Battling Body Dysmorphic Disorder

It takes hours for you to get ready for work. You constantly stare in the mirror and look for flaws.  Your forehead is too wide. You try wearing bangs to hide it. But you are still aware of it. You could have a condition known as body dysmorphic disorder.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a condition where you become anxious and obsessed with a perceived flaw to the point where this obsession interferes with your ability to function normally.

People with BDD avoid social gatherings and interacting with others. They are also anxious, ashamed, depressed, and may harbor thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Some symptoms of BDD may include:

·       Seeing yourself as “ugly.”

·       Thinking about your perceived flaws for hours each day.

·       Missing work or school because you don’t want others to see you.

·       Avoiding spending time with family and friends.

·       Having plastic surgery (possible multiple surgeries) to try to improve your appearance.

·       Experiencing severe emotional distress and harmful behaviors.

Body dysmorphic disorder affects 1 in 50 people. In the United States, an estimated 5 million to 10 million people have this condition. It may even be more common than these numbers represent. People with body dysmorphic disorder may be reluctant to discuss their symptoms and may not receive a diagnosis.

BDD affects both sexes. The condition often occurs during the teen years or early adulthood when they are adjusting to changes in their bodies and sensitive to comments about their looks. Bullying and teasing someone about being fat, dark or less attractive than their siblings or friends can leave a vulnerable teen feeling inadequate and ashamed.

BDD is a chronic and long-term condition. Having unusually high levels of brain chemicals as well as a family history of BDD are other risk factors for the body-image disorder.

The exact cause of BDD is not known. One theory suggests that there are problems with certain neurotransmitters (chemicals that help nerve cells in the brain send messages to each other). BDD occurs in people with other mental health disorders, such as major depression and anxiety, which helps support this theory.

The condition has many red flags. Besides the antisocial behavior, obsessing over a specific body part or physical feature is a classic symptom of BDD.

This means that a person could keep checking herself in the mirror, covering the perceived flaw with a mask, makeup or scarf, exercising obsessively and seeking reassurance from others yet not believing them when they say she is okay.

In more extreme cases, a person could engage in self-harm (cutting, picking at skin), cosmetic surgery that leaves her dissatisfied with the results or worse, suicidal thoughts.

It can be difficult to diagnose this disorder because people feel shame and are secretive about their feelings and symptoms. They may feel embarrassed and choose not to tell their doctors about their symptoms. The disorder may go unnoticed for years. Many people with BDD don’t receive a diagnosis.

One sign providers and family members may notice is a person repeatedly seeking plastic surgery for a physical defect that they think they have.

BDD is treatable. A combination of prescription drugs (specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and talk therapy with an experienced mental health professional has yielded promising results.

In talk therapy (or cognitive behavioral therapy), a psychotherapist helps correct a patient’s thinking about her perceived imperfections by leading her to embrace positive thoughts. Group therapy (with the patient’s family involved) allows parents and siblings to better understand what BDD is and what they can do for the patient to surmount this disorder.

Treatment for BDD is a long-term process that requires the patience and commitment of the patient and mental health professional. The goal is to gradually get a person to return to her normal, everyday activities at home, school, work and in social settings. If she can learn to accept her appearance and be at peace with it, perceived flaws and all, even better.