Stimulant & Steroid Abuse and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) - California Rehab
When you look into the mirror, what do you see? How often do you study your reflection, looking for flaws in your face and/or figure? Have you had – or wish you could have – extensive cosmetic surgery? You may be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder or BDD.
Do you seem to be always on a diet and rigid exercise routine to lose weight or build muscle tissue? How much time and money do you spend on clothes and grooming products? Do you abuse prescription or street drugs like steroids, methamphetamine, cocaine, or weight loss preparations?
Sure, we all tend to gaze into the mirror wishing we had straighter teeth, better skin, or a more firm body. But, depending upon your honest answers to the above questions, what if your “moments” in front of the looking glass become hours, months, or even years? This is the life of someone suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), also called dysmorphobia. People with BDD are preoccupied with their physical appearance; they continually obsess about the flaws in their face and/or body and see themselves as ugly, fat, too thin, old-looking, and every horrible thing in between despite all evidence to the contrary – often to a delusional extreme. For example, think of someone whom you find physically attractive. Any gender, age, or ethnicity will do.
Now, suppose that person continually complains to you about his/her unattractiveness as compared to other people. Suppose that person goes to great lengths to hide perceived flaws in body or facial features. Suppose that person hides away from the world because of his or her “ugliness,” and spends huge sums on grooming products and cosmetic surgery. Suppose that person abuses substances to change his/her body type even though warned of potentially life-threatening consequences. Suppose that person frequently discusses or attempts suicide.
This is a portrait of BDD, and those who suffer from it frequently also suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, and substance abuse disorders. No matter how much or how often a BDD sufferer is reassured, he/she will continue to believe the delusional thought patterns that persist in every waking hour. BDD is too frequently under-diagnosed by mental health professionals because of its patterns of depression, personality disorders, and psychotic delusional states. The disorder ranges from mild to severely impairing; while some sufferers know, deep down, that the imperfections they suspect in themselves don’t truly exist, others are delusionally certain of their ugliness. BDD exists across all lines of race, gender, age, or ethnicity; many experts believe that the late Michael Jackson suffered from delusions about his personal appearance.
According to Discovery Health, these are the typical symptoms of BDD:
1. Compulsive behavioral rituals to change or improve physical characteristics such as skin, teeth, weight, or muscle mass. Includes self-surgery or mutilation.
2. Excessively checking appearance in mirrors or other reflective surfaces, or extreme avoidance of their reflection.
3. Constant negative comparisons with the appearance of others.
4. The use of (often illegal) stimulants and/or steroids to change body appearance despite dangerous medical consequences.
5. The presence of other mental health disorders, including suicidal ideation.
6. Constant measuring, picking, fixing, checking or masking perceived physical defects.
7. Changing clothes frequently.
8. Refusal to be photographed and destruction of existing photos.
9. Disguising physical appearance through heavy make-up, bulky clothing, hairpieces, hats or posture.
10. Intense anxiety when around others because of perceived “ugliness.”
Among men, BDD extends to muscle dysmorphia when they’re preoccupied with their overall body size. Men with BDD are anxious about their skin, noses, thinning hair and genitals. In both men and women, the disorder typically begins in adolescence and does not remit in adults without psychiatric treatment. The causes of BDD remain mysterious, but is primarily thought to be the result of both brain chemical disturbance as well as the normal drive of teenagers to look physically attractive, especially among their peers. Many BDD sufferers were physically, sexually or emotionally abused as children.
If you’re a regular customer in the gym or at the cosmetics counter, don’t worry. Maybe you’ve even had a Botox shot or two. Wanting to be attractive is supremely “normal!” However, if you have a history of abusing stimulants or steroids, and if you have any of the symptoms listed above, please understand that you can’t deal with BDD alone – nor do you have to. Medical and therapeutic treatment for BDD is covered by most insurance plans, it works, and it will change your life.
