Body Dysmorphic Disorder BDD

1
Body Dysmorphic Disorder(BDD)

• Information provided by
• Katharine A. Phillips, M.D.
• Professor of Psychiatry, Brown Medical School
• Director of the BDD Program, Butler Hospital,
  Providence, RI

2
BDD Overview

• People with BDD spend lots of time worrying about
  their appearance
• They worry about characteristics in their
  appearance such as thinning hair, scarred skin,
  nose or ears that are too big, or other perceived
  flaws in their appearance

3
People With BDD

• Find it hard to believe when others tell them
  that they look fine or that the flaws are only
  minimal and not really noticeable
• Spend a great deal of time -- usually many hours
  a day -- thinking about their perceived
  imperfections or flaws
• Lack control over their thoughts

4
Many People With BDD Have

• A very poor quality of life
• Significant emotional distress such as anxiety
  and/or depression
• Problems with normal routines in their lives
• Difficulty concentrating at work or in school
• Relationship problems, few friends, and avoid
  dating
• Feel very self-conscious in social situations
• May miss school or work

5
BDD Is Underdiagnosed

• Secrecy and shame keep people from talking about
  it
• There is a lack of familiarity with BDD in the
  medical community
• People mistakenly seek non-psychiatric help
• Dermatologists
• Plastic surgeons

6
BDD Is Often Misdiagnosed

• May be confused with other psychiatric disorders
  such as
• Social phobia, agoraphobia, panic disorder
• Trichotillomania (hair pulling)
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Depression

7
BDD Treatments

• Psychiatric treatment is often effective
• Psychiatric medications
• Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs or SSRIs)
• These medications are not addicting and are
  usually well tolerated
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• CBT is a here-and-now type of therapy in which
  the therapist helps the person resist his or her
  compulsive BDD behaviors, feel more comfortable
  around other people, and develop more accurate
  and helpful beliefs about their appearance

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For More Information On BDD

• The most comprehensive source on BDD is The
  Broken Mirror Understanding and Treating Body
  Dysmorphic Disorder by Katharine A. Phillips,
  M.D. (Oxford University Press). This book was
  expanded and revised in 2005.
• It can be ordered in book stores, by calling
  1-800-451-7556, or at Amazon.com
• For more information about Butler Hospitals BDD
  Program you can go to their web site at
  http//www.butler.org/body.cfm?id123 or e-mail
  them at info_at_butler.org