Body dysmorphic disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a type of mental illness. It is a somatoform disorder characterised by a preoccupation with an imagined deficit or a slight physical anomaly in appearance; and has often been referred to by clinicians as 'imagined ugliness'. Such individuals are highly convinced of the validity of their claim, which causes significant distress and impairment in social and occupational functioning. BDD patients tend to have difficulty working or going to school, experience difficulty in sexual relations and may become housebound. Sometimes, the distress experienced con even lead to unnecessary cosmetic procedures, acts of self-mutilation, suicidal ideations, suicide attempts and may even require hospitalisation. BDD is differentiated from standard concerns of body image by its severity and chronic nature. BDD is closely associated with several other mental illnesses, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), social phobia and anorexia nervosa; patients with BDD reporting similar symptoms to the aforementioned conditions. These include (but not exclusively): compulsions and rituals, lowered mood, loss of self-esteem, a sense of personal guilt and worthlessness, suicidal ideation, fears of negative evaluation, with a resultant avoidance of social situations, feelings of social defectiveness and shame, marked body image disturbances and dissatisfaction, on ensuing drive to 'enhance' appearance as well as on undue emphasis on physical appearance during evaluations of self-worth.