Body Dysmorphia (Do you feel like an ugly duckling?)
Written by Gabriella Suryadi and Christian Teddy [Reviewed by Kayla Felisha Ruslan]
4/6/20254 min read
Imagine your class is having group work and you happen to be grouped with 1 boy and 2 other girls. During the heat of the discussion, the boy suddenly turns to you and asks you whether or not he’s ugly. Confused, you decide to dismiss him and focus on the task at hand. However, when you are walking home, he insists on asking you again if it’s the mole on his face that makes him ugly. This time, you honestly tell him that he’s alright, but he seems to be unsure and embarrassed.
Now, feeling insecure when body checking ourselves to ensure we look presentable on a daily basis is normal. However, have you ever considered if this thought has developed into something a bit overly fixated? Do you often find yourself excessively engaging in self-degrading thoughts about your physical appearance or attempting to conceal a body part you find embarrassing? Well, that might be one of the signs that you have body dysmorphia!! Body dysmorphia or BDD is the obsessive thought of a person about his/her perceived flaws in physical appearance, even if these flaws are minimal or not visible to others.
But there’s no need to worry as Body Dysmorphia is very common. You shouldn’t feel guilty for feeling that way as 1 in 50 individuals struggle with Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It affects people of all ages, regardless of gender. If you have BDD, you might feel like there's a significant disconnect between how you perceive your body and what your family and friends see.
The truth is that others don't share the same view. However, despite the objective reality that your loved ones are correct, you still can't escape the stress and anxiety that your body image triggers. Being uncomfortable with your body and having no confidence is the worst thing you could ever give yourself, below are ways in which you could get the self treatment you deserve.
Symptoms
How do you know if you have body dysmorphia?
Constantly checking yourself in the mirror
Trying to hide your body part under accessories
Constantly exercising or grooming
Constantly comparing yourself with others.
Always asking people whether you look ok
Not believing others when they say you look fine
Causes
Why do some individuals experience or undergo body dysmorphia? The truth is, no one knows exactly what causes BDD, however, recent research suggest some risk factors that could increase the likelihood to experience BDD, such as:
Unrealistic beauty standards
Commonly portrayed in social media platforms, it often features altered images of models and celebrities, which may lead you to have impossible standards of perfection judged on your body, causing body dissatisfaction, and in worst case scenario, BDD.
Bullying
It's is also a big reason why people get body dysmorphia. Getting negative comments or rejection could lead you to thinking that your body is the reason for all your problems.
Traumatic Experiences and Identity Struggle
It may also be the reason why some individuals experience body dysmorphia. Either it's from a physical or emotional traumatic experience or a “disconnect” from their identity which causes them to not be able to accept themselves.
Threats
Body Dysphoria typically doesn't get better without intervention. If left untreated, it can escalate over time and may lead to multiple health and life-threatening problems. Which may affect and disrupt the victim’s daily life such as:
Mental Health Problems
Anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
Social Isolation
Where the individuals who experience body dysphoria would not make any social interactions to avoid the judgement they think they deserve which might lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Low Self-esteem
Would also get affected negatively where the individuals would have a difficult time engaging or pursuing goals/activities.
Another effect that body dysmorphia would have on the victim is risky behaviour where the individuals might resort to an abnormal and unhealthy coping mechanism. Such as extreme dieting, over-exercising, substance abuse and which in several cases can lead to suicidal ideation or a life-threatening action.
Treatment
There are multiple solutions to deal with body dysmorphia, both physically and mentally.
Reach Out to Our School Counsellor
Get some advice and focus on implementing it.
Implement Good Habits
Exercise, read a book, talk with a trusted fellow, etc. Adopting Good habits can help you stay focused to minimise self-discouraging distractions.
Avoid the Triggers
For example, you can try avoiding mirrors if you feel uncomfortable looking at your own body, but it is also important to start seeking help which you can get from our school counsellor, because you can’t avoid mirrors forever. But, to support your healing process, avoiding it is something temporary you can do.
In the worst case scenario, you may try…
Cognitive behavioural therapy. It focuses on helping you learn how to control the negative thoughts, emotional reactions and behaviours and how they maintain problems over time. Cognitive behavioural therapy also helps you learn more flexible ways of thinking which helps handle urges or rituals to reduce mirror checking, reassurance seeking or excess use of medical services. It also teaches you other behaviours to improve your mental health, such as addressing social avoidance and increasing engagement with healthy supports and activities. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) because body dysmorphic disorder could be caused in part by problems related to the brain chemical serotonin, SSRIs may be prescribed. SSRIs appear to be more effective for body dysmorphic disorder than other antidepressants and may help control your negative thoughts and repetitive behaviours during body dysmorphia issues.
To sum it up, it is normal to seek assurance on our outfit or appearance, especially before an important event in our life. But to excessively stress it out in each and every moment, means we need to consult a specialist. Body dysmorphia is a mental health disorder that should not be ignored, therefore you should arrange meetings with the school’s counsellor to get some help as they are always available to support you. Without help, you might start feeling some mental health impacts of body dysmorphia which are: anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. It can affect and disrupt the victim’s daily life. Another effect that body dysmorphia would have on the victim is risky behaviour where the individuals might resort to an abnormal and unhealthy coping mechanism. Such as extreme dieting, over-exercising and substance abuse, which would bring more harm than good for the individual.
It might have happened because of the unrealistic beauty standards that are portrayed in social media that can lead the individual to compare themself and feel a feeling of dysphoria or inadequacy. Bullying is also a big reason why people get body dysmorphia. There are multiple solutions to deal with body dysmorphia, whether it’s cognitive behavioural therapy and medications. In order for body dysmorphia to be healed, you should start erasing the negative thoughts in your head and believe in yourself.
