Who are the affected?

There are days where we can see ourselves in the mirror and feel that we look spectacular and others where we think we are fatal, however, when this becomes an obsession we can fall into a body dysmorphia.

In an interview for GetQoralHealth, the psychologist Monserrat López, specialist of the Patient Assistance Clinic of the Psychoanalytic Society of Mexico (SPM) , details that body dysmorphia is a disorder that generates an unreal perception of the body.

"They are people who put a lot of their identity in the body, that is, how they see them, how they feel. They have usually grown up with the idea that their value lies in what their physical appearance looks like, "he says.

The person does not see his body as it is, that is, he does not have a real perception of him. He does not like his image because he thinks he is deformed, even though he is not; so he resorts to plastic surgeries to look better, says the specialist.

This type of condition usually presents by a psychosis, that is, where the person hallucinates with his body; or, when suffering from a depressive disorder generated by problems of self-esteem or self-concept.

 

Who are the affected?

"It is more common in women because of the cultural and social pressure towards their physical image, however, men also reflect this type of behavior through excessive exercise (vigorexia) or excessive consumption of pills to increase muscle mass", clarifies Monserrat López.

The main people affected by body dysmorphia are those who suffer from depression, have an obsessive-compulsive behavior, anguish, social phobia or stronger disorders such as schizophrenia.

 

Body dysmorphism, fatal obsession

Body dysmorphia can have fatal results due to the excessive performance of plastic surgeries to modify the image.

Sometimes, when people are not satisfied with the result of plastic surgery, they repent and decide to undergo another surgical procedure and so on.

"People who suffer from this type of disorder put their lives at risk constantly with the practice of techniques or treatments that are not healthy," says Monserrat López.

Psychological treatment is a solution to overcome this type of condition, because it will help them to deal with those obsessive thoughts, to calm anxiety and to feel less distressed with their image.

In addition, "they will have the opportunity to find new features in them, get to know each other better, have better relationships", concludes the specialist. And you, how do you build your identity?