About - The Butterfly Girl - Racheal Baughan
For many years I suffered from an illness called Body dimorphic disorder (BDD) which is a combination of many other mental disorders such as OCD, Anorexia, Bulimia, Agoraphobia combined with the feeling that you are different to other people.
A BDD sufferer will see a distorted image of themselves in the mirror and despite the effort of friends and family's reassurance, the suffer can often end up feeling as though they have no place on this earth. I have battled with this crippling illness for as long as I can remember! After much pain and struggling I have finally come to the stage where I no longer allow it to hold me back. Recovery is not always easy. There are still times that it comes back to haunt me! But when it does! I feel even more determined to show the BDD that I am now in control of my life....
Accepting that BDD is an illness is the first step to recovery.
I remind myself that no matter what I see in the mirror, whether my perceived image is real or an illusion created by the BDD it should not stop me from living my life, we all deserve a place on this earth and it is up to use to make the most of the cards we were dealt. True beauty lies from within and this is the beauty I have managed to build on, I hated who I was when I was ill but today I finally feel proud of who I am.
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Many Sufferers consider Cosmetic Surgery, I do not believe this can help a BDD sufferer, the fact is we have an unrealistic idea of perfection within ourselves, a perfection that does not exist, the fact is you can fix one defect but then once that has been "fixed we will focus on something else, the reality is with this illness you have to build on accepting who you are.
Michael Jackson is the classic example of what can happen to a BDD suffer who entertains Cosmetic Surgery. I have been to many consultations and looking back, I am relived that I have never taken myself down that road! There 'can' be an end to the BDD. Its is all about learning to believe in yourself.
The Butterfly girl is a story of my life. The book follows my journey to recovery with BDD, and will show how I struggled to overcome this deliberating illness. For many people, accepting that they have a severe mental health problem is very difficult anyway, but accepting this fact is essential to beginning the process of learning to live with the condition.
I would like to indicate the urgency of addressing BDD as a form of mental illness
As a public health priority to reduce disease burden and disability, and to improve the overall health of populations." Suffering with any kind of depression and mental illness as well.
My book The Butterfly Girl is due to be published March 2008. My main aim is to raise more awareness of this disabling condition.
The Butterfly Girl - Racheal Baughan
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