Table of Contents
What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a disorder related to mental health in which you continuously think about the flaws in your appearance that are minor or even unnoticed.
But it still makes you embarrassed, ashamed, and uncomfortable due to which you avoid social gatherings and try to live more of introverted life.
Getting intensely involved in a perceived physical defect that is not even noticeable by others or is barely visible.
Symptoms-
- A strong belief that you have a defect in your appearance that makes your look ugly.
- Assuming that people mock your appearance and find you unattractive.
- Practicing activities aiming at hiding the defects you think you have.
Example – continuously seeing in the mirror, grooming yourself, etc. - Using makeup, stylish clothes, etc. for hiding your flaws.
- Doing a constant comparison of your looks with others.
- Seeking time to time assurance of your appearance from others and feeling uncomfortable about yourself.
- Thinking of looking perfect every time.
- Having a strong attraction towards cosmetics and still not getting satisfied.
- Preventing yourselves from being a part of social situations.
The most common things people tend to fix are –
- Body, face, nose, color, pimples, etc.
- Factors like – size of the chest, height, etc.
Thoughts about Body Dysmorphic Disorder are different from person to person, the level of distress and disappointment depends on the level of faults you think you have.
Causes-
There are no such causes of Body Dysmorphic Disorder identified to date, but still, some of the factors contributing to its causes are –
- Genetics
- Personality Traits
- Biotic Factors
- Neurology
- Your Environment
- Social issues
It is caused by an interconnected mixture of factors.
Risk factors-
It starts in the early teens and affects both genders.
Several factors increasing the risk of having a body dysmorphic disorder are –
- Have a blood connection with the illness or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Negative life experiences, such as teasing, neglect, or child abuse.
- Specific personality features, such as being perfect.
- The pressure of society or high expectations of looking beautiful.
- Have some other mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
Complications-
The major problems occurring with an individual having body dysmorphic disorder are-
- Panic Attacks including – anxiety, social anxiety, etc.
- C.D – Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
- Various Eating disorders
- Immense Depression and a gradual decrease in concentration.
- Unwanted thoughts like suicide etc.
- Suffering from health problems like skin picking, hating your skin, etc.
How are people affected by Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder –
- Find themselves ugly and unattractive.
- Continuously think about their flaws.
- Do not attend work, school, or any other social gatherings to prevent yourself from seeing others.
- Some people even undergo plastic surgeries to improve their appearance.
Who becomes the prey of Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is not an infectious disease, instead of this, it is something generating from your negative thoughts about yourself.
It starts from the early teenage period as this is the period when children start observing each other and comparison. This disorder is a chronic condition that is long term.
Treatment-
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is cured by using cognitive therapy of behavior and some other medications.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
This therapy pays attention to the following factors-
- Discussing the problems created by negative thoughts, emotional feelings, etc.
- Giving your negative thoughts a challenge and paying attention to other positive ways of thinking.
- Finding various ways to deal with desires seeking assurance of others.
- Giving you various ways and alternatives to deal with social gatherings and people.
- You can with your therapist discuss your problems and share things and include your family members too.
Medications
There are no such specified medications and treatments formed by the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A) for the treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors(SSRIs) are antidepressants used for the treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
It generally takes about 12 weeks for SSRIs to show their effect.
There are few other medications for treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder depending on the symptoms.
Hospitalization
Few cases are severe and require some hospitalization that happens when you are completely away from your responsibilities and can harm yourselves.
Some Facts you should know about Body Dysmorphic Disorder-
1-How severe can Body Dysmorphic Disorder be?
The answer to this question depends from person to person, Body Dysmorphic Disorder has severe effects on people who are divorced and single.
This means that this mental illness starts when an individual is idle.
2-Cosmetic Surgery and Body Dysmorphic Disorder
The rate of Body Dysmorphic Disorder patients is meant to be higher in people who have undergone cosmetic surgery or any dental work.
The reason behind this is that according to them their flaws might be gone but somewhere they are still dealing with those flaws psychologically.
3-Suicide and Body Dysmorphic Disorder –
This mental illness creates an immensely negative impact on the patients leading to suicides as they become helpless and lose their will to live.
In such cases, the person should start taking medications or seeking help as soon as possible.
4-Body Dysmorphic Disorder requires attention but at the same time can destroy your life
This mental illness asks for attention, but once the patient starts paying attention to his/her issues then it becomes difficult for him to stop hating himself.
That feeling of hatred and disgust is not managed well.
Some myths about Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- Myth – It is mostly heard that B.D.D is an Eating Disorder.
Reality – It is a mental illness/disorder, basically an anxiety disorder. - Myth – Body Dysmorphic Disorder decreases or vanishes with an increase in age.
Reality – B.D.D is a common adolescent disorder, its effects increase as a person becomes an adult and gets even worse with time if treatment is not done. - Myth – Doing plastic surgery will increase your self-confidence and help you fight against B.D.D.
Reality – Undergoing plastic surgery is just a symptom of Body Dysmorphia, do not misunderstand it with the cure.
So this was all about Body Dysmorphic Disorder (Body Dysmorphia) in teens and adults. We hope you found the information helpful and worthy of your time.
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