Body Dysmorphia

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a complex mental health condition that can significantly impact a person’s life. Continue reading to learn more about BDD, its causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition characterized by an intense preoccupation with perceived flaws or defects in one’s appearance. These flaws are often minor or not noticeable to others, but individuals with BDD experience significant distress and anxiety about them.

Signs and Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

People with BDD may spend excessive amounts of time worrying about specific aspects of their appearance, which can lead to repetitive behaviors like mirror checking, excessive grooming, skin picking, or reassurance seeking. These behaviors can significantly impact a person’s daily life, causing them to avoid social situations, miss work or school, and experience social isolation.

Other signs and symptoms of BDD include:

• Preoccupation with appearance, including excessive focus on a specific aspect as a perceived flaw.
• Constant comparison to others.
• Distorted perception of self. People with BDD may see themselves as ugly or deformed, even when other people see them as normal or attractive.
• Perfectionist tendencies, like setting unrealistically high standards for appearance.

In addition, people with BDD may search for solutions to their issue by investing in cosmetic treatments that they don’t need, like braces or splints, or meeting with multiple cosmetic surgeons.

Causes of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Researchers aren’t quite sure what causes BDD, but according to Mayo Clinic, genes could play a role. The disorder is more common in people with family members who also have the disorder, so there may be a genetic marker that’s passed from one generation to the next that causes these disruptive thought patterns.

Research suggests that unusual brain patterns could play a role. Researchers used specialized equipment to examine the brains of 14 people with BDD, measuring electrical activity while people looked at photos of their bodies. The researchers found that people with BDD had lower levels of activity in some parts of the brain when compared to participants without body dysmorphic disorder.

But this shift in thinking isn’t benign. People with BDD have severe lifestyle disruptions as they don’t have enough time to handle daily life and the demands of the disorder. The hours they spend looking at or attempting to fix the perceived problem are hours they should be spending in activities that bring them prosperity or joy. They can lose relationships, jobs, and opportunities because they can’t shift their thoughts to something that’s rewarding.

Risk Factors for BDD

In addition to the genetic causes for body dysmorphic disorder, there are several other risk factors that increase the risk of developing BDD. These include:

• Psychological and environmental factors. Childhood experiences, such as bullying, societal pressures from exposure to unrealistic beauty standards, and personality traits like low self-esteem can all play a role in the development or worsening of BDD.
• Age of onset. BDD typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood.
• Gender. While BDD affects both women and men, some studies suggest that men may be more likely to experience muscle dysmorphia — a very specific type of BDD focused on perceived flaws in muscle size or definition.
• Co-occurring mental health conditions. Body dysmorphic disorder often coexists with other mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.

Treatment Options for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

The primary treatment option for BDD involve a combination of evidence-based therapy and medication. However, each person’s treatment plan will be tailored to their specific needs and symptom severity. Therapies for body dysmorphic disorder can include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This is considered the most effect form of psychotherapy for BDD. CBT helps individuals identify and challenge disordered thoughts about their appearance, reduce compulsive behaviors, and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): This is a specific CBT technique that involves gradually exposing individuals to situations that trigger anxiety or distress about their appearance while resisting the urge to engage in compulsive behaviors.
• Other therapies for BDD: Depending on the person’s needs, other therapies like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) or mindfulness-based therapy may also be helpful.

This kind of work takes time to complete, and sometimes, it’s best for people to do that work in an inpatient setting. Here, people work on changing thoughts and behaviors around the clock, and they’re free of daily stresses

Self-Care Tips for People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Patience and persistence is the key to successful recovery from BDD. Recovery is possible, but it takes time, which is why it’s important for individuals struggling with BDD to practice good self-care. Tips for positive self-care include:

• Identify and challenge negative thoughts about appearance when they arise and question their validity.
• Practice positive affirmations to counter negative thoughts.
• Focus on non-appearance related qualities to remind yourself that positive qualities have nothing to do with appearance.
• Reduce compulsive behaviors, such as limiting mirror checking, resisting the urge to camouflage, and avoid comparison.
• Practice mindfulness and self-compassion.
• Engage in esteem-boosting activities like pursuing hobbies and interests, connecting with supportive people, and volunteering.
• Getting enough sleep and eating a balanced diet.