BDD CONTINUED--
Diagnostic criteria for 300.7 Body Dysmorphic Disorder
A.
Preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance. If a slight physical anomaly is present, the person's concern is markedly excessive.
B.
The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
C.
The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., dissatisfaction with body shape and size in Anorexia Nervosa).
It's also recorded that many patients with BDD have other disorders as well. Patients often have OCD, schizoid personality, or Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I've heard of several other disorders that often exist with BDD as well.
I will now explain some of the most common behaviors associated with BDD. Some people may display more than others, and to varying degrees, but these are common themes that I've come upon when analyzing my own behaviors and discussing the topic with other BDDers.
Mirrors: Checking and Avoidance
One of the most common behaviors displayed by a BDDer is
mirror checking. Any mirror will do, along with reflective surfaces such as store windows, although most BDDers will have a handful of favorite mirrors that are in places with, what they consider to be, the most appealing lighting. I've heard more than once that the lighting from late morning until early evening create the greatest amounts of distress. Such light shining in a window seems to de-emphasize facial features, making them appear akin to a human blob. This often causes the highly perfectionistic BDDer to assume his face has morphed into a horrendous monster, whereas most people would just blow it off as the fault of bad lighting. Many BDDers prefer to avoid mirrors during this time of day.
Although BDD is associated with long hours (in the upper single digits) spent in front of the mirror, I've found that over the past few years, I've started spending less time sitting statically in front of one reflective surface, but instead, check only momentarily several times a day. I consider this a great improvement. Many people affected with BDD find that they avoid mirrors altogether, covering them, taking them down, or turning off lights when they approach one. Most of us have a love/hate relationship going on with mirrors, as they can sometimes reflect an image that is better than what we had in our minds. At other times, we are feeling confident, but then see our reflection and fall into deep despair. What must be remembered is the fact that this mirror checking is not the source of pain. Often, a person with BDD can spend time in front of a mirror and feel no associated torment. But, things become a problem when a BDD attack accompanies this mirror checking. A BDD attack is a BDDer's worst enemy. I use this term to describe times when you feel hopeless, ugly, deformed, and suicidal, and it can hit at any time and be triggered by a number of situations. Because the likelihood of a BDD attack often occurs during stressful times, you will find that your other BDD behaviors, such as mirror checking, will most likely increase as well. Therefore, many BDDers find that they associate this self-hatred and hopelessness with mirrors, and the reflection they see staring back at them.
Cameras
Another common BDD complaint deals with photographs. Many a BDDer has avoided intimate family gatherings or other important situations just to prevent themselves from being photographed. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but to a BDDer, it is only one: disgust. Having your face caught on film creates much distress, as we become paranoid as to who will see it, what they will think, and feel ashamed that anybody would have to look at us. We have no control over who will see the photo, and what will go through their minds when they see it. A photo almost always convinces a BDDer that their image of themselves, in their own mind, is correct, if not worse than they thought. In my opinion, this shows that BDDers do see themselves just as everybody else does. They've just come to despise what they see, and have become extremely perfectionistic, zooming in on even the tiniest details of their appearance. They do not hold these same standards towards others.
The interesting thing is, BDDers opinions of themselves in photographs can change from time to time. Sometimes, they will even see a photograph of themselves that they actually like. I have found that I've hated certain photos in the past, to realize that they actually looked decent, to find that I hated them all over again when they were presented to me at a further date! Perhaps this has something to do with what we are focusing on in the picture, as our body part that we are obsessing over changes from day to day. If a certain photo doesn't emphasize this hated feature, then we can view it as a decent photo. If the feature is entirely minimized by having the picture shot at a unique angle, then we might even like the picture. But most BDDers do not want to take a chance being photographed, as looking at one they consider to be bad can bring about a BDD attack. I would say that most of our obsessive behaviors, such as avoiding cameras, are an attempt to keep BDD attacks at bay.
Public Situations
Many BDDers have problems in public situations. Some even have problems meeting with relatives and family members. I know that everytime I am at a family gathering, I run to the back of the house and lock the door because I am too afraid of judgement. When seeing my immediate family after a month of being out of contact, I will shake uncontrollably. Most BDDers find that they are very uncomfortable in social situations for several reasons. They first feel strangely inhuman. They have a difficult time truly connecting to other people, and usually feel like an outcast. Their natural body language is often restricted, because they feel stressed that the people around them might observe them and judge them unfavorably. It almost seems narcissistic, feeling so singled out from the rest of the public, yet at the same time, we do not feel that we are separated from society because we are better than anyone else. We feel almost as if we do not exist, and that we are separated from the rest of the human race. It feels as if we, to use the old cliché, stick out like a sore thumb. We are scared to say the wrong thing, move the wrong way, smile, or even blush, because we fear that everyone is observing us, noticing how different we are, and we will be scrutinized and judged, and ultimately rejected. Because of this fear, some BDDers will not leave the house during daytime hours, as they feel others will have a better chance of judging them. Others will drop out of school, be unemployed, become agorophobic, or just simply avoid any situation where people can be found altogether. Some BDDers will be able to hold down a job, and keep a social life, but most are constantly worrying about what others think of them, and believe they come across much less confident than they really are. They harbor feelings of inferiority, and it causes them much distress that is often unseen by outsiders.
Disguise: Makeup, Hair, and Clothes
Another behavior common to BDDers is camouflaging, or concealing, disliked features. If we don't like our face, we'll cover it up with war paint, a.k.a. overabundant makeup application. We usually won't leave the house without this camouflage, and will reapply it several times a day, trying to make sure it is perfect. We will spend a tremendous amount of time trying to "fix" our problems. For instance, if you don't like your nose, you might try to place eyeshadow on the sides, in strategic places, to make it look like the desired shape. The interesting thing is, the problem area on your face can often change from day to day. One week, you are obsessed with your nose being too large, and the next, you might believe it's too small and not understand why you tried to make it look smaller before! Many people with BDD wonder whether their face is changing, or if their mind is just playing tricks, or if they are actually seeing something different than other people see. Most of our family and friends will reassure us that our face has not changed overnight, and this can often cause despair, because we believe that we will forever be stuck with this newly formed, hideous feature!
BDDers with hair concerns may spend hours a day rearranging or brushing their hair, trying to get it in the perfect position, or the perfect texture. Such things as getting a haircut, or washing your hair, can cause you to believe that your hair has been ruined, and you cannot go on living. They can always convince themselves that it's not quite right, and that other people will notice this as well. They become so focused on their hair, that nothing else about them matters, and if the hair is not improved through vigorous efforts, then they feel a sense of impending doom, and may eventually give up on the idea of leaving the house for the day. Sometimes when they finally rearrange their hair to their standards, they will refocus on the whole picture, and realize that they hate the way they look all together, and also give up.
Many people have concerns about the overall proportions of their body, and will try to wear clothes that flatter certain areas, such as the neck, and minimize others, such as the torso. To the BDDer, this all seems like normal behavior while we are camoflauging. It feels very similar to a nonBDDer, getting up for the day, and trying to make themselves presentable and attractive. But, the difference for a BDDer, is they cannot leave the house without their camoflauge, as they feel they would immediately be rejected and humiliated by anybody that saw them. They don't wear makeup, do their hair, and wear nice clothing because they want to look good; they do it because they feel they need it. Very few people, except those who they truly trust, and feel will not reject them, will see them without camouflage. Often, they will not even allow their family or close friends to see them completely natural.
An interesting aspect of this camouflaging behavior, is many BDDers alternate their ideas on what looks acceptable and what doesn't. I've known several BDDers that will wear their hair down for two years, never letting a single hair blow out of place, because they feel they will look ugly if their face is revealed. Then, they suddenly believe that their face is much too long, and long hair only emphasizes this, and will vow never to wear their hair down again. Some will apply heavy face makeup for years, to suddenly decide that they they look like a drag-queen, and opt to never wear makeup ever again. Decisions are black and white, and usually very extreme. They also have a tendency to use very negative words to describe themselves. These negatives terms aren't only outwardly stated, but also occur in internal dialogues. It's not uncommon for a BDDer to make such statements as, "I look more deformed than the elephant man" or, "how could you be with such a horribly ugly person like me?". None of this is for attention. If they say it, they truly believe it. But, as I mentioned before, their thinking is very black and white, and they can often change opinions on their self worth from hour to hour, sometimes feeling all bad, and at other times feeling good.
Premeditated Positioning
I've found that many BDDers often try to sit in a certain, preplanned position. They will usually believe that one side of their body looks more attractive than the other, and will make of effort of putting their best foot forward, so to speak. If they are in a café, about to sit down with a friend for brunch, they will first try to find a table that is not placed underneath harsh lighting that might emphasize flaws. They will also take into account where other people are sitting, and where their friend will be sitting, and try to find a position that hides their unpreferred side. For instance, if they feel their chin is pointy, they will not want anyone in the café being able to see them from the side view, and they will not want their friend seeing them looking down. Therefore, the BDDer may choose to sit with ¾ of a profile showing to the outsiders and holding their head up high to the friend. Whatever the final decision is, you can always be sure that the calculations will be quite precise, almost bordering on scientific!
Models, Babes, and Porn, Oh My!
Oh, now we've come to a fun, common feature, that causes extreme embarrassment among most BDDers, but always gets a laugh when we really think about what we're doing. Thanks to the invention of the internet, many BDDers have optimized their comparing behaviors, and check out babes on the internet! I have not heard if any BDD guys do the same thing, but I've heard it amongst several BDD females. We will search everything from supermodels, to celebrities, to porn (it's the only way to find a naked female body if your BDD concern is your body proportions). We are highly embarrassed that somebody might catch us in the act, and many of us have had a fun time explaining our way out of such situations. We also know that people might make the assumption that we are homosexual. But, this is not the case. We are merely checking out other women, comparing ourselves to them, seeing how we match up. This sometimes leaves us feeling decent, as if we live up to the standards of being a normal human. But, usually, it leaves us feeling quite depressed, thinking we are homely and deformed, and creates the desire for us to continue looking up babes until we find one that makes us feel better again. If we find one that makes us feel better, we usually continue searching anyhow, and most often end up feeling deformed once again. It's an endless cycle. If a BDDer does not have an internet connection, they will be sure to perform this behavior by reading magazines, watching movies, or just checking out people on the streets. Most likely, they will only compare themselves with the people that have made themselves up for several hours and that are in optimal lighting.
Picking, Pulling, and Measuring
Other BDD behaviors that usually happen while we are participating in the mirror checking ritual are skin picking, feature pulling and pushing, and feature measuring. Skin picking can last for hours at a time, and usually is not related to any true skin problems such as acne. Several BDDers who pick at their skin used to have skin problems, but they have subsided since, yet they still feel as if their skin is flawed. They'll spend an inordinate amount of time, picking at tiny or nonexistent bumps on their faces or arms with their fingers, and poke at them with needles, tweezers, or other sharp objects. Sometimes, they will leave themselves with gashing wounds, and be so ashamed and embarrassed, that they will refuse to leave the house the next day. Skin picking can take place at any time during the day, but often, it will last up until the wee hours of the night, when everybody else is asleep. I've also noticed a tendency for BDD girls to always keep their eyebrows well groomed, which could also be related to this desire to pick at things.
I often notice that BDDers pull and push the body parts of their obsession. If they dislike their nose, they may pull or push it, usually not in an effort to physically change it, but instead to see if they would look better had they been born with a different nose. If they find a position of nose that they desire, they will often come up with intricate plans of creating this nose by finding a plastic surgeon, briefing him on the exact details he needs to know in giving you the nose of your dreams. Most BDDers will not trust a surgeon to make the final decision in what would look good. They already have an idea of perfection in their minds, which will of course change over time, making it nearly impossible for a plastic surgeon to work on a BDDer and receive results that both parties are happy with. There is an endless amount of ways to change a face by pushing and pulling, and most BDDers will spend quite a bit of time during their day seeing how they'd look if their features were moved in different positions. Sometimes, they start to feel hopeless if they cannot push or pull their features into positions that look appealing, and will hurt themselves by being overly forceful out of frustration. It's not uncommon to wake up with a sore jaw if you've been experimenting too roughly with positions that would make your facial structure look more appealing.
BDDers often measure their features, coming up with complex formulas related to correct human proportions. If they believe their face is long, they may take out a ruler and divide the face into thirds, making sure that the forehead, nose, and chin are all equal in length. If they find that they are equal, they'll assume that their face is not wide enough. If they prove it is wide enough, they'll come to the conclusion that it's lacking in depth. It's always a no win situation, and if they find positive evidence, they'll still be sure to form a negative conclusion. Such measuring sprees often occur after reading a book or magazine article, or watching a TV program about the correct human proportions, and they, for some reason, need to prove to themselves that they do not fit the standard of a normal human being. Once they prove this to themselves, they usually feel extremely depressed, and often experience a BDD attack.
Preoccupied Mind
Many people with BDD have a hard time relaxing and
listening. Whenever they sit down to watch a movie or TV, or partake in a conversation, they start dwelling on their appearance concerns. Many times, this will lead to ritualistic mirror checking behaviors, and the inability to sit still. Sometimes it will be difficult to sleep, or listen in classes, or study if they cannot rid their mind of their BDD thoughts.
Perfectionism
Most BDDers seem to have a highly perfectionistic streak in several areas of their lives. If things do not meet up to their expectations, they can become extremely depressed. Most BDDers do not want to compete with anybody, and almost fear the idea of competition, yet find that they put themselves in competition, comparing themselves to everybody, and judging themselves by the strictest standards. Although I've heard from a few BDDers who judge other people as harshly as they judge themselves, I've found that most people with BDD consider every other person in this world attractive. Most even feel that the elephant man would be a step up in the looks department. For some reason, people with BDD have come to see themselves entirely different than other people, and believe that they are being judged on a different standard than normal humans. They also believe that others are judging us by the same standards that we're judging themselves, but do not judge anybody else this way.
Need for Reassurance
Probably the number one most complained about behavior from family and friends of a BDDer is the need for reassurance. Nearly every person with BDD will ask those close to them whether or not they look ok. We are not talking about asking once. Or even twice. BDDers will incessantly bring up the topic, asking over and over again, every time they change one thing about their appearance. For instance, if a girl with BDD decides to wash off her lipstick and replaces it with lipliner, she will most likely run to her mother, or anyone else that she trusts that is available, and a conversation very similar to the following will proceed:
Daughter: "Do my lips look ugly?"
Mother: "No, they don't look ugly."
Daughter: "Are you sure they don't look ugly?"
Mother: "Yes, they look fine."
Daughter: "So, they don't look great, because if they did, they wouldn't look fine. So, they could look better?"
Mother: "No, they look good."
Daughter: "You're just saying that because you are my mother and you have to."
Mother: "Don't you know how lucky you are?! You could have been born deformed!"
Daughter: "Hmm, ok." (most likely, she's already plotted a new idea of what she could do with her lips to try to improve them, and is not listening to her mother anymore).
Daughter exeunt. She runs to bathroom and experiments with other makeup because she feels both ugly, ashamed, and unconvinced that her lips looked fine.
This is really an interesting behavior. It's definitely a no win situation. The problem is, the daughter is not truly worrying about her appearance. She thinks she is. You think she is. But, she could actually care less if she ended up being the next Pamela Anderson, modeling on magazine covers and posing for centerfold spreads. No matter how she looks, if she feels unaccepted, she will not be content. The problem is, most BDDers believe their problem is 100% physical. I've known many BDDers, including myself, that will admit they are the victim of this "imagined ugliness" disorder, but then shake their heads in total denial, claiming, "no, other people have BDD, but I'm just truly ugly!" This causes the BDDer to play a mental game of hot potato. She'll first throw out the idea that she's ugly. Then she remembers it's just imagined ugliness. Which can then turn into the idea that she's actually normal looking, and she doesn't realize how she thought anything different. Then, she becomes the twin of the elephant man that is doomed to a life of lonliness. Then she returns to the idea that she's just unattractive again! The mind can never rest. So no matter what a parent tells their child, the child's mind will still continue to dwell on other thoughts.
The Bad Gets Worse: Self Amputation and Suicide
Severe cases of BDD can lead to such behaviors as self- amputation and suicide. I think suicidal thoughts are very common to the average BDDer, and a high percentage of them actually commit suicide. I've heard that this number was around 30%. Thoughts of self-amputation are not that unusual either, but it's usually just a fleeting idea that is somewhat between a joke and seriousness. For instance, you dislike your chin, and cover it up with your hand, just to realize you like it better when you can't see it. So, you might run to family members and ask if they think you also would benefit appearance wise from the lack of a chin. After a few rolls of the eyes and sighs, you realize it was a stupid question, but still think that you might be on to something. I think it is very uncommon for a BDDer to actually go through with dismembering a body part, although they might hurt themselves on accident, while performing a ritual. The most common destructive behavior would probably be cutting all their hair off in a desperate attempt to make it look more acceptable, or accidentally picking their skin too much, leading to scarring. Some BDDers seem to have a preoccupation with visiting plastic surgeons and getting multiple surgeries. I've never had the chance to personally talk to one of them that's undergone several surgeries, but I know that many BDDers have either had a consultation with a surgeon, or at least supported the thought of getting surgery, at one time or another, believing it might be the answer to their problems. I do know that I've never heard of a single BDDer that has been satisfied with their plastic surgery, once again showing that BDD most likely has little to do with appearance at all. If you change one part of your appearance, you will most likely find a new aspect to hate.
Negativity
BDDers have an extreme tolerance for negativity and negative self-talk. If every person on earth except for one told a BDDer that she was beautiful, and the remaining person said she looked tired, I assure you she would convince you with all her heart that everyone thought she was ugly because she had bags under her eyes. BDDers look for negative evidence to back up their beliefs. If it is not available, they make up evidence. I know that I often put words in random peoples' mouths, saying such things as, "they didn't say bye to me because they thought my nose was too big," even though I didn't know the people, and they said nothing about my nose. The interesting part is, we truly believe what we say, at least until we realize it's ridiculous. But by the time we realize that our thinking is faulty, we've already come up with another strange idea that we believe is 100% true. Most people complain that BDDers are much too pessimistic and that it ruins their days to hear such horrible comments. These are people that only have to be around the BDDer. Think how it must feel to actually believe these comments and have them aimed at your very being. I find that outside of bashing themselves, BDDers are usually very positive people that give everyone else, but themselves, the benefit of the doubt in all situations. If the topic turns to themselves, they will be negative.
Perfect is Perfect, Right?
It's been brought to my attention several times that BDDers definitely possess an all or nothing attitude. We can convince ourselves that even if we have a nice figure, eyes, and hair, if our nose is large, then the world is over. If one feature is considered ugly to a BDDer, then the overall person is also ugly. We will think such things as, "If I'm not the most beautiful person on the face of the earth, then I am a bad person that will be rejected and would be better of dead." Such thinking is especially common during bad BDD episodes and BDD attacks.
Instability of Self Image
I've found that most BDDers can change their views on their appearance in the same fashion that a person with Bipolar Disorder can shift from being majorly depressed to overly euphoric. I've heard several BDDers who claim to actually really like their appearance on certain occasions, and during this time, they are usually extremely motivated and feeling on top of the world. They will remind themselves of the times in which they received positive evidence illustrating that they were attractive. Usually within twenty-four hours, they will invent negative evidence to convince themselves that they are ugly again, and will then refuse to believe that they ever felt attractive.
Lack of Strong Identity
Most of us, never having risen from the bottom levels of Maslow's Pyramid, also have a very weakly defined identity, and know very little about ourselves. Even during a good BDD moment, we often find it difficult to form opinions and find any direction in life, because we don't feel we truly know ourselves.
I am You, You are Me
I've seen that many BDDers have a difficult time setting boundaries. They say yes when they mean no, and do things just to please other people. Some let others openly control them and abuse them. We often do not know where we end and others begin. We dedicate our lives, when not performing other rituals, to pleasing others, in a frantic attempt to be accepted.
Authority Figures
Some BDDers have a fear of authority figures. I think this depends on childhood circumstances, and how you developed BDD. It's somewhat like the rectangle/square theory, where a rectangle is not a square, but a square is a rectangle. Well, a person without BDD may also have this trait and not have BDD, and a BDDer may have this trait, or not express it at all. For the BDDers who do have this problem, they often avoid speaking with anyone that could be considered a controlling adult. If they do speak with them, they usually end up trembling, and sometimes resort to crying. Because this is a potentially embarrassing situation, they often avoid it altogether, leading them to miss meetings with teachers or talking with bosses about promotions.
Unquestioning Belief in Others' Opinions
A lot of people with BDD really rely heavily on opinions of others. A complete stranger could tell a BDDer that he's ugly, and he might actually think about it for the next 10 years. Most BDDers will not fight with these antagonists, but instead accept what they say as the truth. I find that most people with BDD accept anything that others are willing to dish out, and never question others, and certainly never assume somebody else is wrong. Most nonBDDers have a values system. When they hear outside imput, they accept it, process it, decide whether or not they believe it, use the criticism, or toss it out. BDDers take almost everything extremely personally, as if every person has the right to judge them.
Dressing Down
Something else that I have found very common with most BDDers is the desire to dress frumpy. The more a BDDer tries to dress up attractively, the more likely he or she will experience a BDD attack. Very often, a BDDer will spend hours applying makeup, and then go out wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. Also, I noticed that many can have a wonderful body image from the neck down, but have a horrible body image concerning their face, and vice versa. Often they don't care about 95% of their body, and would not even mind if it became severely disfigured, but only concentrate on what they believe is the important part of their appearance. For some BDDers, dressing up and keeping in shape are extremely important though. I've noticed that several males with BDD pay special attention to dressing nicely, but might neglect some other part of their appearance.
The Perfect Person
The BDDer will often have an idea of who the perfect person is, and it is sometimes a public figure, and at other times, someone they know personally. Sometimes they just know a type of person that they find perfect. Usually, it does not agree with the average human being's standard of beauty, and often, this person has something in common with somebody they admired in childhood that was totally different from themselves. For instance, I went through a phase where I wanted to look like a short, male, Samurai warrior even though I am a female. Another time, I wanted to look like Conan O'Brien. I've heard of many BDDers who have come up with other random wishes like my own. To the BDDer, these desires seem absolutely normal, until they realize that they aren't so normal, which usually will take a few years. Most BDDers cannot understand how another BDDer could want to look like Conan O'Brien, but think it's totally acceptable to want to look like Howard Stern. Usually, they will not look at the whole picture, and realize that it would require a sex change operation to look like the person they admire. Instead, they think about things like the person's facial structure is exactly the opposite of her own, and obsessively think about how they could change their facial structure to match the desired face shape. Often, the self talk goes as so, "if I looked like him or her, then I would (fill in the blank with anything you think you aren't now: E.g. Be happy, be accepted, wouldn't complain, etc.)." I also found that many BDDers have a celebrity role model, who they think they might look like on good BDD days. This gives them hope that they look like somebody that is accepted. On bad BDD days, they usually have a backup celebrity, that has the repuation of being quite homely and looks nothing like the first celebrity. They will waiver back and forth between thinking they look like the one, and they look like the other, and will sit in the mirror trying to decide which is more true.
We Can Speak Like the Doctors
I've noticed that many BDDers study up on their perceived defect so much, that they will actually be able to use the jargon that doctors, having been to medical school for several years specializing in that feature, would use. A BDDer will often have a difficult time learning new things while their mind is preoccupied thinking about their appearance, but will have no problems picking up very specialized information on their defect at lightning speed!
Common Link in Displayed Behaviors
All of the previous behaviors probably seem quite different from one another, but if you analyze them closely enough, you'll find that most of them have something in common. They are behaviors that can help the mind dissociate. Each of them can be repeated over and over again, with perfection rarely being achieved, meaning that the task can never be completed. Imagine a husband, that has been working hard all day, to come home to his wife who yells at him for throwing his dirty clothes on the ground, and a houseful of screaming children that are jumping up and down in the background. All he wants is some peace of mind, so he decided to head on outside and do some yard work. This yard work is not done because he has the desire to work even harder after his long day of tedious work, but it's because he wants to get his mind of things that are really bothering him. By mowing the lawn, and clipping leaves, he can worry that things don't look quite perfect instead of worrying about what he'll say to his wife to make her happy, or how he can convince his kids to settle down. The more he wants to avoid going back inside, the more work he'll find to do outside. The more complex issues on a BDDers mind, the more likely he or she will perform endless rituals
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any questions that you would like addressed dealing with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, please write to us at brit@bddcentral.com, and we will post your questions along with the answer.
Q: When does the onset of BDD usually occur?
A:Studies claim that adolesence is the most common time of onset. But, I've heard of numerous cases where people started displaying symptoms as early as five years old. I personally have had BDD since I was 10 years old, and the obsessions became more severe as the years went on.
Q: Everyone is dissatisfied with their appearance in some
way, so wouldn't everyone have BDD?
A:No. BDD seems to have much less to do with appearance, actually. BDDers usually dislike every aspect of themselves to the point of total self hatred! The question at hand is, how often do you think about your appearance concerns? With BDDers, their concerns are obsessive. They spend hours a day thinking about everything from appearance, to communication, to mistakes they've made, and they can't stop! They often preform rituals, looking at themselves in reflective surfaces repeatedly, or ask for constant reassurance. Additionally, depression is often an unwelcome visitor that accompanies BDD. To top it all off, BDDers have the unsatisfying bonus of having BDD attacks, which is a time when BDD feelings get so instense, that the only viable option is to commit suicide. I don't know many people who dislike their looks so much that they'd rather die than live looking like they do. Another thing to remember, is for an official diagnosis, the appearance conerns must be so intense, that the victim is impaired socially, occupationally, or in other important areas of ways regarding functioning.
Q: Is Anorexia and BDD the same?
A: Technically, they are two different disorders, anorexia nervosa referring to people who have a distorted view on their body weight and proportions. BDD deals with face, hair, and all body parts and proportions. I guess that sometimes, it would be a tough call, deciding if it was BDD or Anorexia, as many people with BDD are concerned with only their body. I also believe that Anorexia and BDD may be very closely related, although there is no official evidence stating this.
Q: How many people have BDD?
A: The true incidence of BDD is unknown (I've heard estimates of around 2% of the population, but it could be more, due to the secrecy of the disorder, and the fact that many people with BDD have social phobia and are afraid of visiting the doctor), but it has been diagnosed in 1.9 percent of nonclinical patients and in 12 percent of psychiatric outpatients.
Q: Is it possible to entirely cure BDD?
I give this question an enthusiastic, definitive, all out, yes.
The question is, what you consider "cured", though. Taking medication and masking the symptoms of BDD is not a cure to me. Living a life where I can look forward to the future,be confident to try new things, not perform rituals, feel ok when I look at myself in the mirror, and be productive, happy, BDD attack free with minimal chances of relapse, and self sufficient is what I consider a cure. And yes, that's 100% obtainable. You'll even notice that BDD has left you with some positive traits, like compassion, analytical thinking abilities, understanding, and a desire to do good for others. Now, this all sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it's not, because you have to put in a lot of effort to get there. You have to make lifestyle changes, be patient, make mistakes, face fears, use willpower, challenege your old beliefs, and keep a positive attidude throughout. This may be the hardest battle you'll ever face, but I guarantee it's definitely worth overcoming in the end!
ALL OF THE ABOVE INFO WAS TAKEN FROM BDDCENTRAL.COM AGREAT RESOURCE SITE FOR ANYONE W?THIS OCD DISORDER
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