Body Dysmorphia Disorder (BDD)
Body dysmorphia disorder (BDD)is a truly awful type of anxiety disorder that occurs when a person cannot handle something specific about their bodies or their looks.
Sometimes a person can just hate their entire appearance in general, or be convinced that they are fat when they are not, but usually the person will loathe something specific such as their nose or their legs.
Body dysmorphia can become so bad that a person will start self-harming in an attempt to 'correct' what they see as ugly. Plastic surgery and extreme dieting are also associated with body dysmorphia.
What causes body dysmorphia?
The exact cause of body dysmorphia is unknown and can vary from person to person but it can be caused by the following:
Sometimes a person can just hate their entire appearance in general, or be convinced that they are fat when they are not, but usually the person will loathe something specific such as their nose or their legs.
Body dysmorphia can become so bad that a person will start self-harming in an attempt to 'correct' what they see as ugly. Plastic surgery and extreme dieting are also associated with body dysmorphia.
What causes body dysmorphia?
The exact cause of body dysmorphia is unknown and can vary from person to person but it can be caused by the following:
What are the symptoms of BDD? Some symptoms of BDD include:
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How to handle BDD
Although BDD needs to be treated by a therapist or doctor, this little tip may work for the short term for some people:
Consider people who have had serious complications to their life. This could be an amputee, someone who is paralysed or someone who has a disability of some kind, something that impacts their daily life.
Read their stories and force yourself to look at pictures of them. Sometimes this type of exposure can really snap you back into reality.
However, for more serious cases of BDD, please seek out a doctor’s help as soon as you can.
Getting diagnosed for BDD
There are quite a few things that need to tick the boxes when it comes to diagnosing BDD.
This is because every person on this planet has something about themselves that they don't like, and a qualified therapist needs to evaluate whether a person is just going through a phase (such as teenagers do during puberty) or if they are actually suffering from BDD.
BDD can be in a mild or severe form. Severe cases need to be dealt with by a professional because they can lead to serious self-harm and eating disorders if not diagnosed properly and treated.
Although BDD needs to be treated by a therapist or doctor, this little tip may work for the short term for some people:
Consider people who have had serious complications to their life. This could be an amputee, someone who is paralysed or someone who has a disability of some kind, something that impacts their daily life.
Read their stories and force yourself to look at pictures of them. Sometimes this type of exposure can really snap you back into reality.
However, for more serious cases of BDD, please seek out a doctor’s help as soon as you can.
Getting diagnosed for BDD
There are quite a few things that need to tick the boxes when it comes to diagnosing BDD.
This is because every person on this planet has something about themselves that they don't like, and a qualified therapist needs to evaluate whether a person is just going through a phase (such as teenagers do during puberty) or if they are actually suffering from BDD.
BDD can be in a mild or severe form. Severe cases need to be dealt with by a professional because they can lead to serious self-harm and eating disorders if not diagnosed properly and treated.
