Imagined ugliness: a symptom which can become a disorder

Med J Aust. 2000 Aug 21;173(4):205-7. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb125602.x.

Abstract

Concern regarding physical appearance is normal, but can sometimes reach an intensity which renders it a "disorder" (body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD). The rate of BDD in the general population is not clear, but sufferers are over-represented in psychiatric populations and in those seeking cosmetic surgery. BDD shows extensive psychiatric comorbidity, including depression, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. BDD is treatable, with serotonergic antidepressants (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and cognitive-behavioural treatments being the most effective.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Body Image*
  • Comorbidity
  • Humans
  • Somatoform Disorders* / diagnosis
  • Somatoform Disorders* / epidemiology
  • Somatoform Disorders* / psychology
  • Somatoform Disorders* / therapy
  • Surveys and Questionnaires