Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a disabling condition that until recently has been largely ignored. However, it has been estimated that 1 to 2 percent of the general population has BDD, which is nearly 5 million people in the United States alone. BDD is aptly described as the disease of "imagined ugliness." Most of us pay attention to our appearance but BDD sufferers worry excessively and unreasonably about some aspects of their appearance.
They may be concerned that their nose is too big, chin misshapen, eyelids too puffy, breasts too small, hips too large, etc. If their facial pores are visible, they obsess that they have facial scarring. Any blemish such as acne, freckles or anything else becomes a focal point constantly drawing their attention and thoughts. These flaws may be non-existent or minimal but you cannot reassure a BDD victim. BDD patients may compulsively remove their skin, attempt self surgeries and even amputations in extreme cases.
These obsessive concerns cause significant emotional distress (e.g. depression) and often significantly interfere with functioning. Yet, most BDD patients do not seek psychiatric /psychological help. Their disease dictates the course of action and those who opt for non-psychiatric treatment will undergo unnecessary plastic surgeries and undertake life threatening procedures. Our clinic offers a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of BDD: a method of externalizing internal impulses through the use of distorted images produced by using crooked mirrors.
Eda Gorbis PhD, MFT, is a founder of Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for OC Foundation. Dr. Gorbis is an experienced therapist who after many years of practice has invented a new treatment modality for the treatment of BDD. Her innovative treatment techniques for OCD and BDD are now being empirically tested by PET scan study at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute.
Yelena Kholodenko received a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from University of California, Los Angeles. She is currently planning her graduate career in the field of anxiety disorders.
