Hating How I Look

that was not my question.

My question was very clear (I quoted the issue) - what was wrong with suggesting that the person with BDD not only look at the two photos of incredibly attractive people, but also spend a few hours browsing random faces?

What was wrong with THAT? To reiterate - what was wrong with suggesting that the patient suffering from BDD get in touch with reality by looking at faces of average people rather than focus on those extremes of attractiveness that make the person with BDD feel inadequate?

Also, I asked what could have been done INSTEAD.

You analogized with anorexia, still not saying what could have been done INSTEAD.

To recap, I have two questions:

1) what was wrong with the random browsing idea?

and

2) how would have you provided SUPPORT (you said that the site is for SUPPORT, so that is why I asking you this question)?

I don't care what your question was.

My reaction is about what I said it was about.

No, it is not. It does not work as an analogy.

An anorexic person does not NEED dieting. On the most general level, an anorexic person needs to get in touch with reality - to realize that he or she does not need dieting, he or she needs to get in touch with reality.

Contrast to, say, skin improvement suggestions.

You should be able to realize that, say, topical tretinoids REALLY improve skin... really - in reality, whereas dieting does not work, in reality.

So, there is no relationship between suggesting topical retinoids to a BDD person, since any person, BDD or not, can benefit from them IN REALITY (barring extra sensitive skin which is rare), but nobody (<5% of those who engage in dieting) can benefit from tips about dieting IN REALITY.

If an anorexic person listens to tips on dieting, he or she will only get more anorexic, right?

If a BDD person listens to tips on skin care and protection, he or she will get better skin and will not get MORE BDD - either will stay the same, or, improve. The general notion is "do no harm". Not "do good", but "do no harm". Right?

So tips on dieting given to anorexics do harm.

And retinoid tips given to anybody do no harm.

A very big difference. Night and day.

You posted right after I said:

And, you posted addressing me rather than the crowd or OP:

Normally, when you post right after somebody else posts asking YOU a question, and, in addition, you do not post addressing other people but clearly and unequivocally address the previous poster, the expectation is that you do, at least to some extent, care about what the question was, rather than just express your reactions.

Oh, believe me, someone with BDD starting to "improve" thing can be a disaster.

If you don't believe that... dare I say Michael Jackson?

And I DO have a person with BDD really close to me, in real life. Last thing that person need to hear is how to improve her looks.

Thank you for your input on this thread. At this time this thread is being closed.

dps