what is BDD – Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Have you ever spent hours looking in a mirror and become fixated about your flaws such as a pimple, a scar, body shape or size, shape of your nose or lips, hair texture and any other flaw on your body? With time this obsession increase to such an extent that you make up in your mind that these flaws are the only things other people notice when they look at you. This condition leads to feelings of shame, self-hatred, and overly-critical thoughts about your look.

When a person starts having a distorted view of their appearance and spends hours worrying about their look this is a mental disorder called Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). In severe cases, find the best doctor (psychiatrist- brain doctor) in Bangalore and this city is leading in having some of the best hospitals for neurology as well as psychology in India. 

Common signs & symptoms of BDD

·         Frequent thoughts about look (at least an hour a day)

·         Concealing the affected area with hats, scarves, & make-up

·         Spending a lot a time in front of a mirror and worrying about one’s flaws, or in some cases, a person avoids mirror completely

·         Frequently asking others to assure you that you look fine

·         Regular visits to cosmetic surgeons/medical professionals

·         Repeated cosmetic surgery

·         Compulsive skin picking such as using fingernails and tweezers to remove hair or blemishes.

·         Avoid being a part of public places, social situations, work, school, etc.

·         Seldom going out of the house or only leaving at night to prevent others from noticing the “flaw”.

·         Keeping the compulsions and obsessions secret due to feelings of shame

·         Emotional issues, including depression, anxiety, feelings of disgust, low self-esteem, etc.

BDD can lead to severe problems including self-harm, depression, and in some cases thoughts of suicide.

Causes of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Although the actual cause of BDD is not known, it can be caused by the following:

·         Genetic

·      Chemical imbalance in the brain

·      Past bad life experiences such as BDD is more common in people who were bullied, teased, or abused during their childhood.