Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental illness characterised by constant worrying over a perceived or slight defect in appearance. · Repetitive behaviours are ...SkiptomaincontentMentalillnessHomeMentalillnessBodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD)ActionsforthispageListenPrintSummaryReadthefullfactsheetBodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD)isamentalillnesscharacterisedbyconstantworryingoveraperceivedorslightdefectinappearance.Repetitivebehavioursareperformedinresponsetotheseconcernsaboutappearance.BDDusuallystartsintheteenageyears,whenconcernoverphysicalappearanceiscommon.Treatmentincludescognitivebehaviourtherapyandantidepressantdrugs.IfyoususpectyouhaveBDD,seeyourdoctorormentalhealthprofessional.OnthispageWhatisbodydysmorphicdisorder?SymptomsofBDDAreasofconcernwithBDDTreatmentforBDDWhatcausesBDDBDDhassimilaritiestootherconditionsDiagnosisofBDDWheretogethelpWhatisbodydysmorphicdisorder?Bodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD)isamentalillness.Peoplewhohavethisillnessconstantlyworryaboutthewaytheylook.Theymaybelieveaninconspicuousornon-existentphysicalattributeisaseriousdefect.Theyrespondtothisbyperformingrepetitiveactssuchasmirrorcheckingorcomparingtheirappearancewithothers.TheseverityofBDDvaries.Forexample,somepeopleknowtheirfeelingsaren’trationalorjustified,whileothersarealmostdelusionalintheirconviction.BDDcausessevereemotionaldistress.Itisnotjustvanityandisnotsomethingapersoncanjust‘forgetabout’or‘getover’.Thepreoccupationcanbesoextremethattheaffectedpersonhastroublefunctioningatwork,schoolorinsocialsituations.Anypartofthebodycanbetargeted.ItisthoughtthatbetweenoneandtwopercentofthepopulationmayhaveBDD,withmenandwomenequallyaffected.BDDusuallystartsintheteenageyears,whenconcernoverphysicalappearanceiscommon.SuicideratesamongpeoplewithBDDarehigh.IfyoususpectyouhaveBDD,seeyourdoctororamentalhealthprofessional.SymptomsofBDDSymptomscanvaryaccordingtowhichbodypart(orparts)istargeted,butgeneralsymptomsofBDDinclude:thinkingabouttheperceiveddefectforhourseverydayworryingabouttheirfailuretomatchthe‘phy