In Body Perception Disorder, it is noteworthy that the following questions come to mind: I wonder how I look from the outside? When people look at me, do they see a fat person? Am I not showing the physical condition of my own gender? Should I hide my physical impairment from people? If you answer these questions positively, you may need to reconsider your body perception process.
People have a body shape and appearance that they have wanted to have since existence. This desire takes shape according to the changes of time and culture. While in the 19th century, people wanted to have a more powerful appearance, in the 21st century, girls consider it normal to have a Barbie doll appearance, while they may perceive other body appearances as flawed. Men, on the other hand, may perceive the idea of having a muscular and athletic body as being outside of normality. This increasing difference between body appearance and body perception can cause dissatisfaction in people. As the degree of dissatisfaction increases, problems that harm the functions of daily life may arise. The advanced and severe state of this situation can be defined as a disorder.
Body Perception Disorder is when a person overestimates the physical defect that he does not have or has at a minimal level, becomes obsessed with it, experiences it in his thoughts, and feels distress due to excessive anxiety about this defect. can be defined, and as a result of this obsessive thought, people may exhibit various behaviors such as undergoing plastic surgery and experiencing social isolation in order to cover up the flaws they think they have.
Diagnostic Criteria for Body Image Disorder According to DSM-5
· Preoccupation with thoughts of perceiving one or more flaws or defects in one's appearance that are not observable or unimportant by others
· At some point during the course of this disorder, the person may engage in repetitive behaviors (looking in the mirror) due to concerns about his or her appearance. These mental preoccupations cause clinically significant distress or social, work, These preoccupations with appearance are not better explained by concerns about body fat or weight in a person with symptoms that meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. .
Although the causes of Body Image Disorder are not fully known, it has been determined that biological, genetic and sociocultural factors are effective. It has been emphasized through neuropsychological tests and brain imaging that the regions effective in emotional information processing, such as facial images, fronto-striatal and temporoparietal-occipital, are effective in BDD (12). The fact that the disease is 4 times more common in first-degree relatives of these patients strengthens the existence of genetic causes (11). In this disorder, which is generally seen between the ages of 18 and 24, women tend to focus on their skin, hips, breasts and legs, while men are more likely to focus on their height, penis size or body hair. Some men suffer from concerns that their bodies are small or not muscular enough. On average, people with BDD think about their appearance 3 to 8 hours a day. Also, like people with OCD, people with BDD find themselves compelled to engage in certain behaviors. The most common compulsive behaviors in BDD include:
-Checking their appearance in the mirror
-Comparing their appearance to other people
-Asking others for reassurance about their appearance
-Or using strategies to change their appearance or camouflage body parts (grooming, tanning, exercising, changing clothes, and wearing make-up)
While many people diagnosed with BDD spend hours controlling their appearance, some tries to avoid reminders of his perceived flaws by avoiding mirrors, reflective surfaces, or bright lights. Preoccupation with appearance can impact and disrupt many aspects of occupational and social functioning. Approximately 40 percent of people with the disorder have difficulty doing their professional jobs and continuing their daily lives.
Cognitive Reason structuring focuses on correcting patients' beliefs about their appearance, and subsequently aims to reduce compulsive actions and the person's safety-seeking behaviors. In drug treatment, starting with serotonin reuptake inhibitors and antidepressants can be used depending on the degree of disorder. One of the critical points in the treatment process is the combination of medication and psychotherapy. Otherwise, it will be difficult to make progress and may remain unfinished at some point.
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