Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition in which a person can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in their appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others. But a person may feel so embarrassed, ashamed and anxious that they may avoid many social situations.
When a person has body dysmorphic disorder, they intensely focus on their appearance and body image, repeatedly checking the mirror, grooming or seeking reassurance, sometimes for many hours each day. Their perceived flaw and the repetitive behaviors cause them significant distress and impact their ability to function in their daily life.
This person may seek out numerous cosmetic procedures to try to "fix" the perceived flaw. Afterward, they may feel temporary satisfaction or a reduction in their distress, but often the anxiety returns and they may resume searching for other ways to fix the perceived flaw.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder include:
Being extremely preoccupied with a perceived flaw in appearance that to others can't be seen or appears minor
Strong belief that you have a defect in your appearance that makes you ugly or deformed
Belief that others take special notice of your appearance in a negative way or mock you
Engaging in behaviors aimed at fixing or hiding the perceived flaw that are difficult to resist or control, such as frequently checking the mirror, grooming or skin picking
Attempting to hide perceived flaws with styling, makeup or clothes
Constantly comparing your appearance with others
Frequently seeking reassurance about your appearance from others
Having perfectionist tendencies
Seeking cosmetic procedures with little satisfaction
Avoiding social situations
Preoccupation with your appearance and excessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors can be unwanted, difficult to control and so time-consuming that they can cause major distress or problems in your social life, work, school or other areas of functioning.
A person may excessively focus over one or more parts of the body. The bodily feature that they focus on may change over time. The most common features people tend to fixate about include:
Face, such as nose, complexion, wrinkles, acne and other blemishes
Hair, such as appearance, thinning and baldness
Skin and vein appearance
Breast size
Muscle size and tone
Genitalia
A preoccupation with your body build being too small or not muscular enough (muscle dysmorphia) occurs almost exclusively in males.
Insight about body dysmorphic disorder varies. A person with this condition may recognize that their beliefs about their perceived flaws may be excessive or not be true, or think that they probably are true, or be absolutely convinced that they're true. The more convinced they are of their beliefs, the more distress and disruption they may experience in their life.
Treatment Options
Specific treatment for BDD will be determined by your healthcare provider based on the following:
The extent of the problem
Your age, overall health, and medical history
Your tolerance for specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
Expectations for the course of the disorder
The opinion of the healthcare providers involved in your care
Your opinion and preference
Treatment for BDD may include talk therapy or medicines. The best treatment is probably a combination of the two. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective talk therapy. In CBT, you work with a mental health professional to replace negative thoughts and thought patterns with positive thoughts. Antidepressant medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors usually work best for BDD.