Panel 1
Text: Body Dysmorphia Revealed
Panel 2
Jackie talking and smiling. She has medium long curly hair, a necklace with a key on it, and pieced ears.
Jackie: Hi everyone! My name is Jackie, and I have body dysmorphic disorder.
Panel 3
Jackie talking and smiling.
Jackie: Before we get into a story about a bad day I had with a friend, let me explain what body dysmorphic disorder is and what it isn’t.
Panel 4
Text: What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Text: BDD – Uncontrollable negative thoughts about real or perceived flaws that can last for hours. This can lead to missed work/school and isolation.
Panel 5
Text: How does it show up?
Text: People with BDD are preoccupied with their body image. Sometimes it can be specific parts of the body that has a slight imperfection or is perceived as imperfect.
Panel 6
Woman afraid of the mirror.
Text: This can manifest in compulsions like mirror checking/avoidance or seeking surgery.
Panel 7
Man frowning looking in the mirror.
Text: What it isn’t:
Text: It isn’t just disliking your body or a body part.
Panel 8
Jackie hunched over and crying.
Text: This is an extreme disorder that affects a person’s day-to-day life. It goes beyond just a feeling.
Panel 9
Jackie crying.
Text: It isn’t something that the person can get over and forget about. It is always on their mind.
Panel 10
Woman talking to crying man.
Text: It’s not good to tell someone with BDD they look fine. That’s like telling someone to get over it.
Woman: You look fine!
Panel 11
Text: People with BDD can also have anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, and eating disorders. But just because someone has BDD doesn’t mean they have other disorders. It is its own independent disorder.
Text: BDD not equal to eating disorder.
Panel 12
Jackie smiling.
Text: For me, I have BDD and an anxiety disorder.
Panel 13
Jackie scared looking out the window.
Text: I have a hard time doing social things, and I really don’t like to shop for clothes because I want to avoid thinking about my body.
Panel 14
Jackie touching her face and looking in the mirror.
Text: I have a face picking compulsion, but at the same time, I want to avoid looking in the mirror.
Panel 15
Jackie smiling.
Text: So how do I get through it?
Panel 16
Jackie standing on one leg on a yoga mat.
Text: I like to do yoga to help me feel connected to my body. It can be scary, but I like to push myself.
Panel 17
Jackie typing on the computer.
Jackie: I have a body dysmorphia Tumblr where I can get my emotions out, connect with other people that have it, and find resources to make life a little easier.
Panel 18
Jackie smiling and looking in a mirror
Text: Most of all, I remember that BDD is what make me feel how I feel. I try to recognize what triggers me and remember that this is what the disorder is.
Panel 19
Jackie talking.
Jackie: So back to the bad day I was telling you about.
Panel 20
Jackie waking up in bed.
Text: I made sure to wake up early because I was anxious. I had plans with my friend Alex who knew I had BDD. But I don’t think they knew much about it.
Panel 21
Jackie crying and looking in the mirror.
Text: It took me an hour to figure out what to wear. I almost broke down in tears a few times, but I found something to wear.
Panel 22
Jackie looking in the mirror.
Text: I was supposed to be meeting up with my friend Alex, but my face picking compulsion wasn’t going to let me be on time.
Panel 23
Jackie screaming looking at a pimple on her nose.
Text: If I so much as find anything resembling a pimple, I freak out. Sometimes I end up picking all day.
Panel 24
Jackie meeting up with Alex. Alex is tall and has long black hair.
Text: Finally I was able to break away from the compulsion and meet up with Alex. But my anxiety was already through the roof.
Panel 25
Jackie looking behind her at a person looking at her.
Text: I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.
Panel 26
Alex waving Jackie into a clothing store.
Text: Then Alex dragged me to a clothing store. My worst nightmare. They wanted to help me find a dress for a wedding we were going to.
Panel 27
Jackie crying and screaming.
Text: They insisted I try on a dress, and I just couldn’t take it anymore.
Jackie: I can’t do this!
Panel 28
Jackie running out of the store with Alex looking sad.
Jackie: I ran out of the store.
Panel 29
Jackie crying and breathing heavily.
Text: It was too much. I don’t feel comfortable with having to try on clothes and look at my body.
Panel 30
Alex talking to Jackie.
Text: Alex ran out to check on me.
Alex: Hey Jackie, are you okay?
Panel 31
Jackie talking.
Jackie: To be honest, Alex, I’m kind of tired of having to remind you of my BDD. I really can’t do things that directly involve my body image. It really stresses me out and sends me over the edge. Please be a little more conscious of me.
Panel 32
Alex talking.
Alex: Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t thinking about your well being, I was thinking about the wedding. Sorry! Please let me know how I can make you feel more comfortable.
Panel 33
Jackie talking and smiling.
Jackie: I forgive you, Alex. I understand that you didn’t purposely hurt me. I have a few tips on how to help your friends with BDD.
Panel 34
Alex dragging Jackie into a clothing store.
Text: Instead of saying we look fine, let us talk through what we’re feeling. We are silenced far too often. It’s patronizing and downright ableist sometimes.
Panel 35
Image of phone.
Text: Always ask permission if you want to take a photo. Let us see the photo and give approval that it’s okay. Before Alex knew about my BDD, they tried to take a selfie with me. That’s when I had to talk about it and explain that pictures are not ideal for someone who struggles with body image.
Panel 36
Jack and Alex eating pizza on the couch.
Text: Some days are hard. Maybe we can’t hang out with you at the mall, but we always figure something out.
Alex: Like pizza!
Jackie: I knew there was a reason I love you!
