If you're totally preoccupied with a part of your body that you feel isn't right, and you do certain things as a result (e.g. you constantly look at your body in the mirror or compare your body to other people's), you may have body dysmorphic disorder.
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. It affects both men and women.
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others. But you may feel so embarrassed, ashamed and anxious that you may avoid many social situations.
When one deals with generalized insecurity for a long period of time, however, the doubt and negative feelings experienced may have a significant effect on life. Insecurity is linked to mental health conditions such as narcissism, anxiety, paranoia, and addictive or dependent personalities.
There are two subtypes of BDD: Muscle Dysmorphia and BDD by Proxy. Both of these subtypes appear to respond to the same basic treatment strategies as BDD (cognitive behavior therapy or CBT and medications). However, the CBT therapist in particular needs to adjust the treatment so that it has the right focus.
What causes body dysmorphic disorder? The cause of body dysmorphic disorder is thought to be a combination of environmental, psychological, and biological factors. Bullying or teasing may create or foster the feelings of inadequacy, shame, and fear of ridicule.
Research has shown that for young children, attitudes about body shape and size may start as early as three or four years old. This trend continues into adolescence, with one Mental Health Foundation survey finding that among young people aged 13–19, 35% said their body image causes them to 'often' or 'always' worry.
One in five adults (20%) felt shame, just over one-third (34%) felt down or low, and 19% felt disgusted by their body image in the last year. Among teenagers, 37% felt upset, and 31% felt ashamed about their body image.
If people made comments about your appearance, you might have started to feel negatively about your physical appearance. In turn, this may have affected your self-esteem early on, making it difficult to see positive qualities in other aspects of yourself and leading to a general lack of self-confidence.
Signs of Insecurity
Signs that you're feeling insecure could include: An overriding feeling of inadequacy. Low self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth. Like they are unable or ill-equipped to cope with stressors.
It can start when vulnerable young people compare their appearance to others and this can then trigger negative feelings about the way they look. If this is combined with low self-esteem, teasing and insecurities then body dissatisfaction can soon follow, she says.
Teens with a condition known as bigorexia are obsessed with bodybuilding and getting more muscular. Bigorexia is a mental health disorder that primarily affects teen boys and young men.
People with BDD: Focus to extreme on their looks. With BDD, people find it hard to stop thinking about the parts of their looks they dislike. They focus on specific things — like a pimple on their skin, or the shape or looks of their nose, eyes, lips, ears, or hands.
BDD most often develops in adolescents and teens, and research shows that it affects men and women almost equally. In the United States, BDD occurs in about 2.5% in males, and in 2.2 % of females. BDD often begins to occur in adolescents 12-13 years of age (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Facial dysmorphia is a mental health condition where the sufferer has a warped perception of the appearance of their face. This commonly includes distorted views on how their nose, skin and teeth look.
There is no cure for body dysmorphic disorder. However, treatment, including therapy, can help people improve their symptoms. The goal of treatment is to decrease the effect that the disorder has on a person's life so that they can function at home, work and in social settings.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a distinct mental disorder in which a person is preoccupied with an imagined physical defect or a minor defect that others often cannot see.
Insecurity may stem from a traumatic event, crisis such as divorce or bankruptcy, or a loss. It can also result from one's environment, as unpredictability or upset in daily life can cause anxiety and insecurity about ordinary, routine events.
Key points. Red flags in a relationship are intuitive indicators that something needs to be questioned. Relationship red flags include feelings of insecurity and negative feedback from one's friends and family. Any kind of abuse is the biggest red flag in a relationship.
Insecurity is a feeling of inadequacy (not being good enough) and uncertainty. It produces anxiety about your goals, relationships, and ability to handle certain situations. Everybody deals with insecurity from time to time. It can appear in all areas of life and come from a variety of causes.