What is BDD?

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a form of anxiety disorder in which the victim is constantly preoccupied with defects in his/her appearance even though the alleged defects may hardly be noticed or thought important by most other people. BDD might vary in its severity such that while some may accept that they are being unrealistic, others may be so firmly convinced of their defect(s) that they could easily be called delusional. Irregardless of the severity of the disorder, patients of BDD need to be shown that others actually view their appearance as normal and their body parts are nothing out of the ordinary.

At this point, it becomes important to talk about what constitutes as BDD. Almost everybody on this planet is concerned, to a some extent, about their appearance. So does that mean that everybody suffers from some form of BDD? The answer is no. To obtain a diagnosis of BDD, a person’s preoccupation with his/her appearance must be causing him/her significant anxiety, which in turn would be causing major distress in at least one area of the person’s life. For instance a person with BDD might avoid coming out in public for fear of being scrutinized for his/her ‘defects’. Alternatively, a BDD victim might go well out of his way to hide his alleged defect by making use of excessive makeup and other camouflaging techniques. Additionally, BDD victims may also spend a considerable part of their day mentally fixating on their perceived defect and posing questions to themselves which have no answers (for instance, ‘Why did this have to happen to me?’)

The most common area of focus among BDD patients is the face with importance given to the following in descending order; nose, hair, skin, eyes, chin, and lips. Among the usual complaints are those that talk about a lack of symmetry or the feeling that a particular body part is out of proportion as compared to the rest of the body.

Unfortunately, BDD is quite a common condition even though statistics are largely understated as BDD victims are hesitant to come forward and talk about their problem. BDD has been known to grow in adolescence and worsen if left untreated. Many victims would tend to suffer from high levels of depression and anxiety. Additionally, they might also develop an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.      

Hence, it is imperative that if you suffer from BDD, you seek medical attention as soon as possible. Treatment will usually comprise of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and serotonergic antidepressant pills. While these pills might reduce the problem temporarily, they should always be used in line with CBT for permanent effects as CBT will help the patient to fully understand how his problem works and how he can solve it for good.