BDD: What Is It? Early Signs, Misdiagnosis, And How Parents Can Help The Untypical Parent™ podcast

BDD: What is it? Early Signs, Misdiagnosis, and How Parents Can Help

8d ago 49:40

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I sit down with Sam Milburn to unpack body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), what it is, why it hides in plain sight, and how parents can spot early signs. We share practical next steps, from navigating CAMHS to using scripts that break reassurance loops without breaking trust.
We cover:
• BDD defined
• Early signs in teens including checking, avoidance and reassurance seeking
• Why shame and lack of insight delay help and fuel misdiagnosis
• The impact at home, school and with friends
• Is there a neurodivergence overlap
• How to approach schools, GPs and CAMHS with evidence
• Parent scripts to step off the reassurance treadmill
• And resources from the BDD Foundation and Sam’s support group

You can find information about BDD and the support Sam offers here:

https://bddfoundation.org/

https://www.beyondbdd.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond_bdd/

And Sam's Facebook group Body Dysmorphic Disorder Support for Parents and Carers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bddcarersupport/

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot
And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
[email protected].

Chapters

1. BDD: What is it? Early Signs, Misdiagnosis, and How Parents Can Help (00:00:00)

2. Meeting Sam: Late ADHD Diagnosis (00:01:00)

3. Redefining “Perfect” Parenting (00:02:55)

4. Midlife Clarity and New Courage (00:05:01)

5. What BDD Actually Is (00:06:42)

6. Body Dysmorphia vs Clinical BDD (00:09:29)

7. Daily Life Disrupted by BDD (00:12:29)

8. Why We Rarely Hear About BDD (00:15:14)

9. Onset in Teens and Early Spotting (00:18:59)

10. Lived Experience and Writing the Book (00:22:29)

11. Services, Misdiagnosis, and Maudsley (00:26:44)

12. Parent Burden and Guideline Reform (00:30:29)

13. It’s Not Your Fault: Causes and Guilt (00:33:59)

14. Early Warning Signs Parents Can Spot (00:37:49)

15. Getting CAMHS to Listen (00:41:29)

16. BDD Foundation: Tools and Approach (00:44:14)

17. How to Talk to Your Child (00:47:29)

33 episodes