Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a diagnosable mental health condition, a type of anxiety disorder which leads sufferers to worry excessively about one or more aspects of their appearance which may seem slight or non-existent to other people. Let’s discuss some key symptoms and differences between BDD and other mental health conditions.
Symptoms of BDD
BDD is an extremely distressing disorder and many of its symptoms manifest in ways that are not immediately visible to the people around you. These include:
- Behaviours — what are you doing to change this body image disturbance? BDD tends to involve things like skin-picking, self-surgery or pursuit of plastic surgery, and compulsive self-grooming. EDs tend to involve behaviours that control diet and exercise habits (thereby your shape/size) including binge-eating, purging and compulsive exercise.
Abnormal eating is not a required behaviour for BDD whereas to be diagnosed with an eating disorder, eating habits must be significantly impaired. People with BDD can experience abnormal eating habits but these tend not to be as problematic, compulsive or severe as with an ED diagnosis.
What helps with BDD?
Like all mental health disorders, recovery does not mean that you have to completely overcome all of your symptoms forever. Often, it can be more effective to learn to recognise and manage your symptoms, which look different for different people, so that you can cope effectively when facing potential triggers.
If you think you have BDD, we urge you to speak to someone about what you are experiencing and feeling towards your body. This does not have to be a medical, clinical or pharmacological professional in the first instance (although in more severe cases please do explore these options) but simply, a friend, family member or someone else who has experienced similar struggles. Sometimes it can help to read books, listen to stories and follow social media accounts where others share their lived experience with BDD to help you explore your own experience and whether it would be helpful to seek a formal diagnosis.
Finding a safe space where you can feel calm and take your focus away from your perceived flaws can be a huge part of healing. Be careful not to mistake avoidant behaviours for finding a safe space – in the short term avoidance may enable you to keep your anxieties at bay but in the long-term, avoiding social situations and other activities can lead to further isolation and alienation from potential support networks.
Your safe space may be a book, somewhere you can read about someone else’s life and world and not feel so absorbed by your own; it may be ensuring you are connected with friends even if that doesn’t mean socialising in big groups or in person at all; it may be support groups, therapy, or a Mentor who can help you to understand your condition, relate to others and develop constructive ways of coping based on lived experience or professional expertise.
There is support out there and you do deserve help. You are not alone.
Been There Team x
- Focus – what is the body image disturbance? BDD usually involves preoccupation with any or many particular parts of the body but most commonly with the face/facial features, particularly one’s skin, hair and nose. Eating Disorders tend to involve a preoccupation with the weight, shape and size of one’s body as a whole.
- Behaviours — what are you doing to change this body image disturbance? BDD tends to involve things like skin-picking, self-surgery or pursuit of plastic surgery, and compulsive self-grooming. EDs tend to involve behaviours that control diet and exercise habits (thereby your shape/size) including binge-eating, purging and compulsive exercise.
Abnormal eating is not a required behaviour for BDD whereas to be diagnosed with an eating disorder, eating habits must be significantly impaired. People with BDD can experience abnormal eating habits but these tend not to be as problematic, compulsive or severe as with an ED diagnosis.
