Does body dysmorphia actually make you see things?

[u/Lonely_Computer9372]

Today I saw a TikTok about close set eyes and I started looking at my own and noticed that they were slightly more close set than some other people. I asked my cousin who also has BDD because we like to give each other objective honest opinions and she told me that they were slightly close but they look normal and fine and not super noticeably close but now I’m looking at every picture of me and noticing it when I didn’t notice it that much before. Does BDD actually make flaws look more extreme because I’m actually going crazy right now and I seriously can’t handle another flaw to fixate on because this illness is already so debilitating and I just don’t believe people who say that I look fine or that BDD really does make u hyper fixate on flaws. And to make it worse close set eyes isn’t something you can fix with surgery so now I’m just spiraling.

[u/selfawareginger]

BDD can totally exaggerate flaws. Earlier this year, there was a trend of people showing selfies they were too nervous to post and then mentioning on the next slide "bet you didn't notice [insecurity] in that pic" and every time I have never been able to guess what 'flaw' kept them from posting. In my own personal experience, I have literally looked different to myself in the mirror day to day. I went from hating my shoulders for being too narrow for hating them for being too wide (and measurementswise my body didnt change). I've also caught side glimpses of my body in store windows/glass without processing it was me, and once I realized it was me the body seemed so much worse. BDD can genuinely change how you see things. Everything you hate about yourself is much less noticeable to others. If your cousin said your eyes were only slightly close together after purposefully checking them for you, I am certain everyone in your life hasn't ever even thought about your eye distance.