Body dysmorphia is a psychological disorder in which there is excessive concern for the body, causing the person to overvalue small imperfections or imagine these imperfections, resulting in a very negative impact on their self-esteem, in addition to affecting their life at work, school and in socializing with friends and family.
Body dysmorphia is considered an obsessive-compulsive disorder and can occur in both men and women, occurring mainly in adolescence, and can be influenced by genetic or environmental factors.
The treatment of body dysmorphia must be guided by a psychiatrist, who may recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions with a psychotherapist and, in some cases, antidepressant and anxiolytic medications to help reduce symptoms.
How to identify the symptoms
The main symptoms of body dysmorphia are:
- Low self-esteem;
- Feeling of shame;
- Showing excessive concern about certain parts of the body;
- Always looking in the mirror or completely avoiding the mirror;
- Comparing your body with that of other people;
- Difficulty concentrating on other day-to-day things;
- Doing excessive physical activity;
- Avoid social life;
- Depression and anxiety.
Furthermore, people with body dysmorphia may also try to hide small imperfections with makeup, for example, and the person may resort to plastic surgery in some cases.
Men with body dysmorphia generally present more severe symptoms, being more concerned about their genitals, body constitution and hair loss, while women are more concerned about the appearance of their skin, weight, hips and legs.
Body Dysmorphia Online Test
If you think you may be suffering from body dysmorphia, take the following questionnaire to find out your risk:
Body dysmorphia and eating disorders
Body dysmorphic disorder is related to eating disorders, mainly anorexia nervosa, in which the person also has difficulty relating to other people.
Symptoms in both disorders are similar, however long-term monitoring by a multidisciplinary team is important, as there is a high probability of treatment abandonment in the first few months.
Muscle dysmorphic disorder
Muscle dysmorphic disorder, also known as vigorexia, is characterized by a person’s constant dissatisfaction with their muscular appearance, occurring mainly in men, who normally think that their muscles are not big enough.
Thus, as a consequence of this, the person spends many hours at the gym and adopts an anabolic diet with the aim of gaining muscle mass, in addition to presenting symptoms of anxiety and body dysmorphia. Learn more about vigorexia.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis consists of observation, by a psychologist or psychiatrist, of the person’s behavior, namely the way they talk about their body and the way they try to hide their imperfections.
Furthermore, it is common for a person to spend at least 1 hour a day focusing on identifying their physical “defects”, which can, in some cases, reach 3 to 8 hours. The doctor may also exhibit repetitive behaviors, such as changing clothes several times a day or constantly putting on makeup, for example.
Possible causes
It is still not known for sure what causes may be at the origin of this psychological disorder, but it is thought that it may be related to serotonin deficiency, and be influenced by genetic factors and the child’s education, in an environment where there is a excessive concern with image.
How the treatment is carried out
Generally, treatment for body dysmorphia is done with psychotherapy sessions, namely through cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy consists of the combination of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy, which focuses on the way a person processes and interprets situations, which can generate suffering. Find out what cognitive behavioral therapy is and see how it works.
In addition, it may be necessary to take antidepressants and anxiolytics, which can be prescribed by a psychiatrist. These medications can help reduce obsessive behaviors associated with body dysmorphia, helping to improve self-esteem and increase quality of life.
Bibliography
- PERKINS, Amanda. Body dysmorphic disorder. The search for perfection. Nursing. 36. 6; 16-20, 2019
- Need; Rose et al. Body dysmorphic disorder: clinical aspects, nosological dimensions and controversies with anorexia nervosa. Reef With Chile. 144; 626-633, 2016
- BEHAR, Rosa et al. Body dysmorphic disorder: clinical aspects, nosological dimensions and controversies with anorexia nervosa. Reef With Chile. 1-8, 2016
- BROHEDE, Sabina et al. Validation of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire in a community sample of Swedish women. Psychiatry Research. Vol.210, n.2. 647-652, 2013
- BJORNSSON, Andi S. et. to the.. Body dysmorphic disorder. Dialogues Clin Neurosci.. Vol.12. 2.ed; 221–232, 2010
- BONFIM, Grazielle Willian et. al.. Body Dysmorphic Disorder: literature review. Clinical Contexts. Vol.9. 2.ed; 240-252, 2016
