Accurately diagnosing BDD is a necessary step toward effective treatment. If BDD isn’t diagnosed, it probably won’t be successfully treated. Unfortunately, BDD is still unfamiliar to some mental health professionals, and many people with BDD seek nonpsychiatric treatment, such as surgery, which doesn’t seem to work. Perhaps most important, secrecy about BDD prevents the diagnosis [...]

Jason had tried several serotonin-reuptake inhibitors for his BDD but hadn’t given them an adequate try because he was reluctant to take them religiously. He had also tried cognitive-behavioral therapy but hadn’t really given this a good try either. He’d had BDD for 20 years and had been disabled by his symptoms. Jason’s concern focused [...]

External disturbances. A comfortable room and surroundings are beneficial to a good night’s sleep. Noise from the street, or noise from your snoring partner, may be disturbing. Bright light or an uncomfortable bed may distract you from concentrating on falling asleep. A bedroom that is too warm or too cold is not suitable. The bed. [...]

A doctor came to me asking if I could help him stop smoking. I had steadfastly refused to become concerned with people’s smoking habits. As a psychiatrist I wish to spend my time with those in more urgent need of help. However, he seemed sincere about it, so I agreed. I spent some time showing [...]