Body Dysmorphic Disorder Disease Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Body dysmorphic disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by an excessive obsession with small parts of the body. The sufferer feels that he is ugly and that there are parts of his body that are deformed or asymmetrical.
For example: the sufferer feels that his nose is too big, or the folds of his eyes are not symmetrical. Yet according to others, it is not a problem. As a result, people who have body dysmorphic disorder often have the idea to do plastic surgery.
Symptom
People who show the following symptoms need to be aware of experiencing body dysmorphic disorder:
- Spends a lot of time studying her face and body in the mirror
- Make various efforts to cover body parts that are considered deformed or asymmetrical
- Often ask other people about the sufferer’s body parts to make sure that there are indeed imperfect body parts
- Having trouble concentrating at school or work due to excessive thoughts on the body
- Doing plastic surgery or consulting a doctor repeatedly to improve his appearance
Reason
The cause of body dysmorphic disorder is not known for sure, but it is suspected that genetic factors play a major role in the onset of this disease. People who have parents or siblings who have this disorder are four times more likely to experience it than normal people.
Body dysmorphic disorder is more prone to occur in people who experience anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders. In addition, it is suspected that people who experienced sexual violence or physical violence as children are also more prone to experiencing body dysmorphic disorder.
Diagnosis
Body dysmorphic disorder confirmed by a psychiatrist (mental health specialist). To determine this disease, there are criteria that must be met, namely:
- Sufferers experience preoccupation (constant thoughts) about a defect in their appearance, even though there is actually no part of their body that is disabled. Or even if there is, the sufferer’s response is too exaggerated.
- This preoccupation causes distraction in work, in relationships with other people, or in daily activities.
- There is no other disease found in the patient that can cause this disorder
Treatment
Body dysmorphic disorder is treated by a psychiatrist. Treatment with psychotherapy and drugs.
Psychotherapy is carried out by conducting counseling and supportive therapy to explore the problems that underlie the disorders experienced, find solutions to problems, and help sufferers to be able to convince themselves that there is nothing wrong with any part of their body.
Families also often need to be involved in treatment. Meanwhile, the drugs used to treat body dysmorphic disorder are antidepressants.
Prevention
Prevention that can be done for body dysmorphic disorder is to teach and convince someone to accept their body shape, believe that their bodies are healthy, and motivate them to always think positively about body shape and health.