In recent years, the numbers of teen girls that are developing body dysmorphia has climbed to all time highs. Today’s society prides itself on being a “perfect” person, including having the perfect body. Magazines, movies, television, and social media has provided the public with an idea that if someone does not have the perfect body that they are not good enough and need to be changed in order to fit standards. Plastic surgery, that forever alters the body, and extreme weight loss are just some of the results of those ideals. With an idea that women are sex symbols, and beauty icons it only allows corporations in the beauty, weight loss, and magazine industries to thrive on the insecurities that they place within the teens, with girls being especially susceptible. Body Dysmorphia Disorder, or BDD for an acronym, is defined by “ a body-image disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive preoccupations with an imagined or slight defect in one's appearance” according to an article by Anxiety And Depression Association of America. In simpler terms, BDD is an over obsession of the body and its “flaws”. Being a teen girl myself, I often question whether I’m pretty enough, and try all sorts of ways to change the way I look either by using makeup or living a healthier lifestyle, I can only provide my personal point of view, but if I’m anything like other teen girls, I think it’s something that every girl can struggle with especially in today’s society. With unwritten rules about beauty and standards, it’s easy to over obsess about a crooked nose, or having to much acne, and it only becomes heightened if you’re teased and bullied for it, which happens to be another effect of social media and ideals of beauty. But imagine that crooked nose being the only thing that you can think about, or you feel like people are only looking at your nose and constantly talking about it, and it consuming almost all of your free thinking. I believe that is what having BDD is like, or a way for me to describe it and put into my own words. In an article about BDD, it was explained that “ patients experience substantial impairment in social, occupational, and academic functioning” meaning that people with BDD have a hard time focusing on anything else besides the the “flaw”. Children are in a age of technology, and growing up around these “standards” of beauty only allows for BDD to become a more common disorder. So the question begs to ask, why are the numbers of teens developing BDD climbing?
Doing research for this topic was quite difficult only because while researching it was discovered that only two percent of the population suffers from BDD, or who have been actively diagnosed. So in an article called “How selfies, and filters affect body image- trigger dysmorphic disorder” it explains the effects of social media within teens and young adults including the pressures and the damaging effects of their self esteem. These apps, such as snapchat and instagram, where the sole amount of content is pictures and videos, produce filters and editing of photos so essentially one could change the way they look to fit the mold society has placed on beauty. The article then continues to explain why cosmetic surgery is not a good idea for people with BDD, because it only continues the compulsive and obsessive behavior and often leads to a heighten or worse effects of BDD. The article then offers that Cognitive behavioral therapy, is often more effective in treating BDD among teens. Having apps that allow you to view others and compare yourself to others, like celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, who often photoshops/edits her photos and creates a false image of herself, but all the attention that she gets from having a “perfect” body is enough for someone with BDD to realize that they can do the exact same thing and people will like them. Often leading to more unrealistic ideals and craving to changing the “flaws” that they see when they look in a mirror. That is why so many young adults have turned to plastic surgery; to look as though they have a selfie filter on all the time. This study, although highlights the importance of how social media influences teens, young adults, and every user ideals of false “perfect” images and selfie ready faces, and how that has lead to BDD becoming prevalent in young communities, but excludes how to limit the effects of social media's influence on teens and why they are the target audience of BDD.
Many teens and young adults do not realize that they may have BDD until someone explains it to them. In an article called “Monsters in the mirror: researchers are probing how brain circuitry goes awry in people with body dysmorphia and how to treat the condition” this is exactly what happens with a young adult named Jessica. Beginning to show signs at 13 with hating how frizzy her hair was, to when she was 25 and constantly spending 10 hours a day worrying about the tiniest of wrinkles, and aging. Jessica initially just thought that it was just a physical problem and that everyone thought this way and obsessed about looks like she did, but after seeing an advertisement on the subway about a study involving people with BDD and explaining what BDD was, Jessica shifted her mindset to believe that maybe is was more of a neurological thing instead and sought to receive psychological treatments. Going on to explain the negative effects of treating BDD with plastic surgery and regulations that need to be put in place in order to distinguish patients with BDD, explaining that they “have begun to use a two-stage screening process–a questionnaire followed by a clinical interview” helping Doctors/surgeons to intercept patients that may have BDD and finding the right type of care for each person, whether that being psychiatric care or cosmetic surgery.Although the study only focuses on Jessica, it includes ideas about how to correct BDD through therapy and brain remapping. The article was a perfect example of how people do not realize that they may have BDD and how underdiagnosed it is.
Today’s society has placed a value upon the female image through the beauty and sex industries, placing unrealistic ideals of what females are supposed to look up to. Tiny, tall, and thin models consume the social media, makeup, and fashion industries. Social media often plays a key role in how young teens can perceive they need to look like and digitally altering the body to look like the “perfect” people they look up to. In an article called “”Digitized Dysmorphia” of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the image” the author explains the differences between females and males developing BDD. Analyzing the differences with genders and since women are placed more advanced in their levels of attractiveness, women are more prone to develop BDD and become diagnosed with BDD. The interesting part of the article is how it describes men’s place in society and the values placed on men to be physically toned and muscular. Further going on to explain how women are more prone to be susceptible to editing photos and creating a false “perfection” because more percentage of women post social media selfies or pictures of themselves. Selfies being the ultimate show-off for young adults because they can easily compare themselves to other people, which essentially produces an ideal that you can become better looking with each post. With women being generally unhappy with some sort of aspect of their body, more than men, due to societal pressures and to look like you always have on a filter. This article, shed light into the idea that men can develop BDD and the idea that women are placed as societies sex symbols and it’s all about looks in order to get someone to become interested in you.
For most researchers, the amount of knowledge on how BDD develops still remains a mystery and is perceived differently by each individual. With an article about BDD it was classified by the DSM-IV's as three things:
“(1)Preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance. If a slight physical anomaly is present, the person's concern is markedly excessive., (2)The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.(3) The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (eg, dissatisfaction with body shape and size in anorexia nervosa)”
This article exemplifies how people with the disorder deal with everyday life. According to the article, BDD casues higher rates of underdeveloped social skills, poorer qualities of life, and higher rates of suicide and depression. People with BDD often spend 3-8 hours a day obsessing about their “insecurities” and find it hard to resist the urge to look in mirrors and covering up their “flaws”. The article then goes on to explain that the average age of onset is at 16 and with cognitive behavior therapy treatment can provide easement of the disorder and in some cases complete clarity. Early onset is often thought to be developed through triggering effects of “history of emotional abuse, long-standing interpersonal conflicts, and physical abuse.” Since the article addresses BDD as a whole and not on a particular category, you can’t gain a true insight on what effect it has on teens, or more specially teen girls, but overall the article contains insightful information about BDD and the overall effects of someone who has the disorder.
Another reflection about BDD that makes it difficult to treat is that some doctors can misdiagnose BDD for something else such as depression, or anxiety. So for people that have BDD they believe that they have another disorder and are not receiving the right treatment or care. BDD is not a common diagnoses, so most people don’t understand what BDD is and therefore are unaware that they may have it. According to the article “When the mirror lies: is your reflection taking over your life? Look closer. The real problem may surprise you” it’s not uncommon to go undiagnosed and to suffer in silence because they don’t believe that having something like BDD is a real thing. Pointing out the signs that people with BDD have and helping more people to help identify disorders. The article explains that if untreated BDD can become worse and develop other disorders as well such as substance abuse, and depression. Further stating that “Seventy-five percent of people with BDD will have a major episode of depression, and half will be hospitalized, and 25 percent of people who have BDD attempt or commit suicide” which is a big number of the 2 percent diagnosed and making it even more difficult to diagnose BDD.
In all five articles reviewed, they all analyzed on how BDD can affect everyone and described how BDD can be a debilitating disorder that can cause pain and suffering to those who have it. All of the articles describe BDD as a disorder that is an over-obsession of the body and its so called “flaws”. The articles convey that teens are more susceptible and develop onset factors that on average develop around the age of 16. Social media and apps that allow young girls to look and compare themselves to unrealistic ideas and beauty standards set on society only highlights the importance of how BDD is continuing to climb in numbers. With apps that can photoshop, filter, and ultimately alter the way someone looks all together provides young teens with the ability to unrealistically change the way the look. All five articles wrote about treatment and agreeing on the idea of cognitive behavior therapy was the best option, continuing with the idea, and believed that plastic surgery was not a good option for people with BDD becasue most people that go through with surgery, often find other things wrong or hate the way they have changed. All of the articles lead me to the conclusion that societies values on beauty, and pressures to be considered “beautiful” has lead to many young girls to develop BDD because of the over obsession about their looks. Always needing to have makeup on, posting on instagram or snapchat every single day, and comparing oneself to others only contributes to these tendencies.
I have always struggled with body positivity and self confidence. Being a plus size woman, in today’s society has not been an easy road and certainly not one that is going to cease any time soon. I chose the topic, BDD, not because I have it, but because I know the stress and overwhelming feeling to need to be beautiful. I also believe my sister has this disorder and she is only 16 years old. She is completely obsessed with her looks and is constantly trying to make herself into a “perfect” mold and comparing herself to people who she will never look like.. After reading the articles it only makes sense that more and more young girls are developing this disorder because of the societal values place upon them at such young ages. Although I don’t believe that every single teenager has BDD because they want people to like the way they look and have great self care and dedicate time to themselves, but with understanding the disorder it’s completely different than that idea and is solely based on the ideas that a person with BDD is utterly compelled to only think about their looks and intense focus on their “flaws”. With the knowledge that I have gained during this process, I was able to educate myself on the ideas that it’s all in my head and that my looks or my “ugliness” is nothing to be ashamed of or hide. The information I have gained allows me to teach my sisters about not caring about beauty standards and teaching them and myself that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about you.
Works Cited
Bjornsson, Andri S et al. “Body dysmorphic disorder” Dialogues in clinical neuroscience vol. 12,2 (2010): 221-32.
“Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd.
Coy-Dibley, Isabelle. “'Digitized Dysmorphia' of the Female Body: The Re/Disfigurement of the Image.” Proquest, 25 Aug. 2016, papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2828637.
Dolgin, Elie. "Monsters in the mirror: researchers are probing how brain circuitry goes awry in people with body dysmorphia and how to treat the condition." Nature, vol. 526, no. 7572 SI, 2015, p. S14+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A431083370/ITOF?u=txshracd2560&sid=ITOF&xid=8f059717. Accessed 29 Oct. 2018.
Long, Samantha. "How selfies, filters affect body image- trigger dysmorphic disorder." UWIRE Text, 8 Aug. 2018, p. 1. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A549493726/AONE?u=txshracd2560&sid=AONE&xid=4a8f71b3. Accessed 29 Oct. 2018.
Sylvester, Natalia. "When the mirror lies: is your reflection taking over your life? Look closer. The real problem may surprise you." Current Health Teens, a Weekly Reader publication, Oct. 2010, p. 20+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A240913723/AONE?u=txshracd2560&sid=AONE&xid=7b48f7a5. Accessed 29 Oct. 2018.