People with BDD commonly also suffer from anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder, as well as other disorders such as depression, eating disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). BDD can also be misdiagnosed as one of these disorders because they share similar symptoms.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterised by a preoccupation with an imagined defect in one's appearance or, in the case of a slight physical anomaly, the person's concern is markedly excessive. The most common preoccupations concern the skin, hair, nose, eyes, eyelids, mouth, lips, jaw, and chin.
Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have been postulated to have schizoid, narcissistic, and obsessional personality traits and to be sensitive, introverted, perfectionistic, and insecure.
Feeling shame or disgust about your body or appearance, especially the specific things you think are problems. Some of the most common words people with BDD use to describe themselves or parts of their body include “ugly,” “hideous,” “deformed,” “abnormal,” “defective” or “unattractive.”
Most people with BDD are often concerned with different areas. Some examples of common areas are skin imperfections, hair, facial features, and body weight. Repeatedly measuring and touching areas that are perceived as problem areas.
In DSM-5 the diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) has been subjected to two important changes: Firstly, BDD has been assigned to the category of obsessive–compulsive and related disorders.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD, but it's most common in teenagers and young adults.
There are two subtypes of BDD: Muscle Dysmorphia and BDD by Proxy.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an anxiety disorder related to body image. It's closely related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Risk factors
Having blood relatives with body dysmorphic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Negative life experiences, such as childhood teasing, neglect or abuse. Certain personality traits, such as perfectionism. Societal pressure or expectations of beauty.
With body dysmorphia, social media can trigger obsessive thoughts about appearance. Their feed may be full of people looking “perfect”, which can be a constant reminder of their perceived flaws. This can lead to compulsive actions to try to remediate the issue.
Avoiding social situations, leaving the house less often or only going out at night to try to camouflage your appearance in the darkness. Keeping obsessions and compulsions secret for fear of social stigma. Suffering from emotional problems, including depression, feelings of disgust, low self-esteem, and anxiety.
Saying things like “I know exactly how you feel” or trying to compare their symptoms with something you've felt before comes across as dismissive and makes it seem like you don't care. Do not make the conversation about yourself.
People with BDD may seek reassurance about the way they look. Try not to get drawn into debates about their appearance and encourage others not to do the same.
The disorder affects around 1 in 50 Australians, but is difficult to diagnose because people often don't think what they see is a delusion - they believe they're genuinely disproportioned.
BDD is categorized in the DSM 5 as one of the obsessive-compulsive related disorders for obvious reasons. In BDD, people are tormented by obsessive thoughts associated with a part or parts of their physical appearance being flawed in some way, yet these flaws tend not to be noticeable to anyone but themselves.
Also, it can be tough being with friends or other people if you find yourself comparing your appearance with them. Some people avoid sex or relationships with boyfriends/girlfriends because of appearance. At its worst, BDD may stop people from leaving their home or bedroom entirely.
Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) exhibit distorted perception and negative evaluations of their own appearance; however, little is known about how they perceive others' appearance, and whether or not the conditions share perceptual distortions.
Those with body dysmorphia have a distorted view of how they look, while those with gender dysphoria suffer no distortion. They have feelings of anxiety and depression, as they truly know who they are on the inside, despite this not fitting with their biological sex.
Body dysmorphia and ADHD
Emerging research has shown that body dysmorphic disorder has high comorbidity with ADHD. That means people with body dysmorphic disorder are more likely than the average person to also have ADHD. And people with ADHD are more likely than the average person to also have BDD.
BDD is an underrecognized and relatively common disorder that is associated with high rates of occupational and social impairment, hospitalization, and suicide attempts. BDD is unlikely to simply be a symptom of depression, although it often coexists with depression and may be related to depression.
Someone with BDD suffers from an intense fixation on a perceived physical defect. The behaviors are done in an effort to manage the perceived defect. Someone with OCD, on the other hand, battles with disturbing and intrusive obsessions that can be based on a variety of different content matters.