Body Dysmorphic Disorder - BDD

Body Dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is psychological disorder, which makes the patients obsessive about their lo0oks, in fact they rue on an imagined defect in their appearance which they think makes them look ugly and heinous. They have a strong negative feeling regarding their appearance and that prevents them from a normal lifestyle. In spite of continuous reassurances about their looks they look fine the patients fail to understand it. Like most of the Psychological disorders, Body Dysmorphic Disorder can also be treated with a combination of medicines and counseling. Medications and talking are the methods of probing that help the patient to come out with the reasons behind the firm belief that they have regarding their looks. Gradually the patients are brought face to face with the reality and they consequently start living a normal life wherein they reveal themselves as confidant and smart individuals without any trace of complex.

Signs and Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

The Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder are some of the very obvious ones that can be associated with a disorder that involves the patient being obsessed with his/her looks and the symptoms are as follows:

• Constantly touching the face and picking at the skin to level it
• Checking the mirror frequently, also in the glass doors and windows
• Obsessive watching the celebrity whose looks the patient appreciates and thinks is flawless
• Constantly seeking reassurance from people around
• At times patients fail to look at their own reflection in mirrors and glasses.
• Most of the patients do not want to socialize, there is a marked withdrawal symptom in them and they also feel depressed most of the time.
• Patients also show obsession with the corrective techniques like Plastic Surgery and like.
• Patients also constantly compare their looks with the looks of other people.
• Patients use their hands to hide their flaws and defects.
• BDD patients also wear accessories like hats and masks to hide their flaws.
• Patients also go through elaborate grooming sessions. Frequent the salons and beauty spas more than normal.
• Dangerously the patients of BDD are desperate enough to go ahead and perform surgeries on themselves like plastic surgery, liposuction and like which are bound to lead to fatal situations.

At times patients of BDD also try to commit suicide

Causes of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

There are various causes behind BDD and some of them are as follows but most of the causes are not physical, they are related to the psyche of a person, which might have been disturbed due to a certain reason. Let us check what the causes are:

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Anxiety Disorder
• Cultural Aspects
• Chemical Imbalance in the brain
• Eating Disorder

The disorder arises from one of these factors which create an inferiority complex in people, like if somebody hails from a race that has dark people and comes to a place where there are only fair skinned people, a complex might arise. Similarly if there is an eating disorder one might feel that he or she is too fat or too thin. There are specific features, which mostly become the region of concern like the nose, hair, skin, thighs, legs, teeth, breasts, genitals, chins, eyebrows and fingers.

Treatment of body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Most of the time antidepressants are given by the doctors to these patients to calm them. BDD or Body Dysmorphic Disorder also can be cured with the help of curative therapy, which can take all the negative feelings out of one’s mind and body so that the thinking procedure can be changed. Patients are taught to check their thoughts and control or channelize them towards a positive direction.