Body Dysmorphic Disorder Research Paper

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Dylan Rominger
Abnormal Psychology

The disorder I chose to research is body dysmorphic disorder or BDD as I will reference it from here on. What is BDD exactly? According to the textbook “Abnormal Psychology An Integrative Approach” (Barlow & Durand, 2012, p. 188) BDD is basically normal people think they are ugly, so ugly in fact, that they refuse to interact with their peers. Along with this, they have some sort of imagined defect in appearance, but the person actually is relatively normal looking. This disorder has also been referred to as “imagined ugliness”. The purpose of my research is to better understand where BDD comes from, such as how it originated and influencing factors, how it is …show more content…
There are a few different ways to treat BDD (two primarily), usually used in combination. One of the most important forms of treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is beneficial for a number of different reasons, mainly being to adjust the thought process of the patient. This is effective for a patient because they can learn to remove negative thoughts, learn to recognize how and why they think a certain way (thoughts, feelings, mood, etc.), and they learn healthy behaviors to combat unhealthy urges they may have. In the story about the “wolf man” mentioned above, I was surprised that the man with BDD was able to cure himself. I was skeptical, but through CBT this can be explained, since thought plays a major role in the disorder. Another form of treatment that is used in conjunction with CBT is medication. The types of medication used are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications are used specifically, because they deal with brain chemical imbalances. This medication is more effective to sufferers of BDD than other medications (such as anti-depressants), because BDD is thought to stem from aforementioned chemical imbalances related to serotonin, rather than mood disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc. ("Body dysmorphic disorder Treatments and drugs – Mayo Clinic, “ …show more content…
Through my research I was able to gain a better grasp on BDD as a disorder as well as why it affects certain people. I learned that certain people may develop BDD due to brain chemical (serotonin) imbalances. Age certainly plays a factor in those with BDD, as it typically develops during ones teenage years, with the median age being between 16-17 years. Surprisingly the gender of that suffers most from BDD are men at 2.5%, while the women suffer at a rate of 2.2%. Treatment for patients with BDD consists mainly of CBT as well as medication (SSRIs). CBT helps the patient manage their thoughts and behaviors and work towards changing the way they think and act. SSRIs are implemented to in combination with CBT to change the brain by disrupting serotonin. BDD is a disorder that can be completely disabling to those who suffer from it, but those sufferers can take solace that there is help for those that seek
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