Body dysmorphic disorder

What is it?

Let's face it - at one time or another you've wished a part of your body looked a little differently. It might be that you think your thighs are too big, your skin's not perfect, or your nose has that little bump in the middle that EVERYONE can notice.

This kind of thinking is pretty common and relatively normal, whether it's true or not. However, when this kind of thinking becomes a problem is when it starts to rule your life. You become totally preoccupied with the part of your body that you think is not okay and these beliefs severely interfere with the quality of your life. This kind of obsessing over a part of your body is known as body dysmorphic disorder (or BDD).

How BDD might affect you

There are many different types of behaviours and symptoms that you might experience if you have BDD, however you don't have to experience all of them. Some common ones are:

• frequently checking out how you look in mirrors
• picking at your skin
• constantly making sure you look clean and well groomed
• frequently touching the part of your body that you don't like
• trying to hide or disguise the body part or yourself
• avoiding going out or being with others because you feel so self-conscious about an aspect of your appearance
• feeling depressed or anxious
• feeling suicidal (for more information about how to keep yourself safe, check out the Wanting to end your life fact sheet)
• trying to 'fix' the body part - through exercise, medication, surgery, and other sorts of treatment.

If you are concerned that these behaviours sound familiar it is important that you speak to a doctor or psychologist to find out more.

Why does it happen?

BDD does not have a single cause. It is often due to a variety of different physical and mental health issues. These are just some of that factors that may contribute to having BDD:

• having low self-esteem and negative beliefs about yourself
• experiencing negative thoughts - 'Everybody hates me because I am ugly,' or 'I will never be anything unless I look okay.'
• cultural emphasis and fixation on the ideal body
• feeling a lack of control in your life
• stress or coping styles
• feeling as though you cannot manage difficult emotions/feelings any other way
• relationships with family and peers
• genetics and chemistry
• sexual abuse or trauma

What are some options for managing it, support or getting help?

Seeking support

If you are concerned that you might have BDD it is important that you see a GP or psychologist to talk about and find out more about which options might be best for you. Getting the right assistance can help you enjoy your life again.

Some of your options may include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) from a psychologist can be really helpful when dealing with BDD as it can give you a feeling of power and control over your thoughts, enabling you to learn ways of overcoming the tendency to think negatively.

There is also a treatment known as response prevention. This is when you learn how to develop other ways of coping with the urges to do the behaviours you might do as a result of your BDD.

Medication from your GP can sometimes also be useful in reducing the intensity of your negative thoughts.

BDD can sometimes exist with other psychological problems such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or social phobia. Therapy for these problems may also help your BDD.

Other things that might be helpful:

• Take a look at your local art gallery or in books at the library - what do the people look like in these pictures? What makes them beautiful? What makes you want to look at them?
• Join a support group - it may be helpful to share your experiences with people who are going through similar situations.
• Write some of your feelings down in a journal.
• Write down some positive affirmations and put them around the house or carry them with you e.g - 'I am okay,' 'I am worthwhile.'
• Write a list about the things that are okay about yourself - it can be anything from being a good friend to liking your big toe!
• Write a list of the things you like about your friend - how important to you is the way they look or are there other things about them that you really like?  What do they like about you?
• Take the time to do nice things for your body - like going for a massage, having a bath, getting your nails done.
• Make a list of things you can do to distract yourself from your behaviours. This can be stuff like going for a walk with the dog, listening to some positive music, watching your favourite movie. Then put each thing in a box/container and when you feel upset pick one out and do it. Keep doing it until you feel okay again. If you finish your entire list - start again!

 

Acknowledgements
Thanks to the Australian Psychological Society for their assistance in preparing this factsheet.