Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) or dysmorphophobia is a psychological disorder that manifests itself with the constant discomfort animated by a distorted vision of outward appearance and a morbid anxiety over body image.
The body is one of the main fronts of an individual’s relationship with the outside world and the eventual exasperation, sometimes unjustified, of the discomfort linked to it can turn into a real psychological disorder.
This pathology was codified at the end of the 19th century which serves as proof that it is not, as some might think, a degeneration of modern times where the physical appearance is an essential status.
Patients affected by body dysmorphic disorder may focus on a single aspect of their body (nose, hair, legs, penis, etc.) or on larger areas up to cases of phobia of the whole body. The discomfort arises from a minimal objective physical defect that is magnified by the subject in most cases; in other cases, the distorted vision creates problems completely devoid of a minimum physical foundation.
In the most severe cases, the subject stubbornly resorts to appropriate treatment in an attempt to solve a problem without reaching any satisfaction and over time the obstinate dissatisfaction can lead to a depressive state that compromises social and emotional relationships and a further reduction of self-esteem.
Patients who are convinced of having a blemish tends, when possible, to cover it at any cost with clothing or by resorting to an insistent request for treatments from the plastic surgeon without finding any benefit because the perceived defect remains so in the patient’s mind.
The correct path involves a psychotherapeutic approach and sometimes a pharmacological support managed by the psychiatrist.