Parents to a son with overset syndrome: 'Home with us we have an enemy named BDD'

Approximately 180,000 Danes suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a condition where individuals have a distorted perception of their own appearance.

Fourteen minutes ago

Ten years ago, on a typical September day, Anders and Pia Frandsen discovered the depth of their son Nicolai's thoughts about himself and his appearance. In his room, he opened up about what he had been struggling with.

"It turns out that he had it really, really bad with himself and his life, and he had in fact been dealing with it for several years, but he tried to fix it," Anders Frandsen shared on Aftenshowet Monday evening. ()

Nicolai was later diagnosed with BDD, which stands for 'body dysmorphic disorder.' This condition is characterized by an unhealthy fixation on one's appearance. It has significantly impacted Nicolai's daily life and overall quality of life.

"He becomes extremely dark in his life and has even attempted suicide. He becomes very depressive, isolated at home. Loses his social functions. Begins to have these various perceptions of his hair being too grimy, his arms being too small, his stomach being too fat," Pia Frandsen explained.

Gunnthora Steingrimsdottir, a psychologist specializing in BDD, describes the condition as a severe compulsion akin to OCD. The affliction differs significantly from the general insecurity that most people experience.

"BDD-affected individuals spend around 3-8 hours a day thinking about their appearance."

"It begins to affect people's functional levels. They cannot be in relationships, attend school, or work," she explained.

Listen to Gunnthora Steingrimsdottir elaborate on what it's like to live with BDD:

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Diagnosis was crucial for the family

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It took many years for them to identify Nicolai's condition. And the knowledge of the diagnosis and its nature has had a significant impact.

"It's the crucial difference. He has been misdiagnosed for ten years, certainly in the best sense. Those who have given the diagnoses were probably convinced they were right. But it's clear that if we are to receive the proper treatment, we must also know what the real problem is," Anders Frandsen said.

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Lifeline

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If you have suicidal thoughts, call the Lifeline at 70 20 12 01.

- The moment we find out it's BDD, which we didn't even know what it was, we can start googling, "What is this thing?" And who in this country can do something about it?

Pia Frandsen shares how they have come to view BDD as an enemy that comes from outside and how they can now explain the obsessive thoughts.

- When Nicolai comes to us and says "mom, I'm being ridiculed," it's because his BDD is triggering an obsessive thought. I didn't know that before. But now I can say: "Oh, that's the latest thing BDD has come up with."

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Hopeful for the future

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Psychologist Gunnthora Steingrimsdottir explains that the condition is absolutely treatable, but the longer the time passes, the harder it becomes.

Anders and Pia Frandsen now hope that a greater focus on the condition can help other families, and although BDD has been a long-term issue for Nicolai, he is slowly getting better. He was, however, not yet ready to participate in the interview Monday evening.

- It's crucial for us as a family, as parents, to be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel, Anders Frandsen said.

Watch or rewatch the entire BDD segment on Monday's Aftenshowet (). ()

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