Medication
Medications are sometimes used for body dysmorphia treatment, especially when a person with BDD has co-occurring mental health conditions. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) treatment is very similar to the treatment for related disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), somatic and eating disorders.
Therapy
Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) may worry about any part of their body, but the face and hair are common areas of concern. A person may be anxious that they have a crooked smile, uneven lips, or some other feature.
Self-care
Because they see their problems as something physical that needs to be changed, many individuals with BDD (including kids and teens) end up trying many cosmetic treatments to “fix” their perceived flaws.
How is body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) treated?
Additional research is needed to clarify BDD’s relationship to other “near neighbor” disorders, such as eating disorders, OCD, social phobia, and depression. TREATMENT Many people suffering from BDD seek and receive surgical and nonpsychiatric medical treatments (e.g., dermatologic, dental) for their perceived appearance flaws.
What are the symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)?
Why do people with BDD try to “fix” their problems?
What is the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BDD) and other disorders?
Is BDD difficult to treat?
Because BDD can be difficult to treat, and because its treatment differs in important ways from that of other disorders, the use of a treatment manual is highly recommended for all patients with BDD, especially those with more severe BDD.
How do doctors treat BDD in patients?
Cognitive behavioral therapy Challenging automatic negative thoughts about your body image and learning more-flexible ways of thinking. Learning alternate ways to handle urges or rituals to help reduce mirror checking, reassurance seeking or excess use of medical services.
What do people with BDD think?
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others. But you may feel so embarrassed, ashamed and anxious that you may avoid many social situations.
How effective is therapy for body dysmorphia?
Clinical studies have shown a 30% reduction in body dysmorphic disorder from the use of an SSRI, and report improvements in emotions and daily functioning [2]. To conclude cognitive behavioral therapy coupled with medication treatment can be highly effective for those with body dysmorphic disorder.
What should you not say to someone with body dysmorphia?
One of the most harmful things you can do is attempt to relate to the person's condition if you don't have it yourself. Saying things like “I know exactly how you feel” or trying to compare their symptoms with something you've felt before comes across as dismissive and makes it seem like you don't care.
Do antidepressants help with body image?
SSRI antidepressants Although they are often used to treat depression, SSRI antidepressant medicines can also reduce the symptoms of BDD, even if you are not depressed. They work by interfering with brain chemicals (neurotransmitters), such as serotonin, which may be involved in causing symptoms of BDD.
What it's like to live with body dysmorphia?
While most people are somewhat bothered by physical imperfections, those who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder spend hours a day obsessing over real or imagined flaws and take excessive and sometimes drastic measures to hide their perceived flaws from others.
How do you comfort someone with body dysmorphia?
How can you Support a Loved One Struggling with Body Dysmorphia?You should try to accept their feelings. ... Be a good listener. ... Help them seek treatment and support. ... Support them in their self-help practices. ... Offer practical support. ... Acknowledge small wins. ... Learn what triggers compulsive behaviours.More items...•
How does BDD affect a person's life?
They may socially isolate themselves due to the fear that others may notice their flaws. They have low self-esteem. They may also suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. They might require frequent reassurance that they look fine.
How do you deal with BDD?
How to Cope with Body DysmorphiaAvoid Self-Isolation. Body dysmorphia makes people feel insecure about their physical appearance, so it's no wonder that people with this disorder will want to isolate themselves. ... Talk to a Nutritionist. ... Exercise Regularly. ... Practice Meditation. ... Keep a Daily Journal. ... Get Professional Help.
What type of therapy is best for body dysmorphia?
Treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is the first line of treatment for BDD. This type of treatment typically involves a technique known as exposure and response prevention (ERP). In BDD, exposure aims to decrease mirror checking, camouflaging, and other compulsive behaviors.
What are the areas of concern for people with BDD?
Typically, the areas in which people with BDD typically fixate include: the skin, for example, acne, greasiness, or wrinkles. the face, for example, concern about facial hair. Special areas of concern may include: the nose. the mouth.
What is the main symptom of BDD?
The main symptom a person with BDD experiences is a preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance or an extreme reaction to a slight physical imperfection. The symptoms are long-term and can come and go in intensity. The person’s focus may also shift from one body part to another.
What is body dysmorphic disorder?
Body dysmorphic disorder is a relatively common mental health condition in which a person experiences excessive anxiety about a perceived defect in their physical appearance. Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) may worry about any part of their body, but the face and hair are common areas of concern.
How many people have BDD?
One study suggests that BDD affects 0.7–4.0 percent of people in the United States. People aged between 15–30 are most likely to develop BDD, and it is more common in women than men.
What is repetitive behavior?
Carrying out repetitive behaviors, such as mirror checking, touching, rubbing or picking at the perceived flaw, or drawing comparisons with others. Preoccupation that causes significant distress, leaving the person unable to function effectively in social, occupational, and other areas of life.
What age group is most likely to develop BDD?
People aged between 15–30 are most likely to develop BDD, and it is more common in women than men. A study published in 2010 notes that people who identify as LGBTQ+ are more likely to report symptoms than people of heterosexual orientation.
What percentage of people have BDD?
A study published in 2015 notes that, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual fifth edition ( DSM–5 ), 7–8 percent of people who seek plastic surgery in the U.S. have BDD. However, the authors note that the actual number may be far higher.
What is the foundation of BDD?
One study that establishes BDD’s foundation on distorted cognition is a study by Crerand, Phillips, Menard and Fay. The researchers found that non-psychiatric medical treatment of BDD, including cosmetic surgery and dermatological treatment, rarely improved body dysmorphia.
What percentage of people with OCD have BDD?
Anywhere from 8 to 37 percent of people with OCD also have BDD. About 12 percent of people with social anxiety disorder have body dysmorphia, and BDD and depression are especially common co-occurring conditions, with 14 to 42 percent of people with major depressive disorder also having BDD. About 7 percent of people with anxiety disorders have ...
What is body dysmorphic disorder?
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) treatment is very similar to the treatment for related disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), somatic and eating disorders. While some specialized body dysmorphic disorder treatment centers have been established, most people with BDD can be successfully treated on an outpatient basis by ...
Why is cognitive behavioral therapy used for body dysmorphic disorder?
Because BDD is rooted in beliefs about a person’s physical appearance and how others judge them, cognitive behavioral therapy for body dysmorphic disorder focuses on helping a person identify these troublesome thoughts, then question them and change them. One study that establishes BDD’s foundation on distorted cognition is a study by Crerand, ...
What is CBT therapy?
Most of the distress associated with obsessive thoughts come from believing that these thoughts are true. A therapist who practices CBT helps clients identify painful thoughts that are false or distorted.
What is the treatment for body dysmorphia?
For this reason, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common therapeutic intervention used to treat body dysmorphia.
What is the treatment of addiction?
Treating addiction frequently involves a suite of connected services including treatment groups, individual therapy, medication management, peer support, and complementary therapies. For these interventions to be successful, they need to be closely coordinated.
What is the best treatment for BDD?
Two empirically-based treatments are available for the treatment of BDD: serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) ( click here to learn more about medication treatment for BDD) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Several studies have found CBT to successfully reduce BDD severity and related symptoms such as depression (McKay, 1999; McKay et al., ...
Why is it important to ask about BDD?
Clinicians should inquire about BDD-related areas of concern, thoughts, behaviors, and impairment. It is important to ask specifically about BDD symptoms as it often goes undetected in clinical settings (e.g., Grant et al., 2002) due to embarrassment and shame.
Why do we need CBT for BDD?
Because rituals and avoidance may temporarily reduce painful feelings they are negatively reinforced and thus maintain maladaptive beliefs and coping strategies. CBT for BDD typically begins with assessment and psychoeducation, during which the therapist explains and individualizes the CBT model of BDD.
Why is exposure important for a therapist?
Exposure can be very challenging for patients, therefore, it is important for the therapist to provide a strong rationale for exposure, validate the patient’s anxiety while guiding him towards change, be challenging and encouraging, be patient and a cheerleader, and quickly incorporate ritual prevention .
How to address negative core beliefs?
Negative core beliefs can be addressed through cognitive restructuring, behavioral experiments, and strategies such as the self -esteem pie, which helps patients learn to broaden the basis of their self-worth to include non-appearance factors (e.g., skills, achievements, moral values).
Is depression a part of BDD?
Depression is common in patients with BDD and may become treatment interfering ( Gunstad & Phillips, 2003). Patients with significant depression can benefit from activity scheduling, as well as cognitive restructuring techniques for more severely depressed patients (Wilhelm et al., 2013).
Should patients be encouraged to use ritual prevention strategies during exposure exercises?
The patient should be encouraged to use ritual prevention strategies during exposure exercises. It is often helpful to set up exposure exercises as a “behavioral experiment” during which they evaluate the validity of negative predictions (e.g., if I don’t wear my hat, someone will laugh at my thinning hair”).
Overview of CBT For BDD and Its Empirical Support
Assessment, Motivational Assessment, and Psychoeducation
Cognitive Strategies
Exposure and Ritual Prevention
Specialist to consult
Perceptual Retraining
Brief Overview Over Additional Modules
Relapse Prevention
References