Katharine A. Phillips

Presenting an effective treatment approach specifically tailored to the unique challenges of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), this book is grounded in state-of-the-art research. The authors are experts on BDD and related conditions. They describe ways to engage patients who believe they have defects or flaws in their appearance. Provided are clear-cut strategies for helping patients overcome the self-defeating thoughts, impairments in functioning, and sometimes dangerous ritualistic behaviors that characterize BDD. Clinician-friendly features include step-by-step instructions for conducting each session and more than 50 reproducible handouts and forms; the large-size format facilitates photocopying.See also the related self-help guide by Dr. Wilhelm, Feeling Good about the Way You Look, an ideal recommendation for clients with BDD or less severe body image problems.

For many years, the American Psychiatric Glossary has been the standard reference for psychiatrists, residents, psychiatric social workers, and other mental health professionals. Last published 8 years ago, it enjoyed unparalleled dominance in the mental health market. Now comes The Language of Mental Health: A Glossary of Psychiatric Terms, which is designed not only to replace its predecessor but also to improve upon its offerings and bring the content firmly into the twenty-first century. This comprehensive, user-friendly reference boasts an abundance of features, both time-tested and new, as follows: • The number of Glossary definitions has been increased by 25%, and coverage has been expanded to include terms specific to newer psychiatric subspecialties, such as geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and child and adolescent psychiatry.• The section on "Medications Used in Psychiatry" is expanded and up to date. Medications are organized by drug class (e.g., antidepressants), subclass (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), trade name (e.g., Prozac), and generic name (e.g., fluoxetine).• The section on "Psychiatric Measures" is robust and detailed. For example, the entry under "Neuropsychiatric Measures for Cognitive Disorders" lists nearly a dozen assessments, along with their acronyms or abbreviations.• The section on "Mental Health Resources" includes vital descriptions and current contact information for dozens of organizations. The Web addresses are especially useful for those seeking immediate assistance or access to information. Although the reference maintains the level of theoretical, diagnostic, and therapeutic accuracy one would expect from a book for clinicians, it will also prove useful to advocacy groups, attorneys, and mental health patients and their families. Compact enough to slip into a pocket or briefcase, yet substantial enough to withstand frequent consultations and extended study, The Language of Mental Health is a worthy successor to the American Psychiatric Glossary and is the only reference of its caliber and completeness on the market.

In a world obsessed with appearance, it is not surprising that body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD -- an emotionally painful obsession with perceived flaws in one's appearance -- has manifested itself as a troubling and relatively common problem for many individuals. In The Broken Mirror, the first and most definitive book on BDD, Dr. Katharine A. Phillips provided a comprehensive manual for patients and their physicians by drawing on years of clinical practice, scientific research, and professional evaluations of over 1,000 patients. Now, in Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide , the world's leading authority on BDD reaches out to patients, their friends, and their families with this concise and updated handbook. 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. Using stories and interviews to show the many different behaviors and symptoms of BDD, and a quick self-assessment questionnaire, Dr. Phillips guides readers through the basics of the disorder and through the many treatment options that work and don't work. With Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide, sufferers will find both helpful advice and much needed reassurance in a compact, down-to-earth indispensable book.

Jane is an attractive woman in her mid-thirties, tall, thin and stately. She believes she is breathtakingly ugly. Tormented by what she sees as her huge nose, crooked lip, big jaw, fat buttocks, and tiny breasts, she hasn't left her house in six years. Though she lives in the same house as her mother, she once went two years without seeing her. When relatives come over, she avoids them, hiding in her room, even on Thanksgiving. The one time she left the house - forced to see a doctor - she covered her face with bandages. Eventually, she attempted suicide. "I can't imagine any suffering greater than this," she said. "If I had my choice, I'd rather be blind or have my arm cut off. I'd be happy to have cancer." Jane has body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. In this revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror, Dr Katherine Phillips draws on years of scientific research, clinical practice, and detailed interviews with patients to bring readers an updated and expanded book on this troubling and sometimes debilitating disorder, in which sufferers are obsessed with perceived flaws in their appearance. Phillips describes severe cases, such as Jane's, but also milder cases, such as Carl, a successful lawyer who uses work to distract him from his slightly thinning hair. Many sufferers function well, but remain secretly obsessed by their "hideous acne" or "horrible nose", sneaking constant peaks at a pocket mirror, or spending hours redoing makeup. BDD afflict millions of people. It isn't an uncommon disorder, simply a hidden one, since sufferers are often embarrassed to tell even their closest friends about their concerns; one woman, after fifty years of marriage, still kept her appearance worries a secret from her husband. This revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror provides updated information from recent research that sheds new light on this serious illness. Besides the fascinating story of the disorder itself, The Broken Mirror is also a lifesaving handbook for sufferers, their families, and their doctors. Left untreated, the torment of BDD can lead to hospitalization and sometimes suicide. With treatment, many sufferers are able to lead normal lives. Phillips provides a quick self-assessment questionnaire, helping readers distinguish between normal appearance concerns and the obsession of BDD to determine whether they or someone they know have BDD. She includes common clues to BDD - such as frequent mirror checking, covering up with clothing, and excessive exercise. Four new chapters on treatment contain updated information and recommendations on how to effectively treat BDD - as well as frequently obtained treatments that should be avoided. A revised chapter offers helpful advice and reassurance for friends and families of BDD sufferers. Profoundly affected by the disorder themselves, those who care about someone with BDD will find both helpful advice and reassurance in this indispensable book. The revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror is the most comprehensive book on BDD and is written by the leading expert on this disorder. It is essential reading for psychiatrists, other mental health professionals, dermatologists and plastic surgeons; for the friends and family concerned about a loved one who won't believe their reassurance; and for the millions who suffer from BDD in silence and secrecy.

Jane is an attractive woman in her mid-thirties, tall, thin and stately. She believes she is breathtakingly ugly. Tormented by what she sees as her huge nose, crooked lip, big jaw, fat buttocks, and tiny breasts, she hasn't left her house in six years. Though she lives in the same house as her mother, she once went two years without seeing her. When relatives come over, she avoids them, hiding in her room, even on Thanksgiving. The one time she left the house - forced to see a doctor - she covered her face with bandages. Eventually, she attempted suicide. "I can't imagine any suffering greater than this," she said. "If I had my choice, I'd rather be blind or have my arm cut off. I'd be happy to have cancer." Jane has body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. In this revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror, Dr Katherine Phillips draws on years of scientific research, clinical practice, and detailed interviews with patients to bring readers an updated and expanded book on this troubling and sometimes debilitating disorder, in which sufferers are obsessed with perceived flaws in their appearance. Phillips describes severe cases, such as Jane's, but also milder cases, such as Carl, a successful lawyer who uses work to distract him from his slightly thinning hair. Many sufferers function well, but remain secretly obsessed by their "hideous acne" or "horrible nose", sneaking constant peaks at a pocket mirror, or spending hours redoing makeup. BDD afflict millions of people. It isn't an uncommon disorder, simply a hidden one, since sufferers are often embarrassed to tell even their closest friends about their concerns; one woman, after fifty years of marriage, still kept her appearance worries a secret from her husband. This revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror provides updated information from recent research that sheds new light on this serious illness. Besides the fascinating story of the disorder itself, The Broken Mirror is also a lifesaving handbook for sufferers, their families, and their doctors. Left untreated, the torment of BDD can lead to hospitalization and sometimes suicide. With treatment, many sufferers are able to lead normal lives. Phillips provides a quick self-assessment questionnaire, helping readers distinguish between normal appearance concerns and the obsession of BDD to determine whether they or someone they know have BDD. She includes common clues to BDD - such as frequent mirror checking, covering up with clothing, and excessive exercise. Four new chapters on treatment contain updated information and recommendations on how to effectively treat BDD - as well as frequently obtained treatments that should be avoided. A revised chapter offers helpful advice and reassurance for friends and families of BDD sufferers. Profoundly affected by the disorder themselves, those who care about someone with BDD will find both helpful advice and reassurance in this indispensable book. The revised and expanded edition of The Broken Mirror is the most comprehensive book on BDD and is written by the leading expert on this disorder. It is essential reading for psychiatrists, other mental health professionals, dermatologists and plastic surgeons; for the friends and family concerned about a loved one who won't believe their reassurance; and for the millions who suffer from BDD in silence and secrecy.

Growing numbers of young men are taking the quest for perfect muscles, skin and hair too far, crossing the line from normal interest to pathological obsession. For the first time, three of the world's leading authorities on men help us to understand and combat the frightening set of compulsive behaviours that make up the Adonis Complex. Combining colourful case studies with scientific research, they reveal a threat that is as serious as the beauty myth for women or anorexia nervosa for girls. The symptoms of this dangerous body obsession, excessive workouts, steroid abuse, eating disorders and body and muscle dysmorphic disorder (distorted body perception), lead to problems with sex and intimacy, relationships and work. In teenagers, the Adonis Complex can interfere with healthy emotional and physical development. Until now, frank discussion of this problem has been virtually taboo. At last we can hear what men really think and feel about their bodies, so that those who suffer in silence will no longer need to suffer alone.