Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

What is body dysmorphic disorder?

People with body dysmorphic disorder typically have a significant concern about an aspect of their appearance (e.g. nose, skin, posture etc). Although they will see a significant flaw in this area of their body, others see minimal or no flaw. This distorted body image can have a significant impact on someone’s life, causing high levels of shame and significant disengagement from life, including avoiding relationships and socialising. It can be hard for people with BDD to recognise they are struggling with BDD, rather than a physical appearance issue.

What is the best treatment for body dysmorphic disorder?

The best evidence for the treatment of BDD is for CBT, medication, or a combination of the two.

CBT is based on the premise that the way in which we think, feel and behave are interconnected. By learning tools and techniques to change the way we think and the way in which we act, we can change the way we feel.

In CBT for BDD there is a particular focus on preoccupation. We know that when people are very preoccupied with their appearance, they find it increasingly hard to have an objective view of their own appearance and can experience more feelings of self-consciousness and distress. Treatment allows you to explore what is increasing your preoccupation and to find ways to reduce this, typically reducing distress and resulting in a more balanced view of the self.

The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation is an excellent source of information about BDD and its treatment, and also has links for support groups that might be useful.