Body Disorders

Body Dysmorphic Disorders

• A preoccupation with some imagined defect in appearance
• Actual defect, if present, appears slight to others
• Comorbid with OCD 10%
• Course lifelong
• Onset – early adolescence through 20s
• Two treatments
  • SSRIs
  • Exposure and response prevention
• Diagnostic Criteria
  • Preoccupation with one or more defects or flaws in physical appearance that are small or not observable to others
  • Repetitive behaviors
  • Significant distress
  • Preoccupation with body not better explained
• Plastic Surgery
  • Fully 76.4% had sought this type of treatment and 66% were receiving it
  • 8% to 25% of all patients who request plastic surgery may have BDD

Trichotillomania and Excoriation

• Trichotillomania: The urge to pull out one’s own hair from anywhere on the body
  • Leads to noticeable hair loss on scalp, eyebrows, arms, pubic region, etc.
  • Also called hair pulling disorder
• Excoriation (skin picking disorder) is characterized by repetitive and compulsive picking of the skin, leading to tissue damage
  • 1 to 5% prevalence rate
  • Behavioral habit reversal treatment is most effective treatment
  • Face is common target for picking