Are you preoccupied with your body shape or a particular body part? Do you restrict your food intake or certain types of food, overeat and then purge, exercise excessively, or diet frequently?
If this is you, you may experience disordered eating, which can quickly spiral out of control and develop into an eating disorder if not addressed on time. It is important to learn about your condition so you can determine whether you have body dysmorphia or an eating disorder, and get the proper treatment.
But what exactly is body dysmorphic disorder? Is body dysmorphia an eating disorder?
Let’s look.
What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?
If you have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), you may be preoccupied with perceived flaws or defects in your physical appearance, even if they are minor or nonexistent in reality. For example, you may be obsessed with the size of your nose or the blotchiness of your skin, feeling that it makes you unattractive or deformed (even if it doesn’t) and that others see it as abnormal (which they don’t).
BDD can significantly impact your life and emotional well-being, as distress about your perceived imperfections may cause difficulties in everyday life, work, and relationships. For example, you may feel too embarrassed, anxious, or sad to hang out with friends, attend meetings, or enjoy hobbies, fearing that others will notice your imperfections.
How Does Body Dysmorphia Affect Your Self-Image?
Self-image is our mental and emotional perception of ourselves. A healthy self-image means feeling good about yourself and accepting yourself as you are.
While most of us have something that bothers us about our appearance, these imperfections usually don’t interfere with our daily lives. But if you have BDD, you may think about your perceived shortcomings all the time, even though these flaws are barely visible and typically go unnoticed by others.
This ever-present obsession with one or more parts of your body can impair your self-perception and cause huge emotional discomfort. BDD can demolish your self-esteem, so you may engage in endlessly repetitive behaviors to reduce distress and anxiety.
For instance, you may obsessively compare yourself to others or seek reassurance from your family and friends. You may spend hours in front of the mirror examining your look and put in much effort to hide or camouflage your perceived imperfections. You may exercise excessively or seek cosmetic procedures to correct your flaws. Yet, these behaviors only provide temporary relief. And all of it can be exhausting, causing you to feel unhappy, worried, and isolated.
What are the Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
When you have BDD, your perceived flaws may involve any body part. Still, they typically revolve around your weight, skin, hair, nose, and body shape. The first step to breaking free from BDD is knowing what you’re up against. So, here are the most common BDD symptoms:
- You are obsessively preoccupied with one or more flaws in your physical appearance – you can’t think of anything else.
- This preoccupation makes you feel excessively worried, embarrassed, or sad.
- These flaws are either very minor or not noticeable to others.
- You obsessively compare your looks to others.
- You spend excessive time in front of the mirror, scrutinizing your appearance.
- You obsessively pick your skin or pull your hair.
- You repeatedly seek validation and reassurance from others about how you look.
- You engage in excessive grooming.
- You avoid social situations and people because you’re too concerned about your appearance.
- You engage in frequent body-checking to assess the perceived flaws.
- You believe that others are judging or making fun of your appearance.
- You experience frequent mood swings and irritability.
- You have a low sense of self-worth.
Is Body Dysmorphia an Eating Disorder?
Both body dysmorphia and eating disorders typically revolve around dissatisfaction with one’s shape and weight. So, body image issues may control your life if you have BDD, just as they do if you battle an eating disorder.
Both conditions involve repetitive or avoiding behaviors such as obsessive mirror-checking, seeking reassurance from others, or steering away from social life. In addition, both conditions may be associated with low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.
Still, while body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders are similar and can co-occur, they are not the same.
How Does BDD Differ from Eating Disorders?
To be diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED), your eating habits must be considerably impaired, such as eating too little (anorexia nervosa), overeating (bulimia nervosa), or losing control of your eating (binge eating). Eating does not have to be abnormal or impaired for those with BDD. While irregular eating habits may indicate BDD, they are rarely as severe as in ED patients.
Also, while the body image disturbance in people with body dysmorphia is more focused on a specific body part, those with an eating disorder are typically preoccupied with their weight or body shape.
Is it Possible to Have Body Dysmorphia AND An Eating Disorder?
Yes, it is possible to have body dysmorphia and an eating disorder simultaneously. In fact, research shows that nearly one-third of people with body dysmorphia also have an eating disorder – about 12% of those with BDD also have bulimia or anorexia.
How Can Body Dysmorphia Lead to Eating Disorders?
If you do not recognize and manage body dysphoria, it can quickly lead to eating disorders. If you have body dysmorphia, you may strive to be the perfect version of yourself. This perfectionism can lead to unreasonable expectations and contribute to the development of an ED.
Also, you may have a distorted perception of your appearance, exaggerating your flaws and engaging in abnormal eating behaviors to achieve the desired body image. Furthermore, this obsession with your marks may cause tremendous distress, leading you to turn to food as a coping mechanism.
Recovering from BDD and Eating Disorders is Possible
Although these conditions may be a considerable burden, recovering from BDD and eating disorders is possible. Typical treatment involves a combination of psychotherapy and medication.
Coaching can help you challenge your distorted thoughts and beliefs about your appearance so you can change them. You can also address the potential underlying issues and develop strategies with your coach to reduce repetitive behaviors that interfere with your life and develop healthier coping strategies.I can help you break free from distorted eating habits and perceptions about your body, so contact me to set up a free empowering conversation.
