psychiatric disorders
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Introduction
Body dysmorphic disorder is characterized by preoccupation with perceived defects in physical appearance that are not apparent or appear only slight to other people. The preoccupation with appearance must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning. Patients also repetitively and excessively perform repetitive behaviors (eg, mirror checking) in response to the preoccupation with appearance. Diagnosis is based on history. Treatment consists of medications (specifically, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs] orclomipramine), psychotherapy (specifically, cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT]), or both. Body dysmorphic disorder usually begins during adolescence and may be somewhat more common among women. At any given point in time, about 1.7 to 2.9% of people have the disorder ( General reference ). 