Having BDD does not mean you're vain or self-obsessed. It can be very upsetting and have a big impact on your life. BDD can seriously affect your daily life, including your work, social life and relationships.
BDD can also lead to depression , self-harm and even thoughts of suicide. They'll probably ask a number of questions about your symptoms and how they affect your life. You may be treated by the GP, or they may refer you to a mental health specialist for further assessment and treatment.
It can be very difficult to seek help for BDD, but it's important to remember that you have nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. Getting help is important because your symptoms probably will not go away without treatment and may get worse. If your symptoms are relatively mild, you should be referred for a type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy CBT , which you have either on your own or in a group.
If you have moderate symptoms, you should be offered either CBT or a type of antidepressant medicine called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI. It helps you learn what triggers your symptoms, and teaches you different ways of thinking about and dealing with your habits.
You and your therapist will agree on goals for the therapy and work together to try to reach them. This involves gradually facing situations that would normally make you think obsessively about your appearance and feel anxious.
Your therapist will help you to find other ways of dealing with your feelings in these situations so that, over time, you become able to deal with them without feeling self-conscious or afraid.
The best treatment is probably a combination of the two. Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT is the most effective talk therapy. In CBT, you work with a mental health professional to replace negative thoughts and thought patterns with positive thoughts. Antidepressant medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors usually work best for BDD.
The best way to prevent BDD from becoming a serious problem is to catch it early. BDD tends to get worse with age. Plastic surgery to correct a body flaw rarely helps. If you have a child or teenager who seems overly worried about his or her appearance and needs constant reassurance, talk with your healthcare provider. If you have symptoms of BDD yourself, talk with your healthcare provider or a mental health professional.
Treatment for BDD can be a long-term commitment. Health Home Conditions and Diseases. What causes body dysmorphic disorder? What are the risk factors for body dysmorphic disorder? Factors that may contribute to BDD include: A family history of BDD or a similar mental disorder Abnormal levels of brain chemicals Personality type Life experiences What are the symptoms for body dysmorphic disorder?
Symptoms of BDD include: Constantly checking yourself in the mirror Avoiding mirrors Trying to hide your body part under a hat, scarf, or makeup Constantly exercising or grooming Constantly comparing yourself with others Always asking other people whether you look OK Not believing other people when they say you look fine Avoiding social activities Not going out of the house, especially in the daytime Seeing many healthcare providers about your appearance Having unnecessary plastic surgeries Picking at your skin with fingers or tweezers Feeling anxious, depressed, and ashamed Thinking of suicide How is body dysmorphic disorder diagnosed?
To be diagnosed with BDD: You must be abnormally concerned about a small or nonexistent body flaw Your thoughts about your body flaw must be severe enough that they interfere with your ability to live normally Other mental health disorders must be ruled out as a cause of your symptoms There are other mental health disorders that are common in people with BDD.
How is body dysmorphic disorder treated? Specific treatment for BDD will be determined by your healthcare provider based on the following: The extent of the problem Your age, overall health, and medical history Your tolerance for specific medicines, procedures, or therapies Expectations for the course of the disorder The opinion of the healthcare providers involved in your care Your opinion and preference Treatment for BDD may include talk therapy or medicines.
What can I do to prevent body dysmorphic disorder? When should I call my healthcare provider? Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. What is body dysmorphic disorder? Areas of concern with BDD Common areas of concern for people with BDD include: facial skin face, including the size or shape of the eyes, nose, ears and lips size or shape of virtually any body part, including buttocks, thighs, abdomen, legs, breasts and genitals overall size and shape of the body symmetry of the body or particular body parts.
Treatment for BDD BDD is not always easy to treat but the treatments that seem to help the most include a combination of: cognitive behaviour therapy CBT — training in how to change underlying attitudes in order to think and feel in different ways. For example, the person may learn relaxation techniques and how to combat hyperventilation medication — including antidepressant medications, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs.
These medications help reduce many BDD symptoms, including the compulsive thoughts, depression and anxiety. Generally, medications are used in combination with psychotherapy. Theories include: A person with BDD has a genetic tendency to develop this type of mental illness. The trigger may be the stress of adolescence. Particular drugs, such as ecstasy, may trigger onset in susceptible people. BDD could be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.
A person with low self-esteem who has impossible standards of perfection judges some part of their body as ugly. Over time, this behaviour becomes more and more compulsive.
BDD has similarities to other conditions BDD is similar to other conditions, including: obsessive compulsive disorder OCD — characterised by recurring unwanted thoughts and images obsessions and repetitive rituals compulsions. In addition, some people diagnosed with BDD have or have had OCD social phobia — a type of anxiety disorder, characterised by fear of interaction with people. A person with social phobia may worry about being judged, criticised, ridiculed or humiliated.
If the avoidance is triggered by concerns about their appearance, the underlying problem may be BDD agoraphobia — a type of anxiety disorder characterised by the fear of situations or places from which escape seems difficult. In extreme cases, a person with agoraphobia is housebound. However, a person who stays home out of fear of publicly exposing their defect may have BDD instead of agoraphobia.
However, the person with BDD is preoccupied with their looks, not their health.
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