What is body dysmorphic disorder?
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a type of somatoform disorder,
a mental illness in which a person has symptoms of a medical
illness, but the symptoms cannot be fully explained by an actual
physical disorder. People with BDD are preoccupied with an imagined
physical defect or a minor defect that others often cannot see.
People with this disorder see themselves as "ugly" and often avoid
social exposure to others or turn to plastic surgery to try to
improve their appearance.
BDD shares some features with eating disorders and
obsessive-compulsive disorder. BDD is similar to eating disorders
in that both involve a concern with body image. However, a person
with an eating disorder worries about weight and the shape of the
entire body, while a person with BDD is concerned about a specific
body part. BDD is a long-term (chronic) disorder that affects men
and women equally. It usually begins during the teen years or early
adulthood.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that
traps people in endless cycles of thoughts and behaviors. People
with OCD have recurring and distressing thoughts, fears or images
(obsessions) that they cannot control. The anxiety (nervousness)
produced by these thoughts leads to an urgent need to perform
certain rituals or routines (compulsions). Similarly, with BDD, a
person's preoccupation with the defect often leads to
ritualistic behaviors, such as constantly looking in a mirror or
picking at the skin. The person with BDD eventually becomes so
obsessed with the defect that his or her social, work, and home
functioning suffers.
The most common areas of concern for people with BDD
include:
- Skin imperfections -- These include wrinkles, scars, acne,
and blemishes.
- Hair -- This might include head or body hair or absence of
hair.
- Facial features -- Very often this involves the nose, but
it also might involve the shape and size of any feature.
Other areas of concern include the size of the penis, muscles,
breasts, thighs, buttocks, and the presence of certain body
odors.
What are the symptoms of BDD?
People with BDD have distorted views of themselves, which can
lead to harmful or socially avoidant behaviors or repeated attempts
to correct perceived problems through surgery. Some of the warning
signs that a person may have BDD include the following:
- Engaging in repetitive and time-consuming behaviors, such as
looking in a mirror, picking at the skin, and trying to hide or
cover up the defect
- Constantly asking for reassurance that the defect is not
visible or too obvious
- Repeatedly measuring or touching the defect
- Experiencing problems at work or school, or in relationships
due to the inability to stop focusing about the defect
- Feeling self-conscious and not wanting to go out in public, or
feeling anxious when around other people
- Repeatedly consulting with medical specialists, such as plastic
surgeons or dermatologists, to find ways to improve his or her
appearance