Our Body Dysmorphia Treatment Program understands your relationship with your body image.
There is not a person on the planet who does not have an insecurity about some part of their body. Someone might not like how his or her nose is shaped, while another person might be self-conscious about how their body looks. It is completely normal for people to not like one or more things about their bodies, however, it is not normal to obsess over it.
People who have body dysmorphia spend an excessive amount of time each day thinking about their looks. They might spend hours doing things like applying makeup or constantly changing garments in order to eradicate their distaste for their appearance. It is extremely common for those with body dysmorphia to also engage in compulsive behaviors that help them feel alleviated of their symptoms, even if for just a short period of time.
Today, body dysmorphia is most common in adolescents and teens. Both men and women experience body dysmorphia at similar rates (2.5% men and 2.2% women), and studies show that this condition most often develops between the ages of 12-13. For many, body dysmorphia develops in response to being bullied or physically, sexually, or verbally abused. For others, it develops due to biological factors such as how neurotransmitters function in the brain and what kinds of personality traits they obtain through their genetics.
Signs and Symptoms of Body Dysmorphia
Similar to the disease of addiction, people with body dysmorphia often spend the majority of their day thinking about or ruminating on their appearance because they are unhappy their body image, not because they are vain about how they look.
Those with body dysmorphia tend to experience the following symptoms:
- Attempting to hide the parts they dislike about themselves through the use of makeup, clothes, hats, hairstyles, or even by how they position themselves
- Constantly changing clothes
- Comparing their looks to others
- Obsessively grooming oneself
- Frequent mirror checks or avoiding mirrors altogether
With the increase in popularity of social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, more people than ever before are grappling with the effects of body dysmorphia. Seeing constant images of people who have an appearance that is altered by filters or photoshop can trigger an at-risk individual into developing body dysmorphia. Thankfully, there is help available for those who are grappling with this specific condition at our body dysmorphia treatment.
Co-Occurring Conditions
Body dysmorphia is commonly associated with the presence of other mental health conditions, including depression, social anxiety disorder, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It happens all-too-often that an individual is wrongly diagnosed with having one of these mental illnesses instead of body dysmorphia. However, when a distinction can be made between the symptoms of body dysmorphia and something like anxiety or depression. Our Body Dysmorphia Treatment Program can be provided in a manner that helps both conditions at the same time.
Body Dysmorphia Treatment
Body dysmorphia, despite how it might appear to others, is a painful mental health condition to live with. Those who are struggling with body dysmorphia are often left feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by their behaviors, however, continue to participate in them because they do not have the appropriate skills to manage it. Thankfully, our body dysmorphia treatment offers a comprehensive treatment plan that can help those who are prepared to properly handle their condition.
Body Dysmorphia Inpatient Treatment Program
Typically reserved for severe cases of body dysmorphia, inpatient Body Dysmorphia Treatment Programs can help those with this condition overcome their struggles with it once and for all. This type of care in our body dysmorphia treatment will not only take an individual out of the environment in which his or her condition is thriving in, but it will also put them in a setting that supports recovery and good mental health. Through inpatient treatment, individuals will be connected to professionals who can provide them with a number of different therapies, including behavioral therapies that are capable of altering negative behaviors surrounding the disorder.
Psychotherapy
Traditional talk therapy, or psychotherapy, is one of the best and most effective forms of body dysmorphia treatment. This is because the majority of people who grapple with body dysmorphia do so at a moderate level, which can be treated in a setting such as this.
The therapist will work with the client to help him or her uncover the root cause of why his or her body dysmorphia developed, as well as better understand the types of behaviors he or she adopted as a result. Additionally, a therapist will help the client identify triggers so that he or she can practice how to handle them when they occur, thus preventing a relapse of negative behaviors that perpetuate their body dysmorphia.
Medication in Body Dysmorphia Treatment Programs
It is extremely common for someone with body dysmorphia to also have obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. Those who have OCD are often plagued with intense feelings of needing things a certain way, including their appearance. So, when combined with body dysmorphia, both conditions can become much worse. Having this information allows professionals to not only properly diagnose a client, but also provide him or her medications that are known to help calm these symptoms. In most cases, those medications include antidepressants and SSRI medications that can help balance out serotonin in the brain and in turn, alleviate some symptoms.
Recover Today at Our Body Dysmorphia Treatment Center
Body dysmorphia is a condition that is no less painful than any other mental health illness. Those who have it are often experiencing a number of other symptoms underneath the guise of being perfect, such as low self-esteem, pervasive sadness, feeling emotionally drained, and suicidal thoughts. However, our body dysmorphia treatment can offer those individuals the opportunity to get in control of their behaviors in ways that support their positive mental health.
If you are struggling with body dysmorphia, know that you are not alone. About 1 in 50 people in the United States have this condition, as it is extremely pervasive. But you do not need to remain trapped in your dysmorphia. You can make the changes you need to live happily.
Do not wait. Reach out to our caring professional staff today to learn more about our body dysmorphia treatment program.
