| What is Dysmorphophobia |
| Written by John Potter | |
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Everyone cares about how they look. Part of the daily rituals is to comb hair, shave, brush teeth, put on makeup, and a million other little things people do to improve their appearance and be social acceptable. But, some people take it to the point of obsession. It literally consumes a major portion of each day, and they never do feel comfortable with their appearance. If you know someone like this, they may have a mental illness called body dysmorphic disorder.
According to the mental disorder definition provided by the Mayo Clinic; when you have body dysmorphic disorder, you intensely obsess over your appearance and body image, often for many hours a day. You may seek out numerous cosmetic procedures to try to "fix" your perceived flaws but never are satisfied. Body dysmorphic disorder is also known as dysmorphophobia, or the fear of having a deformity. The fear may seem totally irrational to most people, but for those who suffer from the disorder, it literally consumes their life. They may spend hours trying to correct a perceived flaw, even if it is a figment of the imagination. In fact, the disorder is even called “imagined ugliness”. Signs and SymptomsNaturally, everyone obsesses about their looks, at one time or another. Maybe it is a special event like a wedding, a prom, or even a date with someone who is extra special. But, when it gets to point of adversely affect other aspects of life, something is definitely wrong.According to the Clinic, if you know someone who seems to be out of control, when it comes to worrying about their looks, you might want to see if they have several of the following symptoms:
A Big DealA lot of people have idiosyncrasies, so friends and family can just put up with this particular personality challenge. Wrong! Individuals who have this particular mental health disorder are at risk. In truth, it can affect life in all areas. It can be difficult to hold a job, have normal relations, and so much more, if people are constantly concerned that others are constantly judging them according to their physical appear.People with the disorder can literally go bankrupt trying to fix something that is never broken in the first place. Most willingly undergo plastic surgery to make them look better. If they find an agreeable surgeon, they will constantly undergo procedures, and never be happy with the outcome. But, seeking treatment is a big deal, because this disease can be life threatening. People with dysmorphophobia may finally decide that no matter what they do, their appearance will always be unacceptable to them and the rest of society. Thus, the only way out is suicide. At RiskLike many other mental health issues, doctors are not positive as to the cause. For some, it may actually be a chemical imbalance in the brain that makes it impossible to perceive things correctly. It may be passed through the genes, as people who have relatives with the disorder also seem more likely to be diagnosed with dysmorphophobia. Alternatively, it could be the environment and the constant pressure to look just right.But, based on research of the individuals who have the body disorder, there seems to be certain risk factors for developing body dysmorphic disorder. Based on a list composed by the Mayo Clinic, you or someone you know may develop the mental challenge because of:
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