Body dysmorphia has been described as a condition involving a false negative perception of one’s body. It is a preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance and may manifest in non-traditional, less obvious ways. Body dysmorphia is a state of mind, a perceptual deficit, and, as such, is exceedingly difficult to treat. It is the state in which we believe our body looks different from what it actually looks like. Patients report universal success when they do one thing in the face of body dysmorphia: dress to impress. It could be argued that one of the most extreme forms of body dysmorphia occurs in people who wish to have healthy limbs removed. Research shows that men of all ages and sexual orientations can experience a negatively skewed view of their bodies, known as body dysmorphia.
Sometimes body dysmorphic disorder is a consequence of wider anxieties and unhappiness, or it may be triggered by a traumatic event. In adolescents, severe body dysmorphic disorder can lead to complications ranging from social impairment to suicide. Therefore, effective treatment involves more than addressing symptoms alone; patients must also be supported in re-engaging with study and work environments to realise their full potential. Body dysmorphic disorder is also evident in many individuals with anorexia nervosa, who maintain the mental image of being overweight despite severe emaciation.
Successful treatment of body dysmorphia must be directed toward the perceptual distortion itself. Medication, combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy, remains the primary treatment approach.
A recently recognised form of body dysmorphia, occurring almost exclusively in men, is muscle dysmorphia, a preoccupation with the belief that one’s body is insufficiently muscular.