Do you have trouble looking in the mirror? Do you feel like you are not good enough, no matter what you do? If so, you may be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder. This condition affects many people and can lead to a great deal of distress. This blog post will discuss body dysmorphia in detail and provide a quiz to help you determine if you have it.
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Overview
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms
- BDD: Body Parts that Matter
- Causes of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- Risk factors of BDD
- When to See a Doctor
- How to diagnose Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- Treating Body Dysmorphia
- How to prevent Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Overview
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health disorder in which you can’t stop worrying about one or more perceived imperfections in your look. This flaw appears trivial or is invisible to others. This may sound petty to others; however, this distorted vision of yourself may lead you to avoid numerous social interactions because you are embarrassed, humiliated, or nervous.
When you have body dysmorphic disorder, you obsess about your appearance and body image, checking the mirror, grooming, or seeking reassurance frequently throughout the day, often for several hours. Your perceived fault and repeating actions give you substantial discomfort and influence your capacity to function in everyday life.
You could try a variety of cosmetic treatments to “correct” your perceived defect. Following that, you may feel transient pleasure or reduce your suffering. Still, the worry typically returns, and you may begin looking for additional methods to correct your perceived mistake.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms
Among the signs and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder are:
- Being obsessed (developing obsessive-compulsive disorder) with a perceived defect in one’s appearance that, to others, is not visible or seems insignificant
- A firm conviction that you have a flaw in your look that renders you ugly or deformed
- A belief that people make a critical comment about your looks or ridicule you
- Engaging in difficult-to-control habits aimed at repairing or concealing the perceived imperfection, such as frequent mirror checking, grooming, or skin picking
- Using style, cosmetics, or clothing to conceal apparent defects
- You are constantly comparing your physical appearance to that of others.
- You are seeking reinforcement about your looks from people regularly.
- Possessing perfectionist inclinations
- Interested in cosmetic procedures but dissatisfied with the results
- Staying away from social gatherings due to self-doubt (developing social anxiety disorder)
BDD: Body Parts that Matter
Preoccupation with your looks, as well as obsessive thoughts and repetitive actions, can be unwelcome, challenging to manage, and time-consuming, causing significant unhappiness or issues in your social life, employment, school, or other areas of functioning.
If you struggle with one of the most common mental health disorders that can easily affect your social life, you can be too focused on one or more portions of your body. The aspect on which you concentrate may change over time.
Here are the most prevalent body features that individuals obsess on are:
- Nose, complexion, wrinkles, acne, and other imperfections on the face
- Hair characteristics such as appearance, thinning, or balding
- The look of skin and veins
- Size of the breasts
- Muscle mass and muscle tone (arms and abs)
- Genitalia
Causes of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
It is unknown precisely what causes body dysmorphic disorder. Like many other mental health illnesses, BDD can be caused by a mix of factors, including a family history of the condition, brain abnormalities, and unfavorable assessments or experiences regarding your body or self-image.
The cause of body dysmorphia is also thought to be a combination of environmental, psychological, and biological factors. Bullying or teasing may create or foster feelings of inadequacy, shame, and fear of ridicule.
Risk factors of BDD
This mental health condition often begins in early adolescence and affects males and girls.
Certain risk factors appear to enhance the likelihood of acquiring or triggering body dysmorphic disorder, including:
- Having relatives who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Negative life experiences (like childhood taunting, neglect, or abuse)
- Perfectionism, for example, is a personality attribute.
- Beauty standards or societal pressure
- Having another mental illness, such as anxiety or depression
When to See a Doctor
You may avoid getting therapy for body dysmorphic disorder due to feelings of shame and embarrassment about your looks. However, consult your primary care physician or a mental health specialist if you see any signs or symptoms.
Body dysmorphic disorder does not usually improve on its own. If neglected, it can worsen over time, resulting in anxiety, high medical costs, severe sadness, and even suicidal thoughts and conduct.
How to diagnose Body Dysmorphic Disorder
BDD is diagnosed by a mental health professional based on your symptoms and how much they disrupt your life.
To be diagnosed with BDD, you must:
You must undergo a body dysmorphic disorder test. This screening questionnaire measures the severity of your symptoms, so you can use it before and after any treatment and provide feedback on whether your symptoms have improved or not. It also measures your being too worried about a minor or nonexistent physical imperfection.- Your thoughts concerning your physical imperfection must be serious enough to interfere with your capacity to function properly.
- Other mental health illnesses must be checked out as a possible source of your symptoms. Other mental health conditions are more frequent in persons with BDD. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety, depression, and eating disorders are among them.
Treating Body Dysmorphia
Reliable mental health professionals will decide the specific therapy for BDD based on the following factors:
- The scope of the issue (your score on the body dysmorphia quiz also matters)
- Your age, overall health, and medical history are all critical considerations.
- Your tolerance for particular medications, treatments, or therapies
- Expectations regarding the disorder’s progression
- The viewpoints of the healthcare practitioners who are engaged in your care
- Your thoughts and preferences
How to prevent Body Dysmorphic Disorder
As of the moment, there is no recognized cure for body dysmorphic disorder.
However, because body dysmorphic disorder frequently begins in the early adolescent years, detecting the disease and initiating therapy early may be beneficial.
Long-term maintenance therapy may also aid in the prevention of relapses of body dysmorphic disorder symptoms.
Invasive plastic or cosmetic surgery procedures to cover up insecurities or correct a perceived flaw rarely helps. If you have a child or teenager who seems overly worried about their appearance and needs constant reassurance, talk with your healthcare provider. If you have symptoms of BDD yourself, talk with your healthcare provider or mental health professional.
References:
https://bddfoundation.org/information/do-i-have-bdd-test/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353938
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/body-dysmorphic-disorder
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-body-dysmorphic-disorder-ncna882901
