So this was an absolute game-changer for me, but it was also something I didn't even consider as a potential option until about 4 years into my BDD.
When I look back, I find it really surprising I didn't at all consider it, but by the chance I'm not an outlier, I'd like to make men aware that this is a something they can consider.
On the website dermnetnz.org on the Cosmetic camouflage page, it says this:
'Cosmetic camouflage has been shown to improve the quality of life significantly. It improves patient self-esteem and creates a sense of personal well-being.'
This is when I first had the notion that this was something I could try, and I haven't looked back since.
At least for me, getting my skin to look initially better was really not much effort and surprisingly not one person noticed I had anything on my face.
However I am still getting better and better at using it. I recommend allowing yourself some time to learn how to do it before giving up on it, as does DermNet: 'It may take some practice to achieve a satisfactory final appearance.'
Also I highly recommend dermnetnz.org. It's a reputable, non-profit dermatology resource with guides for people with any kind of skin-related questions, and it was recommended to me by my Doctor.
And if you'd like confirmation that this can be effective treatment for BDD, see this video, a video brought to my attention by @Sora@feddit.ch (thank you Sora!) which is made by the BDD Foundation (you can see the community sidebar for details on this organisation but in short it's a very helpful BDD support charity). And here is a screenshot of the part of the video with the confirmation: 
Thanks for reading, and I hope this might be of use to someone :)
Tbh I'm not sure lol. Personally I've struggled with a lot of mental health issues since I was young so I'm finding it hard to say whether we should live life to its fullest or just accept the feeling of finally feeling ok. What do you consider meaningless btw?
That was really insightful tysm for replying. I feel like you've thought about this before haha.
Yeah I think you might be right, sometimes it feels like a day's been wasted because I didn't spend it exactly how I envision a good day, but there are different kinds of good. Every experience and feeling is unique and it's hard to say that one experience or feeling is objectively better than another.
Also I like your phrasing 'happy to live', it sounds like contendedness which I do believe is possible unlike permanent happiness. Have you heard of that infinite happiness machine thing btw?
Tbh I think if this genuinely happened and I just found out right now, I would just start walking and not stopping. I would think I'd be the most mindful and alert I have ever been in my life and I wouldn't want to waste that. I also imagine I would also probably be extremely nice to everyone. Like someone's walking in the rain or something and I'd just hand them the coat I was wearing for them to keep. It would look really weird lol but I think that's the kind of hyper-selflessness that you'd just do without even a thought if you knew you were about to die.
Thanks for asking this question btw it's very intriguing. It makes me wonder if it's even remotely possible to live each day like it's your last y'know.
Yes absolutely. I've had a quick look at the site and it seems credible, not to mention I think I've heard it recommended before so it sounds like a really good idea to me :) thank you for your input!
It's so weird how colours seem to matter so much. It's like lighting as well
I'm so glad it's helped you ☺️. Do you think it would be beneficial or link it in the sidebar of the community?
That's okay! I hope it might come in useful to you or someone else :).
And thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Mhm, you might be right. But imo it's nice to hear about any kind of progress even if it might end up not working because at the end of the day it's one step closer to finding a cure and ofc that would be amazing.
Also sorry to hear you have Crohn's btw. I don't have it but ik someone who does and I know it's a real pain for eating :(.
Yay! That does sound like good progress I'm proud of you! It's so nice when you feel your therapist understands you right? I hope you continue to like them. And well done for getting things together I know how much effort that can take :) Glad you're on an upswing!
It absolutely is :). I'm just happy to think that this community may be able to help people who are suffering from this awful disorder. And thank you for thanking me!
Hopefully this community will allow anyone on Lemmy with Body Dysmorphia to get some support if they'd like it.
Links:
EDIT: Accidentally typed the link without the underscore so they weren't working my bad haha, should be working now.
I agree with you! Imo it would be amazing if people would use the fediverse (i.e. mastodon) for their twitter experience but sadly for whatever reason it hasn't worked. A lot of people who went to mastodon went back to twitter (I think? I read that somehwere so not totally sure)
But yeah I read a BBC article today that quoted Zuckerberg on some of his goals for the platform. The keyword I remember is 'friendly'. And I liked how he talked about his vision for the platform in general.
Ofc Zuckerberg isn't a saint but imo he isn't anywhere near as bad as that loud mouthed prick Elon so if my favourite celebrities move there instead I'll be happy :)
Woo! That's really nice to hear! You're really lucky haha I remember for me during my first week while my body was getting used to it I was feeling really nauseous and couldn't sleep lol.
Also like @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world said I agree you should be careful as it is unusual to be feeling better that quickly. There are many reasons that could happen tho, the obvious one is placebo (but who cares really if you're feeling better); second one is that the desicion to go get antidepressants has had a positive benefit to your life and made you feel like you want to make even more progress, in turn increaseing your happiness; third one is mania (extreme euphoria) which is extremely unlikely, but a dangerous potential side effect of anti-depressants and you probably need to call an ambulance if this happens; and finally fourth one is that it really has just worked extra quickly for you, which is unlikely but not impossible!
So whatever the reason is I'm glad it's working out for you, just be mindful of your emotions but don't worry too much as you'll probably be able to tell if something is seriously wrong.
Good look for the future :)