I used to hate my appearance. Here's how I learned to accept it

Many of us can find fault with what we see in the mirror - but Charlotte's intense hatred of her appearance began to take over her life in her early teens.

"I'd wake up at 5.30am to put my makeup on even though the school bus wasn't until 8.30am," she says.

"I'd be compulsively applying it, taking it off, reapplying it, taking it off again - trying to get it as symmetrical and perfect as possible."

Charlotte says she began to isolate herself, until she couldn't even face going to college except to sit exams. She didn't go to prom as she couldn't face having her photo taken.

She was eventually diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

Body dysmorphia is a term often used on social media to reflect a person's dissatisfaction with their body. But BDD is when feeling anxious about your appearance starts interfering with your everyday life, says Viren Swami professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University.

It is an obsession with some aspect of your appearance which other people see as normal but to the person experiencing it can feel completely wrong, Swami tells the BBC's complex podcast.

Characteristics of BDD include emotional distress, spending a lot of time ruminating and feeling unable to control thoughts about appearance.

It could also include repetitive behaviours such as checking the mirror or repeatedly touching the part of the body that feels flawed.

"Their entire world narrows down around this aspect of their body and everything else kind of fades away," he says.

Swami says it is much more common for women to experience body dissatisfaction but with BDD there is no clear divide between genders.

Charlotte began therapy at her local mental health service before being admitted to an anxiety disorder residential unit in London.

"I did occupational therapy when I was in impatient treatment, like art and pottery and songwriting, and that's how I got back into music," she says.

"It helped me channel my perfectionism, taking it out of the dark and into the light and dissipating that shame."

Once discharged, she began sharing her story online in the hopes of helping others.

Swami urges those who may be suffering to initially seek support from their GP.

And if you think someone you know is experiencing BDD, he stresses it is important to be patient and empathetic. It is common for them to seek reassurance for their thoughts daily, he explains.

"Rather than shutting down these conversations and getting angry or frustrated about it, recognise BDD is a mental health condition that doesn't just go away on its own and without professional help it can often get worse."

Tilly also developed BDD in her early teens.

"I felt like I wanted to apologise to the people who had walked past me for how ugly I was," she says. "I could never look in a public mirror."

She would avoid tight-fitting clothing and found dressing for festivals and parties "excruciating."

"It would trigger a negative spiral that I couldn't recover from in time for the event."

At first, she thought it was low self-esteem and depression.

"I didn't have the awareness to notice the connection between the different sorts of experiences that were actually all to do with my appearance," she says.

Her BDD symptoms began to worsen when she went to university to study fashion design, as she compared herself to those working in the industry.

This led to dark and distressing thoughts about her appearance, including ongoing feelings of unworthiness.

Tilly had seen various therapists over the years but none which specialised in body image.

She began working with an NHS psychotherapist who identified she had BDD.

Tilly says she joined a support group with the BDD Foundation and worked with a private therapist to help alleviate her symptoms.

She recommends anyone experiencing BDD symptoms to research the condition before discussing their concerns with a doctor.

"This could mean people are able to ask for the right help with more confidence," she adds.

Now, Tilly is able to have more control over her thoughts.

"If I'm looking in the mirror trying to get ready and I don't like what I see, if I even feel that sense of panic coming over me, I can just put a stop to it straight away," she says.

"How I see myself, depending on those different days and moods, isn't how other people see me, they just see me as Tilly."

She says she's seen a total shift in her mindset.

"I found this joy in my life again, and for the first time since childhood I felt love towards myself.'"

Charlotte wants people to know "there is hope out there, you can recover".

"I feel so fulfilled and so happy and so peaceful and I really do love my life now and I never thought I would get here."

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by issues in the story, please visit BBC Action Line to find information on organisations that can help.