Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Diagnosis And Treatment

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) emphasizes that BDD is characterized by a preoccupation with a trivial or imagined defect in appearance. This means that people who are preoccupied with significant problems such as birth defects, burns, or amputated limbs do not qualify for a BDD diagnosis. 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder can go hand in hand with other psychological disorders, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety Disorder, eating disorders and depression. Patients who constantly obsess over the negative aspects of their body to the point that it ruins their lives should talk about their worries with a mental health professional, or see their family doctor for a referral.

In order to gain an accurate diagnosis, it is essential that you describe your issues in as much detail as possible. Failing to do this could mean you are misdiagnosed and cannot, therefore, receive the treatment you need to overcome your BDD. 

When you first see a mental health professional about your symptoms, you can expect to be questioned about your exact symptoms and your medical and mental health history in detail. If a BDD diagnosis is then made, you have several treatment options. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a treatment that focuses on identifying and correcting irrational thought patterns. This is very much a "thinking therapy" as opposed to a "feeling therapy". In order for CBT to be effective at treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder, patients will want to ensure that the therapist they are going to be working with has experience with BDD patients. 

A therapist employing CBT will help you analyze the root of your negative feelings about your body, and will work on making you see that your detrimental self-imagine has no basis in reality. BDD patients tend to assume that other people see them in the same negative way they themselves do, and therapy will help correct that assumption. 

A treatment knows as "exposure and response prevention" is also often used in BDD patients who show signs of OCD. This therapy works on limiting the rituals a BDD sufferer might go through before they appear in public, to reduce anxiety. Instead of these rituals, the patient will learn healthy coping mechanisms. 

Read More: Boost Your Body Confidence

Medication

Medication is another treatment option for BDD patients, and it is used in combination with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) class of antidepressants has been found to be tremendously helpful for BDD patients. SSRIs are used to reduce the obsessive and compulsive symptoms associated with Body Dysmorphic Disorder. 

SSRIs prescribed for BDD include Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, Anafranil and Luvox. These medications are particularly helpful as a supportive treatment, since they help patients move away from the obsessive thoughts and actions that come with BDD as they cognitively work through the reasons behind their disorder, and come to terms with the fact that their negative self-thoughts are not based in reality.