteem gets bruised. I am half filipino half white by the way. I put up with a lot of crap when I was younger. But I'll tell you this, everyone who called me a chink ended up in a fist fight with me. But my self esteem was a little damaged. I was SO sensitive to every little comment. I would think people were laughing at me when I was out in public. This eventually lead to social anxiety disorder. I had to get on Paxil to help with this. I couldnt even go to college some days. I once walked out of a job interview because I was so nervous I was gagging. Once I got the Social problems worked out, the BDD came back. Why? Because I never dealt with it years ago (despite it being there.) I found myself going out in public counting the stares I got from girls to convince myself I wasnt ugly. Theres a game life plays, makes you think you're everything they ever said you were. Just recently, a few friends of mine made a comment "Dan's mom is hot, how did an ugly thing like you come out of her." I went into depression for a week after hearing this. I now realize they were probably just joking. It's just the nature of the disease.

People with BDD usually obsess over: shape of eyes, nose, ears, hair, teeth, weight. BDD usually focuses on facial characteristics. Many with BDD have already undergone plastic surgery. Some psychiatrists actually believe those who pursue plastic surgery like this are automatically classified as BDD. (This excludes those with disfigured faces from burns, accidents, birth defects etc.......)

Now, I've noticed a lot of guys here show symptoms of BDD. They are subconsciously searching for the perfect body. It doesn't exist. Which is why those who indulge in plastic surgery never stop.
No one knows the cause of OCD or BDD (which usually run hand in hand). But it is believed to stem from self esteem issues. Take a person with OCD hand washing for example. They feel they have failed at many things in their life. Keeping their hands and themselves clean would serve as an "accomplishment" That's why they go to great lenghts. It's amazing how we operate. I guess the real answer is accepting yourself. Some people spend hours in front of the mirrors searching over and over again. What are they looking for? They are looking for reassurance. Maybe if they look at their "crooked nose" one more time under a different light it will be normal. They do this until they feel comfortable

Sorry for the rant. This post hit me
 
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