Too ugly for love part 9

BBC documentary on Body Dysmorphic Disorder The whole documentary can be purchased for free, please visit www.thebddfoundation.org People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) often hide or are in denial about the true nature of their condition. They may desperately seek relief from cosmetic surgeons or dermatologists long before consulting with mental health professionals. They may be embarrassed to tell others about what they are experiencing for fear of being thought vain or “crazy”. BDD can be extremely serious with an elevated risk of self-destructive thoughts or behaviors. This condition is also associated with a variety of problems in social and emotional adaptation that compound the problem. Technically, BDD is a Somatoform Disorder as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM IV-TR). It specifically involves an excessive preoccupation with one or more physical characteristics. Although this condition is classified as a Somatoform Disorder, it shares many similarities with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in that individuals with both conditions experience obsessions and compulsions relating to their appearance. For example, someone with BDD may have a compulsion to repeatedly check the way his or her nose looks in a mirror. Individuals with BDD have obsessions about either an imaginary defect in their appearance or an exaggeration of a defect that to others seems inconsequential. Unique to BDD, the obsession or …