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What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?

• BDD is a diagnosable mental disorder.

• BDD can have a devastating impact on a person's life, health and wellbeing.

• An individual diagnosed with BDD may be said to be 'obsessed' with their appearance and perceived 'flaws'. These may be very minor or entirely non-existent 'flaws'.

• This is key: It is not vanity, it is an obsessional disorder.

• They may engage in self-destructive or repetitive behaviours in order to reduce the distress they feel about their appearance.

• They may avoid socialising and be very withdrawn, for fear of what people will say or think.

• They may not believe other people when they compliment them.

Signs and Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder:

• 'Body checking' as often as possible - this can include physically touching or looking in a mirror/shop windows/reflective surfaces.

• Avoid having photos taken or looking in mirrors.

• Excessive personal grooming behaviours (hair brushing, make-up touch-ups etc.).

• Attempts to mask, hide, remove, or 'correct' the perceived flaw, which may also include digitally editing photos.

• Frequent internet searching for 'fixes' and treatments.

• Frequently comparing appearance to others.

Body Dysmorphia is not about ‘vanity’!

There is a very real danger of BDD going undiagnosed because society has taught people that being severely anxious or preoccupied by their appearance is 'vanity'. People with BDD or body image issues are often worried that they do not fit into society, and so their behaviours are driven by a desire to be accepted by people around them/ society, and to minimise the (real or perceived) risk of being body-shamed.

Diagnosing Body Dysmorphic Disorder

For body image problems to be diagnosed as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), it must cause significant problems in your day-to-day life. It is also likely that the people around you cannot see the 'flaws' you are feeling preoccupied and anxious about, or they see these 'flaws' as very minor.

Muscle Dysmorphia

This is a form of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) that mostly affects males, but can of course affect other genders. Someone with Muscle Dysmorphia. They may feel like they are underdeveloped, weak or small. In an attempt to alleviate these fears, they may lift weights and exercise to excess. In some cases, they may also take substances such as steroids.

Body Image and Eating Disorders

Negative body image is part of the diagnosis for some eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) may be diagnosed alongside an eating disorder.

•However, body image is not a part of all eating disorders, for example, ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).