Body Dysmorphic Disorder: First Steps When You Stop Liking Your Body

It's easy to dismiss dissatisfaction with your own body, hoping it will "sort itself out." But Dr. Saulitis warns: fear and phobia tend to spread, and the longer you wait, the harder it gets. This brochure is about the first steps you can take right now — without illusions about "magic" practices.

Why It Won't "Just Sort Itself Out"

When dissatisfaction with the body grows into a phobia, it's already too late to fight it easily — it doesn't disappear on its own and tends to take over more and more areas of life. This isn't cause for panic, but a reason to act early: recognize the state and not leave it unattended.

"It grows into a phobia — then it's already too late to fight it, it won't just sort itself out."

"Phobias, as you know from the classics, tend to generalize."

Why "Mindfulness" Alone Won't Save You

The doctor is candid about the fashion for "enlightenment," meditation and similar advice. They may work somewhere, but they don't replace the essentials. In his words, "focus," "awareness" and the like don't actually solve the problem — what works is what recognizes the state and helps you get rid of it. The first step is clarity and sobriety, not retreating into pretty words.

"What works is only what recognizes it — and we treat it, get rid of it."

Three Pillars Worth Building

Instead of fighting the fear of "will I cope or not, will I be fired, will my loved one leave," the doctor suggests building three things. First — health: without it, nothing will work. Second — your abilities: they give you adaptability when circumstances change. Third — contacts with people you trust, who will be there when things get hard.

Why You Need Trusted People and Adaptability

The ability to adapt is what helps when circumstances shift. And people you trust are needed for when "everything collapses" and you can't even take care of yourself. Without such people even resources lose their meaning; with them you gain time — and time is always possibility and life.

Training as a Skill

By the doctor's logic, confidence in contact with yourself and others is a skill that is built up. It's worth starting with something very small and going step by step: "little by little." Not a one-time burst, but gradual training that anchors a new attitude toward yourself.

Practice: First Steps

1. Name the state. Acknowledge body dissatisfaction as something that won't "sort itself out" — that's already a step toward recovery.
2. Tend to your health. The very first pillar: without health, the rest won't work.
3. Develop your abilities. Train what increases your adaptability to changing circumstances.
4. Find trusted people. Those who will be there and support you when things are hard.
5. Start small. Begin with very small steps and repeat — the skill takes hold gradually.