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| 'Selfie obsessed' teenager Danny Bowman suicidal after failing to capture 'perfect selfie' | |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| A teenager became so obsessed with taking the perfect selfie that he tried to kill himself when his efforts failed. | A teenager became so obsessed with taking the perfect selfie that he tried to kill himself when his efforts failed. |
| Danny Bowman, 19, would spend 10 hours a day taking up to 200 photos of himself on his iPhone. | Danny Bowman, 19, would spend 10 hours a day taking up to 200 photos of himself on his iPhone. |
| The teenager dropped out of school, remained housebound for six months and lost two stone in an attempt to capture the perfect self-portrait. | The teenager dropped out of school, remained housebound for six months and lost two stone in an attempt to capture the perfect self-portrait. |
| Danny eventually became so depressed that he took an overdose, but he was discovered by his mother Penny and rushed to hospital. | Danny eventually became so depressed that he took an overdose, but he was discovered by his mother Penny and rushed to hospital. |
| He told the Mirror : “I was constantly in search of taking the perfect selfie and when I realised I couldn’t I wanted to die. I lost my friends, my education, my health and almost my life." | |
| Danny, who is believed to be Britain’s first selfie addict, underwent intensive hospital therapy to combat his technology addiction, OCD and Body Dysmorphic Disorder – a form of anxiety that causes sufferers to worry excessively about their appearance. | Danny, who is believed to be Britain’s first selfie addict, underwent intensive hospital therapy to combat his technology addiction, OCD and Body Dysmorphic Disorder – a form of anxiety that causes sufferers to worry excessively about their appearance. |
| He started posting selfies to Facebook at the age of 15, but found his addiction spiralling out of control after his aspirations of being a male model were dashed by a rejection at a casting session for a agency in 2011. | He started posting selfies to Facebook at the age of 15, but found his addiction spiralling out of control after his aspirations of being a male model were dashed by a rejection at a casting session for a agency in 2011. |
| It was the beginning of a two-year addiction that culminated in his suicide attempt. | It was the beginning of a two-year addiction that culminated in his suicide attempt. |
| But the teenager is not alone. Dr David Veal, a psychiatrist at the London clinic where Danny was treated, told the Mirror: “Danny’s case is particularly extreme. But this is a serious problem. It’s not a vanity issue. It’s a mental health one which has an extremely high suicide rate.” | But the teenager is not alone. Dr David Veal, a psychiatrist at the London clinic where Danny was treated, told the Mirror: “Danny’s case is particularly extreme. But this is a serious problem. It’s not a vanity issue. It’s a mental health one which has an extremely high suicide rate.” |
| Danny said he hopes that by speaking out he can help others whose lives are being ruined by an unhealthy relationship with social media. | Danny said he hopes that by speaking out he can help others whose lives are being ruined by an unhealthy relationship with social media. |
| “People don’t realise when they post a picture of themselves on Facebook or Twitter it can so quickly spiral out of control. It becomes a mission to get approval and it can destroy anyone,” he said. | “People don’t realise when they post a picture of themselves on Facebook or Twitter it can so quickly spiral out of control. It becomes a mission to get approval and it can destroy anyone,” he said. |
| “It’s a real problem like drugs, alcohol or gambling. I don’t want anyone to go through what I’ve been through.” | “It’s a real problem like drugs, alcohol or gambling. I don’t want anyone to go through what I’ve been through.” |