Tallulah Willis, the youngest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, is opening up about her struggles with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
The 27-year-old posted to Instagram on May 16 about the years she spent being hyper-focused on her appearance. Since birth, she was told she looked exactly like her dad, she explained in the post. So she "punished" herself for not looking more like her mom.
Tallulah-Willis-Body-Dysmorphia-GettyImages-1163661050
Tallulah also shared that over time, she has learned "aging happens without your control, time passes and your face can change" and that "you need to soothe the wound within your soul before trying to 'fix' the outsides."
Her comments section flooded with support and appreciation for her candidness, including from Demi Moore herself who wrote, "Beautifully realized, Beautifully expressed, Beautiful to witness."
Tallulah has been open about her body dysmorphia for years, sharing her struggle as far back as 2014, Health previously reported. She's not alone; this mental health disorder strikes one out of every 50 people, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. BDD is defined as having an unhealthy and excessive preoccupation with your physical appearance.
RELATED: Diet Culture in the Age of Body Positivity
In her post, Tallulah included a list of things that help her when she is in a "BDD spiral," including putting a towel over the mirror, taking mirrors down, and putting in place self-boundaries so she can only look in the mirror when she's brushing her teeth and washing her face. Other strategies she uses to manage her BDD are:
- Taking breaks from social media
- Reading fantasy fiction books
- Finding a safe person, circle, or community with whom she can vocalize the triggering moment/current obsession/spiral
- Going for a walk and listening to music
- Taking a bath and using body oil/lotion
- Writing (“Word vomit EVERYTHING that is gurgling within your mind onto a piece of paper and then tear it up or burn it. Let it flow out of you and no longer take up the precious space in your mind,” she says.)
- Breathing (“Close your eyes. REMEMBER that you are allowed to take things 5 minutes at a time. for as long as you need to,” she wrote.)
RELATED: What Are Curated Imperfections—and How Do They Fit Into the Body Positivity Movement?
Tallulah included a message for anyone else who might also have BBD, writing: "We all want to feel good, and confident but when it creeps into a deeper, spookier place where it begins to devour your essence bit by bit, ask for help. Do not feel ashamed, this is not a 'stupid, vain issue' this is a genuine psychological pain and I see you so clearly and witness the validity in your struggle."
To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter