Individuals with very obvious and immediately-noticeable defects should not be diagnosed with BDD, however culture and clinician bias may play a significant part in the subjectivity behind determining what physical appearance is considered 'normal' and in whom the disorder is diagnosed.
Quoted from wikipedia, but as far as I know that is accurate. The thing with me is I do know my head and facial features are quite deviant from the average - but it's a gray area as some people seem to key on it right away and others do not seem to notice, and although I have yet to consult a doctor, I'm sure I would not get a universal answer.
From reading forums I gather it varies on the autistic spectrum - some people's facial appearance allows them to come across as completely normal whereas others can be mistakenly thought of as stoned or "slow", and you could probably make a list.
Well, I know the symptoms well enough to know the type of crippling depression, fixation, avoidance and self-hatred are what I've been going through for the last four years; it's a double whammy on top of being on the autistic spectrum.
Does anyone have feedback or experiences to share so I can talk about this with someone?