Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychological condition where an individual is overly obsessive about mild or barely noticeable flaws in their body. It affects around “1.7% to 2.4%” population worldwide. 

Woman worrying about the extra muscle

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and antidepressants are among the most common available treatment options. This condition  can affect people at any age, but, it is more common among young adults, and affects both males and females similarly. 

BDD can be diagnosed based on following symptoms:

  • A strong feeling of having a non-pleasing appearance
  • A concern about others opinion (especially, in a negative way) about your looks
  • Complaining about own physical appearance, even for unnoticeable deformity
  • Becoming over conscious in social situations
  • Spending excessive time in front of mirror, finding, or noticing deformities in body (mainly face, skin colour, wrinkles, etc.)
  • Trying to hide flaws under makeup
  • Self-comparison with others looks 

Brain related issues are complicated and inter-related, there are no specific reason that can point towards an illness. Therefore, like any other mental health problems, BDD is also caused by a combination of multiple factors, such as:

  • Physiological Factors: A chemical imbalance, or irregularity in neurochemistry might cause BDD.
  • Genetic Factors: Genetics plays a very important role in having any sort of mental illness. Individuals with a family history of depression, BDD or OCD, have a higher probability to develop BDD.
  • Environmental Factor: Childhood abuse, bullied, teased, negative impact of societal judgements, negligence, etc. can trigger the signs of BDD.