Body Dysmorphic Disorder - Types, Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

A common mental disorder where you intensely focus on your body image and appearance, body dysmorphic disorder might appear to be a minor condition. You cannot control your thoughts when you constantly overthink about one or more defects or flaws in your body. Due to this, you might withdraw from social interactions as you feel anxious and ashamed about yourself.

Read this article to gain insights into this disorder and know the possible methods of treatment of the same.

Body dysmorphic disorder might be a minor health condition but increase to greater heights if left untreated. In this disorder, you become over-anxious about even a minor physical defect. Therefore, you tend to seek unwanted cosmetic repairs trying to 'set' or 'fix' your flaws.

These imagined flaws create a sense of hatred within you. Although you might get temporary satisfaction after the cosmetic procedures, the anxiety will return after a few days, and you might resume similar traits. These repetitive behaviours will leave you unhappy and severely impact your peace of mind.

The two types of body dysmorphic disorder include:

1. Muscle Dysmorphia or MD

A subtype of body dysmorphic disorder, those diagnosed with this trait (also known as bigorexia or reverse anorexia) have certain thoughts about themselves. For example, they believe their body is not muscular enough and must work on it extensively. This over-impulsive negative thought about the body leads to difficulty in focusing on other aspects of life.

Moreover, this leads to extensive workouts and lifting weights or counting calories constantly without reason. Also, they tend to consume multiple meals throughout the day. They also tend to avoid social interactions or wear multiple layers of clothing as they fear their body might be on display. Also, they increase the consumption of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, which might be risky.

2. Body Dysmorphic Disorder by Proxy

Another subtype of BDD is a trait where the person is overly concerned with the flaws that their close ones might have. Therefore, they try to interfere in their daily functions, where they spend hours trying to find flaws in the skin and hair of their friends, family, children or even a stranger.

Moreover, the person diagnosed with this trait performs repetitive behaviours to reduce guilt or anxiety levels. So, they try to constantly check, hide or improve their flaws as they compare them with others. Furthermore, they avoid social interactions as they feel ashamed of their appearance compared to others.

Body dysmorphic disorder might come with several signs and symptoms that might be unpredictable at an early stage.

However, the symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder include:

• Repetitive Behaviours: Indulging in time-consuming and repetitive behaviour such as trying to hide a flaw, looking in a mirror several times, picking your skin, and trying to imagine that you have a flaw is a major sign. This means you strongly believe you have a flaw, making you look weird.
• Seeking Constant Reassurance: Repeatedly asking someone about your defect and trying to reassure them that you are free of any flaw is another sign. You also tend to believe or imagine others taking note of your appearance and trying to mock you.
• Touching and Measuring Defects: While you seem occupied with yourself and imagine the flaw to be something major, you will constantly touch the defect and try to measure it. You will try to hide even the slightest flaw as it is difficult to resist the appearance.
• Consulting Medical Specialists: You will repeatedly consult cosmetologists and plastic surgeons to improve your appearance – such as your blemishes, scars, nose, face, wrinkles, acne, etc. However, attempting to hide your imagined flaws with extreme makeup and styling is also another sign that you are self-obsessed.
• Trying to Compare Yourself: This disorder triggers you to constantly compare yourself with your peers at school or the workplace as you feel others have a better appearance than you. This will harm relationships as others might not support your over-obsessive behaviour.
• Self-Consciousness: Too much self-consciousness compels you to withdraw from public and social gatherings. You feel you are not perfect, so try to avoid social interactions.
• Focus On More Body Parts: Focusing excessively on one or more body parts, such as muscle size, skin colour, and private body parts, can be challenging to control. This will cause extreme distress in your daily life activities as you cannot focus on other necessities of life.
• Wearing Too Much Makeup: Since you are obsessed with how you look, you tend to wear makeup, often looking weird. Unfortunately, trying to look perfect might sometimes lead to unsatisfactory results.

While the exact causes of body dysmorphic disorder are unknown, doctors believe there might be a problem with neurotransmitters that might trigger this disorder. In addition, people with other mental disorders, such as anxiety disorder, depression, etc., might also find symptoms of this disorder. Here are some causes that might trigger this problem:

• Low self-esteem and underconfidence due to poor performance in school or the workplace.
• Multiple traumatic episodes and conflicts impacted childhood.
• Relatives, parents and friends who were over-possessive and excessively critical of your appearance.
• A study notes that almost 8% of people with a family history of this disorder might develop its signs and symptoms. This means it might be inherited.
• If you have an obsessive-compulsive disorder, you might find symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder too.
• Pressure from society might be a major cause behind such behaviour, as society tends to equate physical appearance with flawless looks.
• Traumatic childhood where physical abuse was a regular episode might spark this disorder at a later age.

Too much obsession with oneself is risky. This leads to expectations from oneself as you tend to set imaginary goals and targets and push your mind to meet them. The risk factors of body dysmorphic disorder include the following:

• This disorder might instigate specific personality traits in you, which include perfectionism.
• It might lead to major mood swings and disorders and lead to too much depression and anxiety.
• Risk factors might include social isolation and self-harm, having suicidal thoughts.
• Anxiety disorder might include social phobia or social anxiety disorder, where you might not be able to interact socially.
• You might have an eating disorder and show signs of several health problems.
• Substance misuse is another risk associated with this disorder.
• Risk of disfiguring or immense physical pain due to unwanted repeated surgeries.

To diagnose the disorder, your doctor might follow the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Edition). Diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder includes several steps. Here they are:

• Firstly, your doctor will ask you questions about your family and any past trauma that has affected you badly.
• They will try to understand if you have any case history of other mental health disorders that have triggered the dysmorphic disorder.
• Your doctor will try to perceive if any of your family members have this disorder. After examination, they will refer you to a psychiatrist.
• Your doctor will recommend you to a therapist who will conduct multiple sessions to determine the severity of the disorder.
• During these sessions, your psychiatrist will examine and analyse your behavioural patterns, attitude, signs and symptoms. After that, they will prescribe therapy or medication.

Although there are no specific treatment procedures for this disorder, therapists prescribe cognitive behavioural therapy and certain medications to treat this. The treatment of body dysmorphic disorder includes the following:

Therapy

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective method to treat such disorders as it focuses mainly on changing your perspective or the way you think. Through these therapies, your doctor teaches you how to think positively by controlling your negative and obsessive thoughts.
• Group/Family Therapy: Your doctor will speak to your family or close ones to understand your behavioural pattern. Since family is the biggest support system of any person, sharing your thoughts with the near one will help you treat this disorder effectively.
• Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy: This therapy mixes the components of both mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapies and allows you to develop positive thoughts about yourself. You trigger your mind with positive thoughts about yourself so that you love yourself the way you are.
• Exposure and Response Prevention: Through this therapy, your therapist uses real-life situations to show you that not every person is perfect and everyone carries a flaw. It enables you to accept the way you are.

Medications

There is no specific medication to treat body dysmorphic disorder. However, your doctor might prescribe certain antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs to treat this disorder effectively. You must inform your doctor about any other mental disorder you might have. Also, do not forget to mention any side effects if any medications cause severe side effects.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

A recent study mentions another new technique to treat this disorder. TMS, or Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Disorder, allows the stimulation of certain sections of your brain by using electromagnetic fields. Doctors use this treatment to treat anxiety, stress, depression and psychosis successfully.

Home Remedies

• Yoga and Meditation: A superb way to treat any mental disorder, yoga and meditation enable you to concentrate and focus on positive aspects of life. As it calms down your brain and soul, you can control your mind as it reduces your obsessive thoughts.
  
• Seek Help from Support Groups: Try to share your thoughts and feelings with support groups. These groups have like-minded people who experience similar symptoms and will help you cope with your behaviour.

Body dysmorphic behaviour might not be diagnosed at an early stage. But as soon as you recognise the symptoms, you must immediately seek medical assistance. Here is when you must see a doctor:

• Over-impulsive, self-obsessed behaviour that might be harmful
• Lack of control over emotions and behavioural patterns
• Trying to cause harm to oneself, having suicidal thoughts
• Trying to be aggressive and violent at times
• Hampering workflow due to over-obsession
• Hurting others causes conflicts in relationships
• If you are shameful and embarrassed regarding your appearance, that keeps you from seeking repeated treatments.

Well, children might also have this disorder. Therefore, if you find your children with such symptoms, you must immediately move for treatment.

This disorder starts at a very early age and might worsen if left untreated for a prolonged time period. This will further lead to severe depression and trauma. Also, even after treatment, there are possibilities of the recurrence of the symptoms if you stop consuming medicines. However, through self-care and prevention, you can control your symptoms. Here are the ways to prevent this disorder:

• Try to be aware of your disorder
• Maintain a journal or a plan where you can jot down your feelings and unburden yourself
• Try to indulge in fun and pleasing activities
• Read books and stories to inspire yourself with moral stories
• When you recognise certain symptoms, please share them with a trustworthy person
• Self-appreciation and acceptance of who you are, play a major role in managing the symptoms.

So, now you know about body dysmorphic disorder, its causes, and how to treat it. However, since it is quite a destructive attitude, it is advisable to seek a doctor's help as soon as you identify the symptoms. Furthermore, start reading self-motivation quotes and stories of motivation every day. This will instigate positive thoughts in your mind.