What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Patients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder usually feel anxious about their physical appearance and think that their body has certain abnormalities/defects, both real and only the patient's imagination.
How Common Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
From 100 people, male and female, there are 1-2 patients with body dysmorphic disorder, and 2-15% have plastic surgery.
Body dysmorphic disorder often begins at puberty and can last a lifetime.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Symptoms and signs usually indicate a display of guilt such as:
- Patients can't stop thinking about certain body parts and believe that something is wrong even though their bodies are perfectly normal
- Some parts of the body that are often overthought are: the nose, teeth, head or body hair, breasts, hair, moles, scars, and body
- The patient is too obsessed with appearance for several hours a day. They look in the mirror or check their body parts constantly. Or they often come to beauty doctors, salons, and dentists to correct deficiencies but are still dissatisfied with the results
- Other characteristics of that are spending most of the day on makeup, often not wanting to be photographed or recorded, excessive makeup, or using excessive clothes as camouflage
There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.
When Should I See A Doctor?
You should call your doctor if you want to hurt yourself or if someone else tells you that you are too anxious about an unreal deficiency.
If you have the above signs or symptoms or any other questions, please consult your doctor. The status and condition of each person are different. Always consult a doctor to treat your health condition.
What Causes Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
The cause of body dysmorphic disorder is not known. The stigma of mental illness associated with appearance can include major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, phobia of crowded places, and eating disorders. There is no evidence that the disease is passed down in families.
What Increases My Risk For Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
There are many risk factors for body dysmorphic disorder, including:
- Have a family member who suffers from this disease
- Have experienced negative events, such as being bullied as a child/teenager
- Social pressure, people expect a certain beauty from patients
- There are symptoms of mental disorders such as anxiety or depression
Having no risk factors doesn't mean you can't have the disease. This factor is for reference only. You should consult a specialist for more detailed information.
What Are My Treatment Options For Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.
Treatment of body dysmorphic disorder is not easy, especially when the patient does not want to cooperate in therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy along with medication is quite effective and is most often given. In cognitive behavioral therapy, the doctor must know the pathogen and find out the relationship between the person and the patient's mental reaction (appearance inferiority).
Patients often have unrealistic expectations about plastic surgery, so they should see a psychiatrist to talk about feeling guilty about their appearance.
Support groups are also very effective in treating mental illness.
What Are The Usual Tests For Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Body dysmorphic disorder is often not realized by patients so patients avoid doctors to talk about their symptoms. Your doctor can diagnose from a medical history and physical examination or refer you to a specialist (psychiatrist, psychologist) for a better assessment. The diagnostic criteria are that the patient feels nervous about his body which cannot be explained by other psychiatric conditions.
What Are Some Lifestyle Changes Or Home Remedies That Can Be Done To Treat Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Here are lifestyle and home remedies that can help you deal with body dysmorphic disorder:
- Consider combination therapy with family members, spouse, and significant other
- Full cooperation with doctors to recover from illness
If you have any questions, consult a doctor for the best solution for your problem.