By Neil Gregory,
Staff Writer.
What is body dysmorphia? In the late 1800s a French psychiatrist named Pierre Janet called it ‘l’obsession de la honte du corps.’ His description of body dysmorphia disorder (BDD) was labeled as not just an unhealthy relationship between one part such as your face, skin or shape but also as the shame one experiences in the appearance of their body.
It has become almost commonly accepted to be concerned about appearance. The group most stereotypically associated with this problem is teenage girls, but the problem affects boys too. Males with BDD feel disgust and shame due to their looks and struggle to maintain relationships.
BDD typically starts during the early years when the body undergoes hormonal changes and teens face social issues. Teenagers with BDD perceive their appearance as a defect or disease and don’t get over their initial awkwardness. According to Betterhealth.gov, BDD can be heightened or even caused by appearance-related teasing or bullying during childhood. Peer pressure among young boys can be strong, and societal messages emphasize an ideal body like that of athletes, fighters and bodybuilders.
In social settings it’s seemingly normal for men to shy away from addressing their bodily concerns with others. Men are traditionally told to be physically and emotionally strong, leading them to keep emotions to themselves in times of distress. It begs the question, how healthy is that?
“Males can be less supportive than females as men are expected to deal with emotions by themselves,” said sophomore Keano Sitter. “On social media, males compare themselves to top-tier physiques and it can cause depression.”
What Sitter is describing is the hopelessness males feel due to BDD. They open social media, look at a man who likely takes steroids, later glancing at their face and arms and wondering if they will ever look that good.
Senior Sophia Pena argued that BDD’s damage is accentuated by the lack of support between men. According to Pena, “Social norms ignore male feelings as it makes them seem weak, which leads to dismissals rather than helping.”
Finding a solution to BDD is a more complicated issue than just defining it. BDD cannot be solved by ‘fixing’ one part of your body, as your mind will shift to another ‘imperfect’ part. This continues in a vicious cycle, ultimately fixing nothing.
Group therapy is a powerful tool for individuals that might suffer from anxiety, shame and loneliness due to BDD. In therapy, groups of individuals can confront negative comments with the support of others.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most useful treatments as it helps individuals understand their behavior patterns with the hope of learning how to think from a new perspective. Through exposure with discomfort, an individual will become better at handling negative thoughts in their day to day.
Yet we must not forget that the most important way to solve BDD is to reject societal norms that argue that men must maintain a strong external and mental state in order to be ‘worthy,’ as there is no bigger judge than society and its people.
