In a society where a blemish or "bad hair" can ruin an otherwise perfect day, and airbrushed abs dominate the magazine rack, many people feel ashamed of their bodies. Whether they've stopped socializing because of an imagined defect or spent thousands on skin care, hair growth products, or plastic surgery, "Feeling Good about the Way You Look" helps men and women with exaggerated concerns about their appearance break free from the mirror and get their lives back on track. Self-assessment tools help readers understand their problems and decide whether they should be evaluated for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a severely distressing level of dissatisfaction with one's body. Step-by-step guidelines teach them to overcome discouraging thoughts, curtail obsessive appearance rituals, and see themselves realistically. With a chapter for friends and family members who suspect a loved one may be struggling with body image issues, this is the perfect starting point for those who want to help themselves or someone they care about make peace with their looks.

1. For the Sake of Appearance
2. Why Do I Feel So Unattractive?
3. Thinking about Change
4. Understanding Your Problems and Planning Solutions
5. Managing Your Thoughts
6. Getting Your Life Back with Exposure Exercises
7. Freeing Yourself from Rituals with Response Prevention Exercises
8. Getting at Your Core Beliefs
9. Staying Well
10. Should I Take Medication?
11. Helping a Family Member or Friend with Body Image Concerns
Appendix. The Relationship of BDD to Other Disorders
Resources

Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, is Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Psychology and Director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Related Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is Vice Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation, serves on the Scientific Council of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and is on the editorial boards of eight journals. Dr. Wilhelm's clinical work and research focus on body dysmorphic disorder, OCD, and tic disorders. She is the author of more than 200 articles and book chapters and several books, including the self-help guide Feeling Good about the Way You Look: A Program for Overcoming Body Image Problems, which was cited as a Self-Help Book of Merit by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT). She is a Fellow of ABCT and the Association for Psychological Science.