They look at the body part over and over and over. They may carry a mirror with them or not be able to pass a mirror without stopping and staring at their reflection. If they can, they’ll stare at the body part directly. Each time they do, they’ll get more and more disgusted as the frustration naturally increases every time they look at it. Despite this frustration, they can’t not look at it. They keep checking to see if it’s still there, confirming their fears. They avoid looking at the body part. Some people with BDD, on the other hand, have to avoid mirrors completely or have to cover up the body part so they don’t see it. If they are presented with the body part they’re unhappy with, they may lose control of their emotions, panic, and withdraw. Whether they’re looking into mirrors constantly or they can’t look into them at all, this ultimately decreases their self-esteem and confidence. Wherever they go, whoever they’re with, they’re thinking about this aspect of their appearance, wondering if other people are thinking about it, too, or wondering if they’re succeeding in hiding it.
This person you’re concerned about likely feels as if they are being judged at all times on the basis of their physical appearance. If no one is around to judge them, they’ll do the judging themselves. This leads them to hiding this part of their body as much as possible and in all situations. For instance, a lot of people wear a cap be it day or night, inside or outside, because they are insecure about the lack of hair on their heads. Some girls wear long and loose tops as they are conscious of their butts. While this is normal behavior, an individual with BDD cannot resist succumbing to the need to hide what worries them and will be incredibly distressed if forced not to.
Those with BDD usually fear rejection because they feel those around them have legitimate grounds to do it – that one hated body part. Because of this intense fear of rejection, they don’t bother making an effort with others, convinced it will lead nowhere.
If you can, help them be social. Spend time with them in a tight-knit group of friends they may feel comfortable around. Try to slowly but surely introduce them to people that are trustworthy and non-judgmental. A lot of times people completely disguise themselves over the Internet because they believe no one will love them. When they eventually find someone they really like, they think revealing their true identity to them would force that person to leave them immediately as the reality might not be that pretty. This leads to web of lies that the person with BDD can’t help but weave. If you suspect your loved one is doing this, try talking to them about it calmly and reassuringly from a perspective of understanding. They may open up to you and come clean.
The preoccupation is usually specific, i. e. based on only one body part. But it can be vague, too. The person might think that some part of their body is deteriorating and is going to become worse, or could be obsessed with something that affects their entire body, like hair or moles.
Every time they look at their body, feelings of grievance arise, eventually affecting the stability of their mind. They try to ignore it and ignore it as there is still a part of them that doesn’t want to feel this. It protects their ego, but the problem is still there.
For instance, a woman who has a slight shudder in her leg might have the desire to completely amputate the whole leg and consider using a fake leg. A boy may deliberately cut his penis because he does not like to be with girls in a sexual way. These cases are, of course, of extreme body dysmorphics.
This is done to punish themselves because they think they have a bad body that deserves to be hurt. Each person does it differently. Some scratch their arms, others bite the skin under their nails, while others even get tattoos in an attempt to beautify their bodies.
The preoccupation with the perceived defect causes significant impairment in all areas of life, from social and occupational to home life. They don’t go out with friends, their work suffers because they can’t focus, and at home, they spend their free time obsessing over the body part, trying to find someway to get rid of it. If the BDD has progressed so far as to be debilitating, this is grounds for treatment. If you’re close to this person, nudge them in the direction of therapy. While being self-conscious is a very human problem to have, BDD can be dangerous and life-threatening if left untreated.
You have to pay attention to the analogy and dissimilarities between BDD and other disorders, especially depression. Sometimes one is mistaken for another and sometimes they go hand in hand.
Frequent checking of defect, either directly or in mirrors Severe scrutiny of defect using magnifiers, special lights Excessive grooming behavior, make up etc. May avoid mirrors altogether Frequent changing of clothes Requests for reassurance about defects Reassurances increase anxiety Comparison with others Camouflaging of defect Delusional thoughts about defected body part Fear of defected body part being in danger Fear of being mocked by others Social isolation Marital difficulties Suicidal ideation May receive several surgical treatments May apply self-surgery
Being extra conscious about the body provokes anxiety. The feeling of having something undesirable always attached to you makes you think about it more than normal – that’s the obsession. The compulsion then, is to hide it. This is an urge that a person with BDD and OCD cannot stop. Obsessions are persistent ideas, thoughts or feelings that are repeated again and again in order to relieve anxiety, but yet causes significant distress. This person finds themselves thinking the same idea for hours. However, they’re likely aware that this thought or idea is the creation of their own mind and is not imposed by the outside world. For instance, a person who does not like his hands might keep his hands closed at all times or a person might keep looking in the mirror again and again as discussed previously.
The person with dysmorphophobia also shows persistent anxiety that may cause disturbed sleep. However, their focus of worry is the part of their body which is defected, according to their false perceptions. No other area of life is given such concern. To differentiate the two, think about what they seem to worry about. Are the worries limited to this aspect of their appearance? If they have these physical symptoms and your answer to that question is yes, they may have BDD. However, if their worry is more general, it may point to an anxiety disorder.
In social anxiety disorder, it’s common to experience red face or blushing, shortness of breath, nausea, trembling or shaking, and a racing heart. With this disorder, the individual fears that others will judge them to be crazy, stupid or awkward. They’ll try to avoid social situations as they fear being embarrassed for their trembling body or shaking hands. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source While in BDD, the person is not worried about their performance or the coming event. They just want to hide their perceived defects from others and therefore avoid social situations. They will not feel nausea and do not tremble. They won’t find difficulty in speaking. They just don’t want to be noticed for their “ugliness. "
People with BDD are often misdiagnosed as having depression alone. If you can, ask your loved one why they feel depressed. Analyze your thoughts about the reason behind their depression. If the reason seems to be only their physical appearance, they may be suffering from BDD.
Ask them what makes you feel hopeless. What do they feel about themselves? The world? If they have negative ideas about the world and are disappointed by their life, including their looks, then they may have BDD along with depression. While in depression, the individual feels their present, past and future is worthless. They have negative feelings about themselves and about the world, but are not concerned about their appearance or what others think about them. None of that matters because the world is so bleak. They may be aggressive or violent to let go of the aggravation and frustration you feel in the world.
A person with an eating disorder worries about weight and the shape of their overall body, while a person with BDD is disturbed about a specific body part. With BDD alone, they are not worried about losing weight to look perfect. With an eating disorder like bulimia or anorexia, they’ll be excessively conscious about their body weight. Either they eat too little or vomit the food after eating it to avoid gaining weight. With BDD, they might undergo plastic surgery to improve the shape of a certain part of the body. They are not interested in losing weight by taking laxatives, dieting, inducing vomiting or starving.
