What is ILAB for BDD?
We offer a structured, focused programme defined by weeks, not years.
Rather than open-ended work that can sometimes lose direction, we work over a defined period to help you make meaningful progress as efficiently as possible.
Our aim is to support you (or your child) to build understanding, develop practical strategies, and begin to see change within a clear and supportive framework. By keeping the work focused and goal-oriented, we help you build the skills and confidence that continue beyond the programme, so you can use them independently over time.
BDD and your Brain
Your brain is designed to help you notice things, make sense of them, and keep you safe. One of the ways it does that is by spotting patterns and focusing your attention on things it thinks are important. This is in part due to the RAS (Reticular Activating System). It’s like when you play that game on road trips to spot the red cars, suddenly it seems like there are more red cars than usual. Or when you learn a new word and suddenly you hear it everywhere. It’s just that your brain has learnt it is important (the red car, the new word) so it is making sure you notice, when before it might have filtered these things out out.
For some people, the brain starts to treat appearance and body shape as very important - almost like it’s something to monitor closely, the way it might watch for danger. When that happens, a few things start to shift in how the brain works:
First, your attention system becomes over-focused.
There’s a part of the brain that helps direct attention (involving areas like the prefrontal cortex and visual processing systems), and in people struggling with appearance concerns, it tends to “zoom in” on small details - like a specific part of your face or body.
Research has shown that people with body image difficulties are more likely to focus on tiny details rather than the whole picture. So instead of seeing yourself as a whole person, your brain keeps locking onto one part and analysing it.
Second, the brain’s “alarm system” gets involved.
There’s a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is responsible for detecting threat. In these situations, it can start reacting to appearance-related thoughts as if they’re something important or worrying.
That’s why it doesn’t just feel like a neutral thought - it can feel intense, uncomfortable, or urgent. Your brain is basically saying, “This matters. Pay attention to this.”
Third, thoughts start to feel very convincing.
Your brain is constantly generating thoughts, but when the emotional system is activated, those thoughts feel more real and more important.
So a thought like “I look wrong” or “people will notice this” or “this is why I’m not achieving/succeeding” doesn’t feel like just a thought - it feels like a fact. That’s because the thinking parts of the brain and the emotional parts are working closely together in that moment.
Fourth, certain behaviours accidentally train the brain to keep going.
Things like checking mirrors, comparing yourself to others, covering things up, or avoiding situations can bring a bit of relief in the moment. They can even release a brain chemical called dopamine that rewards the brain for noticing. This is a “feel good chemical” and will make our body want to keep noticing.