The Westwood Institute has developed a groundbreaking new method for treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), which has proven highly effective and has been endorsed by OCD pioneers such as Dr. Edna Foa and Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz. This technique involves the use of distorted or “fun house” mirrors, which allows for the externalization of the patients’ distorted self-image. This method has been successful in treating people with even extreme cases of BDD, as in the case of a 45-year-old woman who had had 17 plastic surgeries before recognizing her illness and seeking treatment. The crooked mirrors treatment has been featured in People Magazine, and on Fox News, the Discovery Channel, and MTV’s “I Hate My Face!” (clips available here).
A New Approach to Treating BDD
April 14th, 2011A little smile and flowers to brighten your OCD day
April 5th, 2011
I wanted to remind you all to enjoy your successes in OCD. Please do not forget to stop and smell the roses each and every day. Best wishes to everyone.
Greetings from Dr. Gorbis
April 4th, 2011Hello everyone,
It has been a while since I last posted on my blog. I would like to keep in touch with everyone on a more consistent basis from this point forward. To start off with I would like to forward a testimonial from a long-time patient I have been working with.
Testimonial for Dr. Gorbis,
When our 16-year-old son was at the point of utter despair trying to cope with OCD, our family was incredibly fortunate to find Dr. Eda Gorbis and the Westwood Center for Anxiety Disorders. Our son had been under treatment for OCD since he was 14 with other therapists who meant well, but who were not experts in dealing with this insidious condition. Severe OCD requires intensive treatment by only the most knowledgeable, innovative, and devoted specialists. Through my participation in Dr. Gorbis’ Thursday support group (for present and former patients and their families), I have had the opportunity to see what Dr. Gorbis and her team of therapists have done not just for my son but for countless other patients. I continue to be amazed by the miracles she has accomplished. She thrives on the challenge of the most difficult cases, which medical professionals all over the world have sent to her. Quite often her patients suffer not just from OCD but from other conditions as well, such as depression, bipolar disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, or body dysmorphia, for which she has pioneered a new and highly effective treatment with distorted mirrors that is now followed by a great many other therapists. It has been truly inspiring to see patients ranging in age from preteens to retirees learning to live again after completing intensive treatment with Dr. Gorbis. There is simply no one like her!
Phyllis
A message from Dr. Eda Gorbis
April 19th, 2010Welcome to the Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders, in Los Angeles, CA. The center specializes in the treatment of problems that include body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other anxiety disorders.
True Life: I Hate My Face!
April 19th, 2010What if the very sight of your own face made you disgusted every time you looked at it? That’s the case for many people who suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder – or BDD – a mental illness that causes individuals to obsess endlessly about perceived defects in their physical features. On this episode of True Life, you’ll meet two young women desperate to overcome their distorted self-perceptions so they can move on with their lives.
Pamela spends hours each day focusing on the flaws she sees in her face. She’s convinced a nose job will fix everything, but her family wants Pamela to get therapy instead. Will a plastic surgeon really be able to solve Pam’s problems?
Mandie is a lingerie model who believes her body distracts others from looking at her face. Mandie thinks chin reconstructive surgery will give her the confidence to get married and pursue more traditional modeling gigs — but her fiance is adamantly against it. Will Mandie find a way to make peace with the face she was born with?
They’re trapped by warped images of themselves. Can they ever break free? From MTV’s True Life: I Hate My Face.