Body Dysmorphic Disorder

by Sam Malone


Humans are always conscious of their physical appearance and of how they are perceived by people around them. This is a perfectly normal aspect of a social society. However, there are some people for whom this is an obsession rather than a natural worry. These people are diagnosed with what is known as body dysmorphic disorder. Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition where the individual is absolutely obsessed with his or her physical appearance. The obsession of an individual suffering from body dysmorphic disorder often focuses on small and insignificant details such as tiny marks or spots on the face. Body dysmorphic disorder usually involves the individual obsessing about details associated with the face rather than any other part of the body. Aspects such as the tone of the skin, the color, marks and even the shape of the nose tend to bother individuals who suffer from this condition.

There are no particular body dysmorphic disorder causes. This is just a psychological condition that affects the individual's perception of his or her body features. Individuals who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder may spend hours staring at themselves in a mirror checking every detail with microscopic precision. Such people are likely to be candidates for cosmetic surgery. Often, the actual flaw that has been noticed by the individual does not appear to be a flaw to other people around the individual. It is only the personal perception of the appearance of the body that bothers the individual. Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder may also worry about other parts of the body such as the proportions of the body, the size of the breasts or the shape of the body. Therefore a body dysmorphic disorder test would help diagnose the condition in a person.

Body dysmorphic disorder symptoms essentially focus on the obsession of the individual to look at his or her body repeatedly with an aim to detect flaws. This is different from a narcissistic desire to see one's body as that is rooted in an individual's obsession with how good he or she looks. One of the common body dysmorphic disorder symptoms is the individual attempting to hide away from other people. This is done because they fear that others may judge their appearance based on the perceived flaw. This symptom may be present in the form of a cover up where the individual will try and cover the offensive abnormality so that it is not visible to those around.

Body dysmorphic disorder treatment is based on psychological therapy. Individuals suffering from this problem need to through body dysmorphic disorder treatment sessions where their problems are discussed with a counselor. Usually, the counselor will attempt to rid them of the phobia of being seen in public with what they perceive to be as an abnormal feature. Once the individual has gotten over the phobia of being seen in public, the doctor may try to get the individual to stop focusing on the actual abnormality. This may be done by trying to get the individual to avoid looking at mirrors all the time. Therapy seems to be the only form of body dysmorphic disorder treatment that has any effect on the condition.

Individuals who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder may undergo extensive cosmetic surgery in order to rid themselves of their flaws. This is often done repeatedly as they feel that the previous surgery has failed to improve their condition. Many people suffering from this condition who undergo plastic surgery seek legal action against their doctors for failing to fix the problem that they feel they have. It is therefore important for a doctor to identify patients with body dysmorphic disorder and to help them seek avenues for body dysmorphic disorder treatment so that they get over their mental block about their appearance.


Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.


Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
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