12 subtle warning signs of body dysmorphia

Henry Does Not Have Body Dysmorphia

Olaf here, I’m April’s beloved Yorkshire Terrier.

I’m the boss around here, and take care of everything important. Lately, Henry has been trying to climb on our mummy’s lap and snuggle. Henry is a Karelian Bear Dog, and he weighs about 85 pounds. When Henry tries to snuggle, our mummy holds him for a minute and says, “Honey, you are too big! You aren’t little.”

Here I am kissing Henry when he squeezed into an arm chair.

Last night, Henry was paddling around under the bed. His head kept bumping us and the entire bed jumped. Our mummy climbed out of bed, leaned over and said, “Henry, honey, you can’t fit. I think you have might have body dysmorphia.”¹²

I’d never heard of it before, so when I got a chance, I looked it up and found this great article, “12 subtle warning signs of body dysmorphia.³”. Now, I know that Henry doesn’t have it. He’s still a puppy, a BIG puppy, but still a puppy and just isn’t aware.

I can prove it:

1. You're preoccupied with one or more body parts, frequently honing in on any perceived "flaws" you believe you have.
   Henry loves belly rubs, but that’s about the only thing he’s preoccupied with.

2. You spend a lot of time thinking or worrying about your appearance.
   The first time Henry saw himself in the mirror, he reared back and slipped on the rug. He crept up to the mirror and started barking at it. So, no he wasn’t “worried” about his appearance. He was just scared. Now, he can race by the mirror and not even notice.

3. Your perceived flaws weigh heavily on your self-esteem and how you think others feel about you.
   Henry cries and howls if I get to go in the car with our mummy and he doesn’t. He really needs to be included. But, I don’t think he believes he’s flawed. He just thinks he deserves to go everywhere our mummy goes—especially if I get to go.
   
   When she takes Henry and not me, I simply curl up on a pillow and take a nap. I know they’ll be back soon enough.

4. You spend excessive time comparing yourself with others and feeling like you don't measure up.
   Well, this might be related to #3 above, but I wouldn’t say Henry spends excessive time worrying about it. His noisy abandonment issues only flare up if I get to go with our human mummy and he doesn’t.

5. You ask others for their opinions about your appearance, or you avoid discussing it altogether, for fear of calling attention to the flaws.
   Henry doesn’t really ask, he simply leans into people to get them to pet him.

6. You're struggling with anxiety or depression not related to your appearance.
   Lately at dinner, Henry kicks his bowl around. I think it’s because our mummy puts treats in the bottom of the bowl. If we eat all our dinner, we get a treat at the end. Henry has figured it out, and kicks his bowl over to get to the treat first. If we have friends over during dinner, they think that Henry is kind of weird. I don’t. I know he’s simply a dessert first kind of guy.
   

7. You have obsessive rituals or habits around your appearance.
   Well, Henry does lick himself in certain areas—a lot. But, well, so do I. No comment on this, it’s unique to dogs and that’s all I’m going to say.

8. You spend excessive amounts of money and time to "fix" your flaws.
   Henry, the only thing he does excessively is bury his bones. He does that because he thinks I’ll get ‘em. It’s so silly because I watch him do it. Then, we he’s lounging on his swing or chasing a squirrel, I prance over and dig ‘em up. It’s excessive and he can’t fix it, it’s just our thing.

9. You're altering your life or schedule due to fears or anxiety around your appearance.
   Our mummy spends a lot of time trying to alter Henry’s behavior. He’s getting better and better, but HE doesn’t have an ounce of fear or anxiety about his behavior—or appearance.

10. Your thoughts or worries are intrusive or never-ending.
    Well, Henry is extremely concerned about the squirrels. He might worry that he’ll never catch ‘em. He blasts our the door when the squirrels are playing in our trees. But, it’s all about the squirrels, not him.

11. You either spend a ton of time looking in the mirror or avoid mirrors altogether.
    See #2. He doesn’t spend one second looking at the mirror now. I don’t know if he avoids looking at it, he just doesn’t care.

12. Your eating or fitness habits are extreme in order to "fix" body flaws.
    See #6 above, the kicking the bowl around is the only weird thing he does. Again, I think it’s because he wants the treat first. Not any weird eating fetish to fix any flaws.

You see, no Body Dysmorphia⁴ for Henry. I don’t have any idea why he paddles around under the bed. I think I know why he tries to sit on our mummy’s lap: because I do! It’s just fair that he can too.

1. This is a human joke that is particularly subjective to our mummy’s experience. You see, long before we were around, before she dealt with the sexual abuse of her childhood, she had an eating disorder. She thought she was too big. And, even if she looked in the mirror, she saw herself as bigger. That’s messed up! But, she got lots of help and it’s all better now. But, sometimes, when she’s being funny, she brings little tidbits like that up.

2. This story is light hearted and in no way mocking or making fun of those with this serious condition. If you are experiencing any of these 12 subtle symptoms, please seek help. Body Dysmorphia can be healed. You can be free.

3. https://www.businessinsider.com/subtle-warning-signs-body-dysmorphia-2018-5?op=1

4. April Note: It’s common for those sexually abused as children to have eating disorders. That doesn’t mean all with an eating disorder were sexually abused. It just means it’s common for those abused as children to have one. For me, after I dealt with the sexual abuse of my childhood, the need to control what went in my body and what we out of it dissipated. I write about it in Paperdolls & Cowboy Boots.