what is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?

Answer 1

when you see your body as something it's not.....fat of your're thin, ugly if you're pretty, things out of place, when they aren't.

Answer 2

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_Dysmorphic_Disorder
“Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental disorder, which involves a disturbed body image. It is generally diagnosed of those who are extremely critical of their physique or self image, despite the fact there may be no noticeable disfigurement or defect.
Most people wish they could change or improve some aspect of their physical appearance, but people suffering from BDD, generally considered of normal appearance, believe that they are so unspeakably hideous that they are unable to interact with others or function normally for fear of ridicule and humiliation at their appearance. They tend to be very secretive and reluctant to seek help because they are afraid others will think them vain or they may feel too embarrassed to do so.
Ironically BDD is often misunderstood as a vanity driven obsession, whereas it is quite the opposite; people with BDD believe themselves to be profoundly ugly or defective.
BDD combines obsessive and compulsive aspects which has linked it to the OCD spectrum disorders among psychologists. People with BDD may engage in compulsive mirror checking behaviors or mirror avoidance, typically think about their appearance for more than one hour a day and in severe cases may drop all social contact and responsibilities as they become homebound. The disorder is linked to an unusually high suicide rate among all mental disorders.”

Believe or not there is a sexual subculture where partners look for amputees to engage in sex with; these people are turned on by other people who are missing an arm, leg or other body deformity. As another aspect of this kind of desire is when a person wishes to amputate a body limb thinking that they will look better without it. Believe it or not perfectly healthy people have tried to remove their own limbs because of this disorder.

Then of course there is anorexia when to the patient they look fat and ugly, even if they have a body comparable to that of a third world starving child.

The worst abuse is with some unscrupulous plastic surgeons that allow their some rich patients to undergo well over a dozen plastic surgeries. There is the famous case of the woman who after 25 plastic surgeries is well on her way to look exactly like the Barbi Doll.

Here is a list of what other people want to change:
“In research carried out by Dr Katharine Philips, involving over 500 patients, the percentage of patients concerned with the most common locations were as follows:
· skin (73%)
· hair (56%)
· nose (37%)
· weight (22%)
· stomach (22%)
· breasts/chest/nipples (21%)
· eyes (20%)
· thighs (20%)
· teeth (20%)
· legs (overall) (18%)
· body build / bone structure (16%)
· ugly face (general) (14%)
· lips (12%)
· buttocks (12%)
· chin (11%)
· eyebrows (11%)
source: The Broken Mirror, Katharine A Philips, Oxford University Press, 2005 ed, p56
People with BDD often have more than one area of concern.

Answer 3

An obsessional preoccupation (often delusional) that there is something wrong with your body that does not respond to support or other sources of realty input.

Answer 4

it is a disorder of the parts

Answer 5

Yep, Kathy is right.