Many people may feel uncomfortable about certain aspects of their appearance. However, if you’re overly focused on certain flaws and it gets in the way of living a well-adjusted life, you may be suffering from BDD. Some common symptoms are:
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Discomfort about certain aspects of your appearance or body parts
Avoidance of people, places, or situations
Feeling deformed or ugly
Excessive focus on muscles and weight, especially in men
Certain rituals to cover up or camouflage the defects/perceived defects
Lack of self compassion
We use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to teach you how to change your self-defeating thoughts and beliefs. The behavioral piece of treatment focuses on gently and gradually exposing you to situations that you tend to avoid. We will also work on how to look at yourself and the environment as a whole instead of just the flaws. We will work on deeper self-esteem related issues so you can start gaining more self-confidence and self-compassion.
How We Can Help:
Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Cognitive Tools
Changing how you think about your thoughts and beliefs about aspects of your appearance
Behavioral Tools
Exposure to situations that are avoided and not engaging in the usual rituals
Self Compassion
Developing a capacity for self compassion
Resources
International OCD Foundation
https://iocdf.org/
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Phillips KA. The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 200
Wilhelm S. Feeling Good about the Way You Look: A Program for Overcoming Body Image Problems. New York: Guilford Press, 2006.