What is Body Dysmorphia and How can I recognise it?

Body dysmorphia, also called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), is a mental health condition where someone becomes overly focused on aspects of their appearance. That means someone with body dysmorphia can be hyper-aware of certain body feautures, making them feel self- or overly-conscious. This can lead to anxiety, stress, and obsessive checking the mirror- which is also called body checking. Body dysmorphia can be debilitating and seriously affect daily life and emotional well-being.

4 Signs to Help Recognise Body Dysmorphia

1.        Significant time spent checking appearance

Someone with body dysmorphia can spent significant time checking their appearance and comparing themselves to others. This can also project outwards, through consistent seeking  of reassurance from others.

2.        Avoiding Social Situations

Due to their intense self-consciousness, people with body dysmorphia may avoid social situations, relationships, or activities where they feel their appearance will be judged. It can make it difficult to concentrate on work, school, or other responsibilities.

3.         Seeking Cosmetic Surgeries

Someone with body dysmorphia will often seek cosmetic surgeries to alter their appearance. However, these procedures often do not relieve the distress and may even make it worse.

4.        Disordered Eating

In many cases, body dysmorphia can lead to eating disorders or harmful eating behaviours. In severe cases, body dysmorphia can lead to depression or suicidal thoughts, making it important to seek help if this feels familiar to you.

Body dysmorphia can be particularly emotionally distressing because it can lead to constant anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Someone with body dysmorphia may feel ashamed, embarrassed, or disgusted and it often becomes difficult to maintain healthy relationships with others. While these are helpful tools in recognising body dysmorphia, these should always be discussed with a mental health professional.

If any of these signs feel familiar to you, it can be useful to seek help. If you wish to do so, you can book a free initial consultation today.