The link between Body Dysmorphic & Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

A Quick Guide

Body dysmorphic disorder BDD more generally known as body image disorder is a mental health condition marked by intense worry and obsessive thoughts related to an imaginary or trivial physical imperfection. People with body dysmorphic disorder believe that their limbs are not the same length, their nose is crooked, their mole is too big, or they have another physically visible flaw. These people worry over these imagined flaws or minor imperfections for hours on end and frequently visit a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to have them “fixed.”

Understanding Body dysmorphic disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder is sometimes mistaken for an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia nervosa, although people with BDD do not obsess over weight, food, or calories in the same way that people with eating disorders do. Instead, obsessive-compulsive disorder, an anxiety condition marked by obsessive thoughts that are followed by compulsive behaviors that are upsetting to the individual, is significantly linked to body dysmorphic disorder.

Common Signs & Symptoms Body Dysmorphic Disorder

The following list includes symptoms and signs of body dysmorphic disorder:

• Being intensely worried about a perceived physical fault that, to others, is either invisible or seems unimportant.
• Constantly assessing how you seem in comparison to others.
• Engaging in actions that are challenging to avoid or control and intended to correct or hide the perceived imperfection, such as routinely examining one’s appearance in the mirror, grooming, or skin picking.
• Frequently looking to others for validation of your appearance.
• Having an obsession with perfection.
• Making an effort to cover up apparent defects with styling, cosmetics, or clothing.
• Seeking cosmetic surgeries yet feeling unfulfilled.
• Staying out of social situations.
• The strong perception that you are ugly or deformed because of a physical flaw.
• The assumption is that other people specifically pay attention to your looks and make fun of them.

You might give one or more body parts too much attention. The body part on which you concentrate may shift over time. The following are the most frequent characteristics that people tend to obsess about are:

• Breast size.
• Facial features include the nose, skin tone, wrinkles, acne, and other imperfections.
• Genitalia.
• Hair, including appearance, thinning, and baldness.
• Muscle dysmorphia, an obsession with one’s body being too tiny or not muscular enough, mainly exclusively affects men.
• Size and tone of the muscles.
• The look of the skin and veins.

How it affects you?

It can be extremely distressing or problematic in your social life, work, school, or other areas of functioning to be preoccupied with how you look, to have excessive thoughts about it, or to repeat the same behaviors over and over again. These undesirable, difficult-to-control behaviors can also be time-consuming.

There are several perspectives on body dysmorphic disorder. You can be aware that your ideas about your perceived shortcomings are excessive or unfounded, or you might believe they are probably real, or you might be 100 percent certain they are true. And the more stress and disturbance in your life may occur, the more certain you are of your thoughts.

The similarity between Obsessive Compulsive and Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

OCD and BDD share many of the same symptoms, and because of this, BDD is occasionally mistaken as OCD.

• Body dysmorphic disorder frequently entails an obsession with symmetry and perfection, similar to how OCD might manifest.
• Both OCD and body dysmorphic disorder typically begin in adolescence, can result in significant disability, and can be successfully treated with antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
• Similar to OCD, body dysmorphic disorder is characterized by distressing, recurring, and persisting obsession-like thoughts.
• Those with body dysmorphic disorder exhibit repetitive, compulsion-like behaviors including scratching at their skin, changing their clothes frequently, and obsessively inspecting themselves in the mirror.

How are Body Dysmorphic and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder different?

Several characteristics set apart OCD and body dysmorphic disorder despite their apparent similarities.

• Body dysmorphic disorder patients frequently suffer obsessions or worries about their looks in a less invasive (but distressing) way than OCD patients do.
• Compared to those with OCD, someone with body dysmorphic disorder frequently has less understanding of the nature and irrationality of their symptoms. Some people with body dysmorphic disorder are regarded as having delusions from a psychiatric standpoint.
• While the obsessions and compulsions that characterize OCD can be extremely diverse (such as contamination, the death of a loved one, symmetry, guilt, aggression, or sexuality), symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder are entirely concerned with one’s appearance or physical form.

Is it Possible to Have Both OCD and BDD?

Yes. OCD and body dysmorphic disorder frequently co-occur. 53 of the most recent studies on the connection between OCD and BDD were incorporated in a new study that was published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. According to the study, the likelihood of OCD and BDD co-occurring (comorbidity) ranged from 3% to 43%.

Complications

The following are examples of complications that could be brought on by or linked to body dysmorphic disorder:

• Anxiety conditions, such as social anxiety or Social phobia.
• Drug abuse.
• Due to frequent surgical procedures, there may be physical discomfort or risk of deformity.
• Eating disorders.
• Health issues are brought on by habits like skin picking.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Self-esteem issues.
• Severe depression or other mental health issues.
• Social exclusion.
• Suicidal ideation or behavior.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

Can you prevent Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

There is currently no known prevention for body dysmorphic disorder. However, as body dysmorphic disorder frequently manifests in the young adolescent years, recognizing the condition early and beginning therapy may be advantageous. Extended maintenance treatment may also help stop the symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder from returning.

Causes

The precise cause of body dysmorphic disorder is unknown. Body dysmorphic disorder, like numerous other mental health illnesses, can be brought on by a variety of factors, including the following:

• A familial history of the disorder.
• Unfavorable opinions or experiences about one’s body or one’s self.
• Irregular brain activity.
• Altered levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Risk factors

Males and females alike can suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, which often begins in the early teen years. Body dysmorphic disorder seems to be more likely to develop or be brought on by a few things, such as:

• Having another mental illness, such as depression or anxiety.
• Having relatives who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder or body dysmorphic disorder.
• Negative life events, such as abuse, neglect, or bullying during childhood.
• Societal expectations for beauty or pressure.
• Some character traits, like perfectionism.

Treatment options for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

The goal of treatment for body dysmorphic disorder is to stop the mental disease from getting worse and prevent any needless trips to the cosmetic surgeon or excessive medical expenses. Psychotherapy and medication are used as a kind of treatment. 

Psychotherapy 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), offers cognitive restructuring, exposure and response prevention, perceptual retraining, and also relapse prevention.

Medication 

Antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been demonstrated to help manage the symptoms of both obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder. SSRIs have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, despite studies showing considerable effectiveness. Unfortunately, these drugs are approved for off-label usage for BDD. 

We hope you found this article useful in learning more about the link between obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder.