I wonder if I always had Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Today I obsess over the look of my skin, worried that my scars scream out, worry that I am cross eyed, worry that I'm fat. A family member suggested that I might have Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I wonder if I do have this to a degree. Here is why. When I was 7 years old I remember looking at my face in the car window when I was alone. I remember being shocked because I saw these large things all over my face! Now, I was only 7 years old! A child that age should have perfect skin. Mind you, I did have infetago, but I think I got it after this event. So, I wonder if I always had this condition. I have not been diagnosed with it.
Hmm, I had a therapist who suggested that I might because I would nit pick at every spot on my face and I would diet even though I was already slim, but all I saw was a face full of crap and a big fat stomach when I weighed 125Lbs at the height of 5feet 10inches and my therapist looked at my face closely with a magnifying glass and did'nt find anything wrong, so you could say I probably have BDD along with severe anxiety and depression. Wonderful combonation? No Way!
I just wrote a blog about this.
http://thecircledancer.blogspot.com/2012/12/acne-and-self-image-reality-in-mirror.html
Hope it helps <3 I'm suffering with it as well.
I think it develops in a lot of people with acne, and it isn't something too many people talk about because they tend to think of it as something that only happens when the person is completely imagining their problem. But it can happen when there is a real problem that you become ultra-focused on and see as much worse than other people do. I'm not sure if the acne comes first or the tendency to obsess over imperfections in your looks come first. There isn't a clear line, and I think most people obsess over their looks from time to time. But there's a slow process of developing BDD and you know deep down inside when you're crossing a line and your behavior isn't normal anymore. Looking back, it makes sense that I would develop it because I've been obsessed about my looks since I was young, like you. As a child I would stare in the mirror for hours thinking my nose was disgusting and praying I could get a nose job. I don't really think there was anything wrong with my nose, but I was convinced that I was completely hideous.