Even if you're feeling well, continue to take your medications. What causes body dysmorphic disorder? You may take extreme measures such as repeated cosmetic surgical procedures to correct the perceived flaw. Body dysmorphic disorder affects people of any gender. It likely develops due to a number of genetic and environmental factors, such as a family history of obsessive compulsive disorder or neglect during your childhood. Many times a day, they do things to check, fix, cover up, or ask others about their looks. Symptoms include excessive anxiety and stress about the perceived defect that can lead to compulsive behaviors. BDD is a body-image disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive preoccupations with an imagined or slight defect in one's appearance. Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental illness characterized by a preoccupation with minor or imaginary physical flaws, usually of the skin, hair, and nose. What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder? Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) causes people to believe that parts of their body look ugly. Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental disorder that leads individuals to constantly think about their perceived appearance flaws. Body dysmorphic disorder is a chronic (long-term) condition. That’s the age when children start comparing themselves to others. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health disorder. Meet our specialists in body dysmorphic disorder … These flaws may … People with BDD can dislike any part of their body, although they often find fault with their hair, skin, nose, chest, or stomach. The cause of body dysmorphic disorder is not well understood. If you stop, symptoms may come back. It tends to begin during the teen years or early adulthood. Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition that is difficult for yourself and others to understand fully, but we get it, and we’re here to help. We explain the symptoms and your treatment options for living with this condition. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious illness in which a person is overly worried about their appearance or about minor or imaginary physical flaws. There is no one, single cause of body dysmorphic disorder. Many people are unhappy with some part of the way they look; however, if the amount of time and energy spent thinking about the body part interferes with day-to-day functioning or causes significant emotional distress, then the person is diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). If you have BDD, you may be so worried about the way your body looks that it interferes with your ability to function normally. But you can do some things to build on your treatment plan, such as: Stick to your treatment plan. People with BDD spend hours focused on what they think is wrong with their looks. Don't skip therapy sessions, even if you don't feel like going. Without treatment, body dysmorphic disorder can get worse as people get older. 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