Not many people may know, but 3 years ago I was diagnosed with Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). BDD is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance, around 450,000 people in the UK alone suffer from this condition. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others but for me there are times when I can look in a mirror and see a different reflection looking back at me.

At the time I was probably in the darkest place of my life. I hadn’t been diagnosed at this point and each day was like rollercoaster going from feeling absolutely fine  to feeling like I didn’t want to leave the house. Ultimately, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety but with the support counsellors, family and friends I’ve become much better at managing the condition. Don’t get me wrong there are still some really low days but right now, I feel better and in a much better place. However, there are plenty of people out there who don’t know that there is help available and I want to raise
awareness.

I was due to start at the beginning of January however I will be away so decided to start from the 9^th of January until the 11^th of April I’m planning to complete a 3-month sober challenge for the BDD Foundation. Following this I, along with some of the boys at Leigh miners along with family, will be completing a 3-hour circuit class at Try Fitness with the help of Micky Higham.

BDD Foundation are the only charity in the world who solely focus on support and helping people who struggle with this condition. More than anything I hope this gets some exposure and reaches out to people who may be living with this but suffering in silence. As they are only a small charity any donation makes a huge difference.

For anybody who knows me this wont be an easy challenge as near on every weekend I am out on the beers, So my stance is if I fail to complete the full duration I have agreed to, I will match the amount which has already been raised.

Throughout the 3 months I will be trying to arrange different fundraisers so please keep your eyes peeled.