"Body dysmorphia is a term often used on social media to reflect a person's dissatisfaction with their body. But BDD is when feeling anxious about your appearance starts interfering with your everyday life, says Viren Swami professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University. It is an obsession with some aspect of your appearance which other people see as normal but to the person experiencing it can feel completely wrong, Swami tells the BBC's complex podcast."
"Characteristics of BDD include emotional distress, spending a lot of time ruminating and feeling unable to control thoughts about appearance. It could also include repetitive behaviours such as checking the mirror or repeatedly touching the part of the body that feels flawed. "Their entire world narrows down around this aspect of their body and everything else kind of fades away," he says."
Charlotte developed intense hatred of her appearance in her early teens and engaged in compulsive makeup routines, applying and removing makeup repeatedly to achieve perceived symmetry. The preoccupation led to social isolation, avoidance of events, and attending college only to sit exams. A diagnosis of Body Dysmorphic Disorder followed, defined as an obsession with an aspect of appearance that others see as normal but that feels wrong to the sufferer. BDD involves emotional distress, rumination, and repetitive checking or touching behaviors. Treatment included local therapy and admission to an anxiety disorder residential unit with occupational therapy activities that helped reconnect her with music.
Read at www.bbc.com
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