Body Dysmorphia

 

A report by the professionals at Brown University, USA suggested that about 0.7% to 2.4% of the general population suffers from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), which is more common than the prevalence of other disorders like schizophrenia or anorexia nervosa. Adolescents and younger adults show a higher prevalence rate of about 2-13% as compared to the other age groups, based on various clinical and non-clinical studies. 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder, also termed as Body Dysmorphia, is a distinctive mental health issue which involves pre-occupation with an “imagined” physical defect or some minor deformity that often goes unnoticed by others. Owing to such thought process, people with this disorder perceive themselves as being “ugly” or “not-good-looking” which often leads to avoidance of interpersonal interactions. People also take their refuge in plastic/cosmetic surgery in an attempt to improve their appearance.

Common areas of concern (real or perceived) include:

  • Hair – Presence or absence of hair (head or body)

  • Facial features – Most common area of concern involves the nose, but there can be other areas involved too

  • Body weight – Obsession with muscle tone and weight (more or less)

  • Imperfections of skin – Acne, wrinkles, scars, blemishes, stretch marks, to name a few

  • Other areas – size of breasts, penis, muscles, thighs, buttocks and presence of body odors

There can be biological (genetic predispositions, family history, specific brain areas that process information about body appearance ), psychological (comorbidity with major depression, eating disorder, OCD, anxiety, low self esteem, past experience of trauma and emotional conflict, etc.) and environmental (emphasis of an “ideal body image” by the society i.e, equating worth and success with having a certain appearance and features and the same being promoted by social media and other influences such as peers) predisposing factors that can lead to such disorders.

SYMPTOMS

BDD is considered to be related to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is a form of anxiety disorder. OCD involves obsessions (uncontrollable upsetting thoughts) and their resulting compulsions (cetain activities that are done ritualisticaly). In BDD as well, a person can be pre-occupied with the perceived/real defect that they start performing ritualistic activities, such as looking in the mirror all the time or picking their skin. Such behaviors and thoughts can have an effect on their work, home and social life. Some accompanying symptoms of BDD are as follows:

  • Pre-occupation withcertain flaws or defects that might go unnoticed by others in the physical appearance

  • Constant engagement in repetitive and time consuming behaviours like picking at the skin, looking in the mirror or covering up those defects

  • Constantly seeking re-assurance from others that whether the defect is visible or not

  • Facing issues in personal and professional front because they cannot shift their focus from the defect

  • Being self-conscious, not wanting to go out in public or being anxious when in interpersonal settings

  • Repeated consultations with medical specialists like plastic surgeons, cosmetologists or dermatologists in order to improve their appearance

TREATMENT:

For the issues concerned, effective therapeutic tools are available that work towards developing healthy attitudes towards physical appearnce and dealing with the resulting obsessions and compulsions. A lot of effort is put in enhancing self-worth and self-esteem, and psychotherapeutic techniques such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) along with psychoeducation work wonders. CBT aims to identify negative thoughts, emotional reactions and behaviours as well as works towards challenging those thoughts and learning alternative behaviours to eradicate the rituals associated with BDD. ERP, as the name suggests works on the principles of systematic desensitisation wherein the clients, in a step by step manner, come to terms with the fear associated with these obsessions and deal with them using alternate responses as compared to the ritualistic compulsions. In addition to this, Insight oriented therapies and Mindfulness techniques can lead to relaxation and building interpersonal relations as well as an effective tolerance of distress.

 

Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.

About MindTribe.in.

MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.

About the Author.

Simran Aurora is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.

Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.