Index IntroductionPsychological factors of BDDEating disordersOCDPersonality traitsSociological factors of BDDRisk factors of BDDSeeking cosmetic surgery to change physical appearance.Avoid treatments and improper use of drugs. PharmacotherapyConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionHave you ever met a person who spends hours of the day thinking about their appearance and constantly seeking reassurance from others? This person may suffer from body dysmorphic disorder. Body dysmorphic disorder, (BDD) for short, is a mental disorder in which sufferers spend hours of their time anguishing over flaws in their body that others cannot see. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Victims perceive their body image with negative thoughts and often think of many ways to solve them by resorting to different solutions that could bring them temporary pleasure at the cost of their health. The body image that sufferers have in their mind is not the real image that others perceive, rather it is usually an exaggerated and deformed version of their structure that makes them feel self-conscious and insecure about their own body. Usually these are questions like “do I look fat? Is my hair okay? Do I look good? Are you sure I'm fine?" which are usually trivialized by others when, in reality, they should be taken into consideration as they could be effective signs of the onset of body dysmorphia. Both men and women are affected; however, the prevalence of women with BDD is greater than men. Furthermore, symptoms begin to emerge during the early adolescent years, around fifteen to eighteen years of age. BDD is a common but underdiagnosed disease obsessive compulsive disorder which increases the possibility of going unnoticed and untreated. Lack of knowledge about the disorder makes it difficult for sufferers to even realize that they are experiencing a disorder, often ignoring it, thus causing symptoms to worsen over time. Two historical figures, Krapelin and Morselli, identified BDD in 1891 and stated that having negative thoughts crossing the mind is not a problem; however, it only becomes an obstacle when these thoughts persist and become an obsession that interferes with social life and mental health. Past evidence also suggests that the disorder was caused by “biological and genetic disorders.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is a psychological dictionary discovered in 1952, used primarily by psychiatrists, which contains descriptive information of every disorder discovered so far, stating its causes, risk factors, comorbidities, and remedies that can be applied. C. BDD has recently been grouped with DSM-5 disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder and trichotillomania. Both BDD and OCD are easily confused with each other due to their overlapping similarities. Some argue that BDD is simply based on psychological and sociological factors, thus ignoring biological aspects. Most research on the biological aspects has not yet been proven, forcing many to rely only on the psychological and social impacts of BDD. Clinical evidence from a case study shows that "Of the 161 individuals with BDD studied, 37% had major depressive disorder, 33% had social phobia, and 26% had obsessive compulsive disorder." Therefore, body dysmorphia is a disorder based on two main factors. to BDD, psychological factors andsociological. E. Biological evidence may not have been present in abundance; however, recent studies have introduced several proven biological evidences that contribute to causing BDD. FMRI images point to neurobiological evidence of a malfunction in the left side of the brain that causes vision deterioration among BDD victims, causing them to perceive images differently than others. As Melinda Wenner Moyer stated in her article Obsessions Revisited, there is a genetic link between bipolar disorder and OCD and therefore one could acquire OCD if OCD had been present with any of his relatives. BDD is divided into three categories: psychological, with negative thoughts that arise from guilt, subordination, or poor body image; sociological, pushing to achieve the ideal social standards represented by society and to a certain extent biological through genetic predisposition. Psychological Factors of Eating Disorders BDDE Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa are linked to body dysmorphic disorders and are prevalent among women in the Middle East. Women who lack confidence in their body shapes and sizes often resort to harmful eating habits such as fasting, purging, or binge eating disorders. Evidence of the prevalence of eating disorders among women in Lebanon was studied; almost “46. 1%” of the Lebanese population has been diagnosed with bulimia, “39. 4%” diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and “14. 4%” found with Binge Eating Disorder. There are increasing reports of eating disorders among women in the United Arab Emirates during the religious month of Ramadan, which is used to lose weight, with some choosing to fast for days and others eliminating the food they have eaten. Reports on levels of eating disorders have increased especially during the month of Ramadan in the United Arab Emirates, when women abuse the idea of ​​religious ritual; some choose to continue fasting until the next day and others to eliminate the food they have eaten. Anorexia nervosa, a mental condition, in which the sufferer develops apprehension towards food as they would always consider themselves to be a "fat" individual, even if others see otherwise. Victims of BDD are more likely to resort to solutions such as starving, bingeing, and purging, limiting themselves to eating until they feel the need to binge, and ultimately eliminating large amounts of food consumed out of guilt. OCDWomen with body dysmorphia are often diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). A survey of "40%" of a group of Turkish women found that they were dissatisfied with their bodies, especially in areas such as the face and lower body, and were diagnosed with OCD. Repetitive actions could be physical, such as checking the mirror multiple times throughout the day, or mental, such as constantly comparing oneself to others. Examples of common OCD actions include picking at your skin, checking yourself in the mirror, seeking confidence, and changing your clothing several times a day. . Both OCD and BDD are two different disorders that have overlapping symptoms shown in the psychological reference book, DSM-5, and are usually confused with one another. Personality Traits The personality traits of body dysmorphic victims cause negative impacts on their health that can occasionally lead to suicide. As Philips and McElroy specified in their article, Personality disorders and traits in patients with dysmorphic disorderbodily, people who suffer from BDD often have special characteristics that differentiate them from the rest. They tend to be “sensitive, introverted, perfectionistic and insecure”. Individuals who suffer from BDD have certain personality traits that can often hinder their health conditions. Perfectionism can eventually lead to despair if the individual fails to complete or successfully complete a task, which can cause other symptoms such as severe depression and anxiety. Body dysmorphia often shapes individuals in ways that make it difficult for them to function normally in their lives, therefore, creating many negative thoughts that may drive some to commit suicide. E. Raising awareness and informing society of the disorder along with its symptoms and how it is different from OCD is already 50% through the cure process. Sociological Factors of BDDA Support 1: Body dysmorphic disorder is a serious issue that causes dangerous consequences in social situations. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) are extremely different mental disorders that overlap. The article by Angela Fang and Stephan G. Hofmann looked at improvements in people with social anxieties and found that it was positively related to people with BDD. This obsessive condition is not recognized in the Arab region and causes an "alarming increase" in the disorder. Very similar characteristics of the relationship between BDD and Social Phobia (SB) which causes social anxieties and behavioral difficulties due to the fear of criticism from others. Furthermore, the lack of prevalence and treatments for mental problems such as BDD causes an increase in the individual's mental health and limits his or her abilities to communicate with others, eat or write in a public setting. However, speaking in front of a large audience is a common problem that many of them face. R. Srinivasa Murthy reviewed the “Lebanese Assessment”; selected and interviewed “3000 Lebanese citizens to be subjected to a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”. The researchers found that “25. 8% have mental disorders; anxiety and mood swings caused by pressure in society”. The anxiety caused by individuals with BDD interferes in their daily lives and their relationships with others. As we read in the article, the so-called "bad imagination" syndrome also causes social isolation, which affects relationships and intimacy with loved ones. Becoming jobless due to BDD is understandable due to depression and social isolation. Many tend to miss workdays and neglect communication with others. Furthermore, for fear of public humiliation or negative opinions; they always feel like outsiders in their work group and choose the easy way out which is almost always the case. Support 2: The negative outcome of idolizing false body images towards women on social media increases the risk of developing BDD. Throughout history, women have always been expected to be desirable and attractive to men in a certain way. So far it is very common to idealize false and perfect beauty standards by projecting modern idols through social media. Women, especially girls, suffer from social anxieties who feel the need to look a certain way to feel comfortable in their own skin; this negative effect on their body dissatisfaction reduces their self-esteem. Beauty value is a subjective belief towards a body image that has been influenced by many sociocultural factors such as bloggers and models. Mury Rabin's article highlights how female gender role norms have contributed toan increase in body consciousness. False perceptions are created and worshiped and they will begin to develop greater self-awareness. Girls who are diagnosed with BDD will suffer greater risks of anxiety and depression as they will be obsessed with their characteristics, beauty values ​​and compare them to artists who have the "perfect figure", see themselves more in the mirror and seek sociability. approval from others. As Dorian Singh stated, women's body shape or an “hourglass figure” through artists and social media influencers has systematically influenced beauty standards. Lebanese artists in particular, such as Haifa Wehbe and Myriam Clink, project their bodies as sexual objects and unnatural hourglass shapes. Teens see those images and believe this is the perfect body they want to achieve. Unfortunately, their self-esteem will worsen when they fail to meet the beauty standards that society wants so that they are aware of their flaws. Society provides beauty standards even to children. Rachael Michelle Johnson said that Disney films give a perfect image of what women should look like, moreover, they always place too much value on their prince. Disney princesses produce unrealistic beauty expectations such as thin bodies and perfect hair; this subconsciously affects how girls see themselves. They'll look at those Disney characters and try to act, and dress a certain way to attract kids. Support 3: Environmental factors such as childhood trauma and parental neglect play an important role in the development of bipolar disorder. According to psychiatric research, BDD begins to develop from adolescence. “It has been reported that 94% of adolescents suffer from severe or extreme distress” due to high rates of problems in the school and home environment. Parents' neglect of their children's psychological problems gradually increases over time if it is not treated or paid attention to. Many parents who are also obsessed with always looking good to society pressure their children and tease them about their appearance to have the beauty standards they desire. Also, Fugern Niziroglu. , et al state how childhood traumas, such as verbal or sexual abuse, tend to develop BDD. They become more self-conscious and disturbed about their body image, especially if they have been assaulted. Being raped affects the integrity of their body and their attitude towards themselves, they will develop shame and disgust for a part of the body that has been attacked, especially in pre-adolescent age. Risk Factors for BDD I am seeking cosmetic surgery to change my physical appearance. The article Cosmetic Surgery and Body Dysmorphic Disorder states that there is an increase in cosmetic procedures and surgeries on women diagnosed with BDD. Legal and safety considerations for undergoing cosmetic procedures are overlooked when it comes to patients with BDD. Diana Zuckerman and Jordan Klesme revealed that cosmetic procedures such as breast implants are more common among patients suffering from BDD. However, they often remain dissatisfied and may have suicidal ideas and attempts. Avoid treatment and abuse drugs. BDD was an untreated mental condition that only recently began to gain more attention. Patients are ashamed to talk about their mental illness and decide to resort to drugs without consulting doctors or psychiatrists. Improper medicinal pills such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines, used to reduce depression and relieve their anxieties, worsen their condition. (2000)., 39(1), 63-66.