This workbook for overcoming body image preoccupation is available online for free from the Centre for Clinical Interventions:
Anderson, R., Saulsman, L., McEvoy, P., Fursland, A., Nathan, P., & Ridley, S. (2012). Building Body Acceptance: Overcoming Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Perth, Western Australia: Centre for Clinical Interventions.
Building Body Acceptance - Table of Contents
Module 1: Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder
This module provides some general information about body image and Body Dysmorphic Disorder, considers how this problem might develop, and discusses some of the negative consequences of the disorder. Activities:
(1) Describe your appearance, and differentiate “body image” from actual appearance.
(2) BDD symptom questionnaire
(3) Further identifying your body image
(4) Identifying the negative impact of BDD
Module 2: What keeps BDD going?
This module considers how past experiences may be affecting you in the present, and explores how BDD may be maintained in the longer term. Activities:
(1) Identify your appearance assumptions
(2) Identify your triggers
(3) Identify your appearance preoccupations
(4) Identify checking and reassurance seeking
(5) Identify negative predictions
(6) Identify avoidance and safety behaviors
(7) BDD Model (diagram what keeps your BDD going)
Module 3: Reducing Appearance Preoccupation
This module explores ways you can start to decrease the amount of time spent focused on your appearance, and thus start to break the vicious cycle of BDD. Activities:
(1) Identify what you tend to focus on
(2) Identify any positive beliefs about appearance preoccupation
(3) Retraining attention, while focusing on mundane tasks
(4) Meditation training
(5) Postponing engaging in preoccupation
Module 4: Reducing Checking & Reassurance Seeking
This module explores the different ways people check and seek reassurance regarding their appearance, discusses the difference between helpful and unhelpful checking, and introduces strategies to reduce or eliminate these behaviours. Activities:
(1) Identifying checking and reassurance seeking behaviors
(2) Select 1-2 to work on
(3) Evaluate how helpful the behavior is
(4) Develop a goal for behavior change, and implement this
Module 5: Overcoming Negative Predictions, Avoidance & Safety Behaviours
This module introduces strategies to challenge and experiment with negative predictions, and to reduce the anxiety, avoidance and safety behaviours often associated with this type of thinking. Activities:
(1) Using Thought Diary to identify negative predictions
(2) Challenge and modify negative predictions
(3) Put negative predictions to the test (behavioral experiments)
Module 6: Adjusting Appearance Assumptions
In this module we will focus on challenging the unhelpful rules and assumptions that can keep you caught in the vicious cycle of BDD. Activities:
(1) Identify your appearance assumptions
(2) Evaluate and modify appearance assumptions
Module 7: Self-Management Planning
This final module brings all the concepts of this information package together, presents a new model for you to operate by, and includes a self-management plan to help you to stay on track in the future.
Click the link above to download all modules in this workbook at once, as a zip file.
Information sheet