You may have heard of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), but in a limited context. Many times, the term is thought to refer to people with eating disorders. However, the mental health disorder extends well beyond perception of weight, and more commonly affects your perception about one of more of your features.
Body dysmorphic disorder causes you to believe you have a perceived flaw in your appearance, whether it’s your size, your proportions, or even a body part that you’re ashamed about. While others may not notice your “flaw” at all, you become convinced it’s all people can see. Let’s explore 12 things to know about the disorder…
1. You’re Preoccupied With a Certain Feature
The Mayo Clinic explains that body dysmorphic disorder can commonly cause people to fixate on facial features such as their nose, as well as facial acne and wrinkles. It can also make people overly aware of their hairline and balding. However, it can extend beyond that.
BDD can also cause you to become overly concerned about your skin (including your skin tone), veins, breast size, and even your genitalia, explains the source. Muscle size can also be a factor, and it has its own category called muscle dysmorphia that affects males almost exclusively, adds the source.