Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental illness in which a person has a distorted view of their body and sees themselves as being ugly, which may not be true. People with BDD often worry a lot about their appearance and spend hours each day looking in the mirror, picking at their skin, and analyzing every flaw. They may also avoid social situations or activities that they think will show them in a bad light. The audience of this paper is the BDD patients or their family or close friends, who may help them in case of any extreme cases of their ailment. The disease can force the patients to evade social gatherings or eventually opt for cosmetic surgery. BDD mainly affects adolescents, and in some cases, eating disorders, facial characteristics, and skin flaws can cause the disease. BDD is caused by several factors and negatively impacts patients, but it can be treated through cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
BDD many times leaves patients with an option of subscribing to cosmetic surgery. There are a few reasons why people with body dysmorphic disorder might go for cosmetic surgery (Jassi and Georgina 5). For one, people with this condition often have an extremely distorted view of their appearance and may see flaws that do not even exist. They may equally feel incredibly self-conscious about their appearance and believe that cosmetic surgery is the only way to fix their problem. Another reason people with body dysmorphic disorder might turn to surgery is that the condition can be very isolating and lead to a lot of anxiety and depression. People with body dysmorphic disorder often feel like they are the only ones looking bad; therefore, they may see surgery as their only hope for happiness.
Moreover, teens are the most commonly affected group by body dysmorphic disorder because, at this age, they are much more concerned with looks. Boys and girls are equally likely to develop the disorder, but it tends to show up earlier in boys. Teens with body dysmorphic disorder often become very focused on their appearance and spend a lot of time worrying about how they look (Khanna and Manoj 106). They may avoid social situations or stop doing things they enjoy because they are ashamed of how they look.
There are varieties of eating disorders that can affect someone’s body image and lead to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Some of the most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder (Gorbis and Justine 124). People with anorexia nervosa often have a distorted perception of their body weight and size. They may see themselves as being overweight even though they are dangerously thin. People with bulimia nervosa similarly have a disturbed body image, but instead of denying their hunger, they eat binge and then try to get rid of the food by vomiting or using laxatives.
Additionally, binge-eating disorder is characterized by periods of bingeing (consuming a large quantity of food in a short period) followed by purging, excessive exercise, or fasting. People with binge-eating disorder often feel out of control during binges and ashamed or disgusted with themselves afterward. They may diet frequently and strenuously, but their weight usually remains stable (Gorbis and Justine 126). Binge-eating disorders can lead to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It can also contribute to body dysmorphic disorder, a mental illness in which people are preoccupied with imagined defects in their appearance.
Nevertheless, other factors such as facial characteristics, skin flaws, and hair can also lead to BDD. For example, someone with BDD may focus on their crooked teeth, acne, or thinning hair. They may feel these features make them look unattractive and undesirable (Shenoi and Smitha 266). This can lead to a great deal of anxiety and distress and can seriously impact the quality of life. Another example is someone with a large nose may feel self-conscious and think that everyone is staring at them. Likewise, someone with acne may feel like everyone is looking at them and judging them; these thoughts can lead to anxiety and distress.
Consequently, people with BDD often avoid social gatherings because they are very self-conscious about their appearance. They may feel that they look ugly or abnormal, and this can cause them to feel embarrassed (Shenoi and Smitha 269). People with BDD may also be very critical of their appearance and may constantly compare themselves to others. This can lead to a distorted view of their own body, which makes it difficult for them to accept themselves. As a result, people with BDD may often avoid social situations in order to avoid being ridiculed or judged by others.
Similarly, people with low self-esteem are at risk of developing body dysmorphic disorder because they are more likely to focus on their flaws and imperfections. People with BDD are obsessed with the idea that they have a flaw in their appearance, even though there is often no evidence to support this belief. They often spend hours each day examining their body in the mirror or trying to hide their flaw by wearing concealing clothes or makeup (Sharma et al. 48). People with BDD often feel ashamed and embarrassed about their appearance and can become so consumed by their thoughts about their body that it disrupts their daily life. They may miss work or social events because they do not feel comfortable enough to leave the house.
At the same time, people with family members who have depression and anxiety are at an increased risk of developing BDD. The reason for this is that these disorders can cause feelings of isolation, self-consciousness, and insecurity. When someone feels this way for a long period of time, it can lead to them becoming preoccupied with their appearance as a way to try and boost their confidence. However, this usually only leads to further distress and insecurity. As a result, BDD victims struggle to remember verbal and non-verbal information. They often ruminate excessively on their appearance, to the point where it interferes with their daily functioning. This can lead to problems with socialization, work performance, and academic achievement. BDD patients are also more likely to have other mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression (Sharma et al. 49). This is likely due to the fact that these people are constantly bombarded with negative thoughts about themselves, which can be quite debilitating.
Generally, depression and anxiety can both lead to poor memory in a few different ways. First, when people feel overwhelmed by their emotions, they may have trouble concentrating on other things. This can lead to a decreased ability to learn and remember new information. Additionally, depression and anxiety can cause physical problems such as headaches, fatigue, and muscle tension (Presti et al. 808). These physical problems can make it difficult for people to focus on anything besides their symptoms, including their memory. Finally, depression and anxiety can make people become withdrawn from social situations. This isolation can limit the amount of information people are exposed to, resulting in poorer memory recall.
In addition, when a person is depressed or anxious, the body experiences an increased level of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that has been shown to have a detrimental effect on memory. High levels of cortisol can cause damage to the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory formation and storage (De Quervain et al. 5). Additionally, depression and anxiety can lead to social isolation, poor nutrition, and sleep deprivation; all these factors adversely affect memory.
The good thing is that BDD can be treated with therapy or medication. There is evidence that CBT is an effective treatment for body dysmorphic disorder. CBT is the best treatment for BDD because it aids people in learning how to change their thoughts and behaviors. People with BDD often think about their appearance all the time and focus on tiny details that nobody else would even notice (Shenoi and Smitha 267). This self-suspicion can lead to a lot of distress and anxiety. CBT assists people with BDD in learning to challenge these negative thoughts and replace them with more realistic thoughts. CBT can equally help people learn how to manage their anxiety levels better.
The information about the BDD disease is essential to the audience (the BDD patients and their close friends) due to several reasons. This information teaches patients about the disorder and can aid them in controlling their condition by giving them a better understanding of what they are treating. It can help them to identify any warning signs that they may be starting to slip into a cycle of obsessing over their appearance and provide them with strategies for handling these thoughts and emotions. In addition, learning about body dysmorphic disorder prevents patients from feeling lonely and more understood, which can be very helpful in terms of coping with the condition.
Unfortunately, some patients with BDD often lack information about the disease and may not understand that their concerns are not based on reality. This can lead to frustration and anger when they are not taken seriously or are unable to get the help they need. People with BDD may obsess over a particular body part or appearance, believing that it is grossly distorted even though, in reality, it may only be slightly different from what is considered normal. They often have difficulty accepting compliments and feel ashamed of their appearance. The condition can be too intrusive and cause great distress, leading to social isolation, depression, and even suicide.
Likewise, the BDD information is extremely important for the family of a person with body dysmorphic disorder to be taught about the disease. First and foremost, the information can help them to understand what their loved one is going through. It will also help them to be more supportive and understanding. Additionally, the information can be helpful for family members to learn about the disorder in order to better identify the signs and symptoms of the disease. This can allow them to get assistance for their loved ones earlier, which can improve the treatment outcome.
In conclusion, BDD is a condition where a person becomes obsessed with imagined flaws in their appearance. These flaws can be minor or nonexistent, but to the person with BDD, they are a source of great distress. It is important to educate patients and their families about the disease in order to help them understand and cope with it. Treatment for BDD usually includes cognitive-behavioral therapy, which can help patients learn to accept and cope with their appearance.
Works Cited
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Jassi, Amita, and Georgina Krebs. “Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Reflections on the Last 25 Years.” Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2021. Web.
Khanna, Anisha, and Manoj Kumar Sharma. “Selfie Use: The Implications for Psychopathology Expression df Body Dysmorphic Disorder.” Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 2017. Web.
Presti, Alessandro Lo, Paolo Pappone, and Alfonso Landolfi. “The Associations between Workplace Bullying and Physical or Psychological Negative Symptoms: Anxiety and Depression as Mediators.” Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 2019. Web.
Sharma, Himanshu, Bharti Sharma, and Nisheet Patel. “Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Adolescents.” Adolescent Psychiatry, 2019. Web.
Shenoi, Shurtakirthi D., and Smitha S. Prabhu. “Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Females.” Skin Diseases in Females. Springer, 2022. Web.