Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric disorder in which individuals are preoccupied with imagined defects in their appearance, which are not noticeable or appear slight to others. It is characterized by time-consuming behaviors such as mirror gazing, comparing one's appearance with the appearance of others, excessive camouflaging to hide the defect, and seeking reassurance. Patients experience significant distress, disability, and functional impairment, often accompanied by depression and suicidality. There is some clinical and pathologic overlap between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and BDD such as obsessive thoughts and the performance of ritual behavior. Patients with BDD respond to treatment with serotonergic agents such as clomipramine or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which suggests a dysfunction of central serotonergic neurotransmission as a possible etiological factor. A recent study suggests that cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) was more effective than treatment with medications.
In the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) has been subsumed into the obsessive-compulsive disorders and related disorders (OCDRD) category.
