When concern about appearance becomes an obsession

When most of us look at ourselves in a mirror,we see areas that we feel could be improved.so we rearrange our clothes or hair or apply a little makeup and then get on with our day.such concern about our appearance is normal and proper.But for some people concern about their looks goes to extremes, giving rise to a condition that has been called body dysmorphic disorder,or BDD.
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy defines BDD as "preoccupation with defect in appearance, causing significant distress or interfering with social, occupational or other important areas of functioning". *Because sufferers may imagine a certain defect or exaggerate a mirror flaw,their view of themselves has also been called imagined ugliness.Professor J.kevin Thompson of the United States,says that BDD is probably rare."perhaps affecting between 1.0-2.0% of the general population and 10-15% of psychiatric outpatients."however,he adds:"some researchers believe that the prevalence is on the rise,as diagnostic method become better at detecting the problem and as society becomes even more obsessed with appearance."Although the condition can affect people of all ages ,it usually begins in teens.As far as adults are concerned,it appears to affect males and females equally.This is in sharp contrast with eating disorder,which are far more common among females.The morbid preoccupation with looks that is typical of people with BDD usually leads to compulsive checking in the mirror and ,in some cases, even to social isolation.Worse still,the distress and dysfunction associated with the disorder can lead to repeated hospitalization and suicidal behavior," States the Merck Manual.It is not surprising that some sufferers seek cosmetic surgery. "I usually advise against it," says Dr.Katharine Philips,who has written a book on BDD."surgery is irreversible," she explains,and most people with BDD usually feel like it didn't work anyway."
Occasionally,BDD surfaces at a very early age.The George Street journal# reports on a six-year-old boy "who believed his teeth were yellow,his stomach was flat ,' and his hair looked wrong.None of his 'defect' were discernible to others.He would brush his hair for nearly an hour each morning,and if he could not get it to look 'right' he would dunk his head in water and restart his grooming routine, often causing him to be late for school." One day, when he arrived at a doctors office,he even crouched to examine his image in the chrome on a chair.
Do Not Let The World Govern Your Attitude
Glossy magazine, newspapers ,and television advertisements bombard people with images of the ideal body.The advertisers' logic is simple: present a certain image as the norm,and people will part with their hard-earned money to achieve that look.Add in a little peer pressure with perhaps as few thoughtless remarks from family or friends,and it is not surprising that some become unbalanced about their appearance.Of course,an unbalanced attitude may be a far cry from an obsessive psychiatric disorder.
It is both abnormal and untrue to think that if you do not look beautiful or handsome, others will take no interest in you. People do not usually choose friends according to physical appearance. True, looks may be a factor at first, but personality, moral standard and values are the true cement of friendship. In some ways each of us is like a book- it may have an attractive cover, but if the contents are dull, readers will soon put it down. However, regardless of the cover, if the book is interesting, people will hold on to it. So why not focus on your qualities as a person?
Let's face it,our appearance changes as we get older.if life, friendship,and happiness hinged on youthful good looks,what a sad future would lie before us all!yet,our situation can be very different.
*"Preoccupation with physical appearance is a common symptom of a number of psychiatric disorders,"says The Medical journal of australia.these include depression,obsessive compulsive disorder,and eating disorder,such anorexia nervosa.Hence,BDD can be difficult to diagnose.