Body Dysmorphic Disorder, referred to as BDD, is a mental illness that is termed when people struggle to control their negative thoughts regarding their physical appearance. These thoughts may cause severe emotional distress and may begin to interfere with everyday functioning. When a large amount of distress is brought about, issues relative to work or school may occur along with social problems between family and friends. Those affected from BDD may undergo unnecessary plastic surgeries to correct what they view as imperfections. People who suffer with BDD present compulsive or repetitive behaviors and will, most likely, attempt to hide what they believe are flaws. For example, individuals are likely to ‘camouflage’ themselves by changing their hair, body position, or even clothing until they are satisfied with the way they see themselves. In order for one to fully comprehend Body Dysmorphic Disorder, one must be able to recognize reoccurring symptoms, be able to determine the possible causing factors of the disorder, and understand how serious the disorder can be in relation to death.
When it comes to determining the causes of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, one must note that there actually isn’t any specific known causes. Although the causes of BDD are unknown, there is a combination of possible factors such as daily life events involving one’s environment and one’s genetic makeup along with neurobiological factors. Possible factors involving daily life events can range anywhere from spending an immense amount of time in front of the mirror to constantly comparing oneself to other people in society. EXPLAIN THIS The elements involving one’s genetic makeup along with neurobiological factors deal with problems with visual processing...
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...h BDD often tend to rely on cosmetic surgeries for body parts they see as irregular or deformed. This is often a big problem because more than half the time the patients are still unsatisfied with their body parts after they pay thousands of dollars for the surgery. In other words, not only is getting the cosmetic surgery unbeneficial to their mindset of themselves but it also can hurt them financially. In addition, once the cosmetic surgery is over with, they tend to focus on another body part that they are aggravated with resulting in a never-ending cycle. Once the individuals realize their surgery was pointless, it has been documented that surgeons have occasionally been victims of violence and even murder by BDD patients who are in despair over their procedural outcomes. Although this may seem out of the ordinary, it’s chances of happening are extremely high.
While both genders suffer from body Dysmorphia the percentage rates of genders don’t really differ from each other, but the flaw each gender suffers from does differ. Females are typically the ones
According to the DSM-5, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is defined as having “...preoccupation with one or more
Leit, Richard, Ph.D. "International Journal of Eating DisordersVolume 31, Issue 3, Article First Published Online: 14 MAR 2002." The Media's Representation of the Ideal Male Body: A Cause for Muscle Dysmorphia? Wiley Online Library, 14 Feb. 2001. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
Like most people, Terri has never heard of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Although Terri’s body concerns may not constitute the disorder, there are people among us living with the secretive, shameful reality of BDD. WHAT IS a BDD? Few people have ever heard of BDD, but virtually everyone has exhibited the characteristics of the disorder in its most basic form: a heightened concern with a particular part of their body that they deem “less than perfect,” something that they would like to improve upon, and even something that they try to hide. Unlike normal appearance concerns, however, BDD is marked by an intense preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance.
According to the National Eating Disorders Collaborations (NEDC), these four aspects include perceptual body image, affective body image, cognitive body image, and behavioral body image. Perceptual body image has to do with the way one sees their own body. This aspect commonly results in an inaccurate mental representation of the way one actually physically looks. An example of Perceptual body image would be an underweight person seeing themselves as overweight. The second aspect of body image is related to the way one feels about their body. This is affective body image. “It relates to the amount of satisfaction or dissatisfaction” one has about the weight, shape, and/ or parts of their body. The way one thinks about their body is the cognitive aspect of body image. NEDC says that “This can lead to preoccupation with body shape and weight. For example, some people believe they will feel better about themselves if they are thinner or more muscular”. Lastly, behavioral body image has to do with the behaviors one acquires due to their body image. Excessive exercising and disordered eating to change one’s body are examples of destructive behavior due to negative body image. Self-isolation due to dissatisfaction would be another example of negative behavioral body
Regina is a teenager who’s living in a college dorm. When she was younger she broke her nose and afterwards a tiny bump remained. By the time she was a legal adult, Regina thought she had a facial deformity. She became obsessive and refused to go in public. Even after she underwent plastic surgery she still found something else wrong with her face. All this (along with other symptoms) has led me to diagnose Regina with body dysmorphic disorder.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), formerly known as dysmorphophobia, is characterized by a preoccupation of one or more perceived defects and or flaws in one’s physical appearance. These defects and or flaws are either not observable to others or appear slightly to other’s. This disorder is also characterized by repetitive behaviors and mental acts as a response to their beliefs on their personal appearance. These behaviors can include but are not limited to mirror checking, excessive grooming, skin picking, and comparing ones appearance to others. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), those with this disorder have concerns on their physical appearance ranging from “looking unattractive, not right, to looking hideous or like a monster”. The most common concerns those with this disorder have are obsessions about their skin, hair, or nose; however it is not limited to these specifications of the body. Any part of the body can be of concern to an individual such as eyes, teeth, breasts, legs, lips, etc. These preoccupations are time consuming, intrusive, unwanted, and are generally difficult for the individual to control or even resist.
People now a days have a problem with the way they appear. For hundreds of years, people, especially females, have been concerned with their weight, the way they look, and the way people perceive them. In the article, Do You Have a Body Image Problem? author Dr. Katharine A. Phillips discusses the concerns with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Dr. Phillips uses her knowledge or ethics to discuss the effects that BDD has on people today. She also uses emotion to show the reader how people are seriously affected by this disorder. In Dr. Phillips article, she discusses how people are emotionally and socially affected by the body dysmorphic disorder, and how society is also affected by it.
Muscle dysmorphia is an obsession with gaining muscle mass to satisfy the goal of constantly getting physically bigger. This condition is accompanied with anxiety and possibly depression when one is not satisfied with their physical appearance. It is detrimental to well-being as any obsession potentially is, the mentality of pursuing an unrealistic goal is never a good place to be. An individual who is focused on physical appearance will always find room for improvement and will become fixated on changing for the “better.” How could one become content with their body if they always want to push it to further limits. This condition becomes harmful when one neglects their diet, social life, and puts exercise at the peak of their aspirations. The potential harm from not achieving a goal with such a high priority is devastating and in some
Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is a rare phenomenon in which individuals desire the amputation of fully functioning limbs. BIID is described as the disparity between an individual’s perception of their body and the actual structure of their body (Bayne & Levy, 2005). Other psychological disorders have been linked to BIID, including Gender Identity Disorder and Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The neurological origins of BIID are unknown at this time, and treatment of this condition through elective amputation is highly controversial. Arguments for and against elective amputation will be discussed, as well as other possible treatments.
For years doctors have been presented with the challenge of dealing with human behavior and the reasons for its inner workings. Whether socio or economic factors guide individuals into certain behaviors or even both is yet to be seen. Enter such a subject topic as Somatoform Disorders, a mental disorder characterized by a series of physical symptoms ailing an individual with no real proof that would characterize any physiological cause. “Somatoform disorder is an umbrella term encompassing the following conditions: somatization disorder, conversion disorder, undifferentiated disorder, pain disorder, hypochondria, and last but not least, body dysmorphic disorder” (Schonbeck, 2006).
When I first started high school, I was very uncomfortable in my skin, but by the time graduation came along my confidence grew considerably. The first few years of high school were challenging because of my early physical development and the fact I was extremely shy. However, by senior year I was beginning to accept who I was and how I felt about my body.
A case study found that Chris, a sixteen year old male, suffering from BDD displayed both classical and operant conditioning. He grew up in a family that stressed physical appearance, which was a modeled behavior. At sixteen, Chris broke his nose playing and after the following surgery, he became very anxious about his nose and its appearance. This eventually caused him to retreat from society (Neziroglu & Mancusi, 2012). This study explored both the classical and operant conditioning involved with the development of Chris’s BDD, and later how to help Chris unlearn the behaviors. Neziroglu and Mancusi (2012) report that, “After Chris’s surgery, he began to feel differently about his appearance. The change in his appearance (broken nose), the pain and discomfort from the surgery became associated with disgust and anxiety. His nose then became associated with these negative mood states” (p. 152). The authors explain that this is a form of classical conditioning, in which over time the associations that Chris made from his appearance and pain from the surgery became linked with disgust. This behavior was created by long term emphasis placed on appearance; therefore, when that appearance changed the disorder developed in response to this new stimuli. Chris also experienced operant conditioning via negative reinforcement due to feelings of shame
Those who participate in severe body modifications are associated with a “higher incidence of prior suicidality.” This is diagnosed proof of mental illness has an effect on the human brain and decision making. Body modifications can also be viewed as self-harm as the rush of dopamine that comes with certain procedures. Having obsessive control over one's own body is unhealthy and a sign of BDD (body dysmorphic disorder).
Body image is the mental image of one 's own body. Body image is very important because the majority of people think about their appearance and how they look all day long. Many people today have a very poor body image. The causes of poor body image include: body size, bullying, media, low self-esteem, depression, and even gender. Body image also has some very unhealthy effects on men and women. Body image in our world today is at an all-time low, but there are many ways to help improve it. The most important ways are to focus on the good and positive talents he or she has and to not compare his or her body to another individual’s body.