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US ACTOR REID Ewing is being lauded for this honest essay about his struggles with body dysmorphic disorder, and resulting addiction to plastic surgery.
AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental illness in which a person obsesses over their looks, often believing they are ugly and need to take drastic measures to ‘fix’ their appearance.
The 27-year-old, who plays Dylan on Modern Family, writeson the Huffington Post that when he first moved to Los Angeles to become an actor he would take pictures of himself “from every angle, analysing every feature”.
He booked his first appointment for plastic surgery in 2008, when he was 19, and genuinely thought it would solve his problems.
Four years later, after several frightful experiences with plastic surgery, he realised that the “isolation, depression, and self-hate” was too much to bear, and vowed never to get plastic surgery again.
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He says that none of the four doctors he saw had mental health screenings in place for their patients, and his history of eating disorders never came up.
“None of the doctors suggested I consult a psychologist for what was clearly a psychological issue,” he writes.
People with body dysmorphic disorder often become addicted to cosmetic surgery… It’s a problem that is rarely taken seriously because of the public shaming of those who have had work done. I wish I could go back and undo all the surgeries. Now I can see that I was fine to begin with and didn’t need the surgeries after all.
Friday 22 November, 2024
Friday 22 November, 2024
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This actor's searingly honest essay on his addiction to plastic surgery is going viral
US ACTOR REID Ewing is being lauded for this honest essay about his struggles with body dysmorphic disorder, and resulting addiction to plastic surgery.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental illness in which a person obsesses over their looks, often believing they are ugly and need to take drastic measures to ‘fix’ their appearance.
The 27-year-old, who plays Dylan on Modern Family, writeson the Huffington Post that when he first moved to Los Angeles to become an actor he would take pictures of himself “from every angle, analysing every feature”.
He booked his first appointment for plastic surgery in 2008, when he was 19, and genuinely thought it would solve his problems.
Four years later, after several frightful experiences with plastic surgery, he realised that the “isolation, depression, and self-hate” was too much to bear, and vowed never to get plastic surgery again.
He says that none of the four doctors he saw had mental health screenings in place for their patients, and his history of eating disorders never came up.
“None of the doctors suggested I consult a psychologist for what was clearly a psychological issue,” he writes.
Read the full essay here.
Ewing’s words have sparked a discussion on male body image online – people are thanking him for opening up about his struggle to accept himself.
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Body dysmorphia Body Image Modern Family Plastic Surgery reid ewing