How can I overcome body dysmorphic disorder due to a birthmark?
Plastic surgery can be very helpful. BDD is a disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with imaginary defects and their appearance. But your birthmark isn’t imaginary.(my english isn’t very good, but I will try to explain…)I was born with severe pectus excavatum - a chest/ribcage deformity that produces a caved-in or sunken appearance of the chest (in my case it also deformed my breasts). I was depressed beacuse of that since I was 13. My doctors, family and friends thought that I just feel sorry for myself, that it is all in my head and that I just have to embrace my body. My psychologist diagnosed me with depression, anxiety and BDD.When I was 27 I finally went to the thoracic surgeon. He told me that I could have an operation when I was 20 and that that operation could completely fix my chest deformity. At the age of 27 bones are not so soft anymore, so it was harder to fix this, but I decided to have an operation anyway. And it was the BEST decision in my life!So basically, my solution was always there - I could fix my problem so many years ago if I just stopped listening to others and stopped thinking that I am bad and superficial person just because I wanted to look normal. I feel so much better now, I am more confident, relaxed and happy.You have all the right to go to a plastic surgeon and ask him/her for help!I wish you all the best!
How do I tell if I have body dysmorphic disorder?
The best way to find out is to see a mental health clinician who specializes in eating and body image disorders. I believe that finding someone with this as a specialization is important. Eating and body image disorder diagnosis and treatment can be complex, and most mental health clinicians do not have the formal and advanced specialized training necessary to provided such services in an effective and responsible manner. Personally, I would refer an individual coming to my office for help with such a disorder, because I do not consider myself sufficiently trained in this area.Diagnosis can be tricky because the clinician must distinguish this disorder from others which may appear similar on the surface (like obsessive compulsive disorde, anorexia, and bulimia) or just low self esteem and a poor body image. Many people don't like the way they look and want to make changes (especially around this time of year, New Years). Wanting to better yourself is great. However, BDD emerges when the individual crosses over and becomes more obsessively preoccupied with minor or imagined physical flaws. The preoccupation and resulting behaviors to hide or “fix” the flaw are distressing and negatively impact the person’s life. More often, other people will tell the person there is nothing wrong with them and they “need help” because the individual believes they are acting rationally. Such individuals are often referred to therapy by family members.
Is there a disorder that is the opposite of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) when someone perceives something about their appearance as much better than it is?
BDD is usually to describe negative perception, there isn’t anything really written about whether the opposite effect. Would it be seen as a disorder in itself? People with this would not be flocking to psychiatrists. How would it manifest, and who is judging attractivness? To be a problem of thinking you are higher up the pecking order, or to make sexual advances, is a problem of thinking you are higher up some kind of pecking order and making sexual advances. I expect narcissists may perceive this, yet given their traits it is probably one of the more benign ones (if anything theyd get rejected, or feel like they are deserving of ‘better’ partners?). If its attributed to confidence and respect, does it play a role in social interaction so much? Do people knock down models that aren’t attractive, I guess so, but they are usually called trolls or body-shamers. I do not know this would fit as necessarily being socially hindering, in of itself. Maybe they wear revealing clothes that disgust people, and hit on attractive people? Is that such a disorder as not going out because you perceive yourself like the elephant man (real BDD)? BDD from the way you understand is not really just being unattractive, when it gets bad its being subhuman, its holding a shame about flaws, sometimes its perception of oneself as an animal, a demon, an alien, it can get real bad. Ugly people can be comfortable with themselves and that is not what BDD really is, i don’t think it is just an ugly but acceptable appearance which is truly perceived.
What is an interesting Psychological disorder for me to write a paper on?
Schizophrenia and Bi-polar disorder are the disorders most commonly associated with 'interesting' psychological disorders, but there are more interesting ones. Here are a few: 1. Stockholm Syndrome - This occurs when a captive/abductee seems to have sympathy for their captures. An iconic example of this is Patty Hearst. She was a Paris Hilton of sorts from the 1970s. She was kidnapped and ended up helping/joining the people who kidnapped her. 2. Paris Syndrome - This one is really odd. It affects Japanese tourists who visit Paris. They have a nervous breakdown, presumably caused by severe culture shock. It happens so often that the Japanese embassy has a 24 hour hotline to help natives suffering from the syndrome.
What is the difference between cosmetic disorders and body dysmorphic disorder?
They are both really broad terms, and they refer to the same things almost. A cosmetic disorder could be wearing excessive make-up, which is not Body Dysmorphia.