The Ins and Outs of Body Dysmorphia
What is Body Dysmorphia?
Imagine looking in the mirror and perceiving the shape of your nose in a way no one else does, or being incredibly preoccupied with how it looks when nobody else notices anything strange. Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health challenge that can affect men, women, and youth alike. The disorder involves a skewed perception of one’s physical appearance in which a body part is perceived in an extreme way that others view as ordinary. Those with the disorder could also believe that certain body parts, like the stomach or thighs, appear differently than they truly are, hindering their ability to accurately perceive their body’s true appearance. It’s important to understand that those with body dysmorphia are not self-obsessed or vain. Rather, shame and a lack of self-satisfaction are often a result of the disorder.
Body dysmorphia is not commonly seen in the media and is not frequently publicized, so many may not be aware of its existence. This is partially because many individuals with the disorder are reluctant to share their symptoms out of shame. The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation states that around 2% of the general population experiences the disorder, which is prevalent in adolescents and young adults, and the Cleveland Clinic states that 2.4% of all adults in the US experience body dysmorphic disorder in their lifetimes. It’s important to share information about this disorder, as well as the many others that are stigmatized or less well known, to ensure that individuals and mental health professionals alike are well-educated and aware. This is the first step to understanding and diagnosis, which can lead to treatment for body dysmorphia and other healthy solutions.
Common Symptoms
The most prevalent symptom seen in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder is distress over one’s own appearance. Better Health Channel highlights that those with body dysmorphia will often turn to loved ones for reassurance about their looks in an attempt to cope – although the individual will often not believe what they are told about their appearance. Individuals may also compare themselves to the perfection they see in celebrities, which only fuels dissatisfaction with themselves. Additionally, frequent dieting and overexercising in an attempt to change one’s appearance, repetitive cosmetic surgeries to fix the perceived flaw, and either obsessively looking in the mirror or going to great lengths to avoid seeing one’s own reflection are common body dysmorphia symptoms of those with body dysmorphia. Individuals might worry in excess over skin, hair, or the size and shape of any body part.
Johns Hopkins Medicine adds that other body dysmorphia symptoms could include constant grooming to improve one’s appearance, experiencing feelings of anxiety, shame, or depression in relation to how one looks, avoiding social activities or rarely leaving the house in an attempt for the perceived flaw to be less visible to others, and hiding body parts under hats, scarves, or makeup. In other words, individuals with body dysmorphia tend to obsess over appearance, and attempt to hide their perceived flaws from others. This constant distress can become overwhelming and all-consuming in the affected individual’s life, affecting their decisions on a day-to-day basis.
Causes of Body Dysmorphia
There is no specific scientific explanation for the cause of body dysmorphia. However, as the Mayo Clinic suggests, the disorder could stem from a variety of factors, such as unusual levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that impacts mood, emotions, and appetite. Additionally, the Victoria State Government Department of Health points to adolescent stress, drugs like ecstasy (a synthetic drug that impacts the nervous system), and low self-esteem as other potential causes. The high standards that western society has placed upon beauty is another factor that could trigger the disorder, especially in susceptible individuals. Different cultures also have different beauty standards, such as pale skin in Asian countries or thin noses in Europe. It could also be a result of a family history of the disorder, constant comments on one’s body from family, friends, or teachers, or constantly being in a situation where the body is heavily evaluated. According to a 2012 study from the National Library of Medicine, body dysmorphic disorder, as well as eating disorders, are much more prevalent in professional female ballet dancers than the broad population. The pressure placed on ballet dancers is just one example of the many external factors that could contribute to body dysmorphia in individuals.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Eating Disorders
Although often associated with one another, body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders are not the same thing. While body dysmorphia involves hyper fixations on areas of concern in an individual’s physical appearance, eating disorders revolve around eating patterns and unhealthy or abnormal habits related to food. However, the two can be closely related: eating disorders may develop when individuals with body dysmorphia use restricted eating in an attempt to alter appearances they may perceive as unlikeable or unattractive. Eating disorder specialists at Avalon Hills state that about 38% of individuals living with an eating disorder also have body dysmorphic disorder, and up to 67% of those with anorexia nervosa (a common type of eating disorder) experience body dysmorphia.
Strategies to Deal With Body Dysmorphia
Body dysmorphic disorder may not be easily curable – but it is treatable. Psychotherapy, otherwise known as therapy to treat mental health, is a popular solution in which individuals will talk through feelings with a mental health specialist to process their experiences and create methods to cope. Common forms of psychotherapy used to treat body dysmorphia include family therapy, a group therapy method in which family members focus on improving collective relationships and behaviors, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is a talk therapy that focuses on goals and coping methods. Additionally, working with a dietitian can help individuals heal their complicated relationship with food, which is one step towards healing one’s relationship with their own body. Trust Mental Health’s registered dietitian Sarah Miller is a wonderful place to start. She offers services that can help with eating disorder treatment in California and works with a wide range of patients. After diagnosis from a mental health specialist, which might involve questionnaires and discussions about body dysmorphia symptoms and behaviors, there are several other treatments for body dysmorphia that individuals can explore. Strategies involving self-esteem work, such as daily positive affirmations, can be a great non-medicine-based start to healing body dysmorphic disorder. The Cleveland Clinic also points readers towards medications such as antidepressants, which are prescription medications that help manage thoughts and behaviors.
Here at Trust Mental Health, our diverse group of therapists is ready to provide culturally sensitive therapy for patients in California, with a passionate team that speaks a collective 17 different languages. This helps our clients feel safe and understood in their own unique experiences, as culture is a huge part of identity and our understanding of ourselves. We encourage our readers to take the first step in learning more about our services and finding the perfect therapist for you.
Key Points
Body dysmorphia is a mental health disorder in which the individual hyperfixates upon a perceived physical flaw, such as hair, skin, or the size and shape of a body part, which others likely do not take notice of.
There are no scientifically identified causes of body dysmorphic disorder, but unusual levels of serotonin, low self-esteem, and frequent exposure to situations in which the body is heavily analyzed can be triggering factors.
Body dysmorphic disorder can be treated with medications such as antidepressants, as well as psychotherapy. Two forms commonly used to treat body dysmorphia are family therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
FAQs
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Yes! Dietitians can provide valuable support regarding an individual’s relationship with food and its impact on their body, as well as assist with developing and maintaining proper nutrition. We encourage readers looking for therapy in California to explore meeting with our own registered dietitian, Sarah Miller, whose services can help patients with eating disorder treatments in California.
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Anyone can experience the effects of body dysmorphic disorder. The NHS writes that although all ages experience body dysmorphia, it is most common in teens and young adults – likely due to the constant pressure of social media and high beauty standards placed upon this age group. Men and women are equally subject to experiencing body dysmorphia.
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While cosmetic treatments may sound like an easy solution to body dysmorphia, seeing as they would alter the individual’s perceived flaw, they are not a reliable solution to the disorder. Since body dysmorphic disorder is a psychological challenge, the safest treatment for body dysmorphia would be a form of psychological help, such as psychotherapy.