Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is broadly considered to be an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder as it shares many features with OCD.
BDD is an excessive concern and preoccupation with a perceived flaw, or a tendency to magnify the importance of a minute anomaly. The person with BDD may spend hours scrutinizing themselves in the mirror, comparing themselves with others, using a variety of camouflage strategies (e.g., wearing hats, baggy clothing, carefully applied makeup), and often engaging in extensive avoidance (e.g., difficulty leaving the house).
Many people will seek out costly surgical or dermatological fixes, but are often not happy with the outcome of these procedures. People with BDD often feel that they are unacceptable to others as a result of deficits in their appearance.
The most common areas of concern include:
- Facial features: (e.g., eyes too small or too close together, nose, ears)
- Hair: (e.g., thinning on the head, too much body hair)
- Skin: (e.g., large pores, uneven skin tone, blemishes)
- Body/shape: (e.g., breast size, buttocks, thighs)
Some people are concerned about body asymmetry (e.g., left earlobe is longer than the right earlobe), whereas others believe their facial features do not ‘fit’ together. It is also common for the area of concern to switch focus.
Amongst bodybuilders, approximately 8% experience muscle dysmorphia, which is the belief that one’s muscles are too small and that the person is ‘scrawny’.