SkiptomaincontentHomeMentalhealthMentalhealthconditionsBacktoMentalhealthconditionsBodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD)Bodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD),orbodydysmorphia,isamentalhealthconditionwhereapersonspendsalotoftimeworryingaboutflawsintheirappearance.Theseflawsareoftenunnoticeabletoothers.PeopleofanyagecanhaveBDD,butit'smostcommoninteenagersandyoungadults.Itaffectsbothmenandwomen.HavingBDDdoesnotmeanyou'revainorself-obsessed.Itcanbeveryupsettingandhaveabigimpactonyourlife.Symptomsofbodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD)YoumighthaveBDDifyou:worryalotaboutaspecificareaofyourbody(particularlyyourface)spendalotoftimecomparingyourlookswithotherpeople'slookatyourselfinmirrorsalotoravoidmirrorsaltogethergotoalotofefforttoconcealflaws–forexample,byspendingalongtimecombingyourhair,applyingmake-uporchoosingclothespickatyourskintomakeit"smooth"BDDcanseriouslyaffectyourdailylife,includingyourwork,sociallifeandrelationships.BDDcanalsoleadtodepression,self-harmandeventhoughtsofsuicide.Gettinghelpforbodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD)YoushouldseeaGPifyouthinkyoumighthaveBDD.They'llprobablyaskanumberofquestionsaboutyoursymptomsandhowtheyaffectyourlife.Theymayalsoaskifyou'vehadanythoughtsaboutharmingyourself.YoumaybetreatedbytheGP,ortheymayreferyoutoamentalhealthspecialistforfurtherassessmentandtreatment.ItcanbeverydifficulttoseekhelpforBDD,butit'simportanttorememberthatyouhavenothingtofeelashamedorembarrassedabout.Gettinghelpisimportantbecauseyoursymptomsprobablywillnotgoawaywithouttreatmentandmaygetworse.YoucanalsoreferyourselfdirectlytoanNHSpsychologicaltherapiesservice(IAPT)withoutareferralfromaGP.FindanNHSpsychologicaltherapiesservice(IAPT)Treatmentsforbodydysmorphicdisorder(BDD)ThesymptomsofBDDcangetbetterwithtreatment.Ifyoursymptomsarerelativelymild,youshouldbereferredforatypeoftalkingtherapycalledcognitivebehaviouraltherapy(CBT),whichyouhaveeitheronyourownorinagroup.Ifyouhavemoderatesymptoms,youshouldbeofferedeitherCBToratypeofantidepressantmedicinecalledaselectiveserotoninreuptakeinhibitor(SSRI).Ifyo