Specialized Treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Most people have things about their appearance they don't love. But when concerns about how you look become difficult to control, take up significant time, or begin affecting your relationships, work, school, or daily life, it may be Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

At Dear Therapy, we provide evidence-based therapy for body dysmorphia and BDD, helping children, teens, and adults reduce obsessive appearance concerns, compulsive behaviors, and avoidance.

We offer BDD therapy in Atlanta and virtually throughout Georgia.

What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Body Dysmorphic Disorder involves persistent concerns about one or more perceived flaws in your appearance. These concerns may focus on something that others barely notice—or don't notice at all—but can feel extremely significant to the person experiencing them.

BDD is closely related to OCD and can create a cycle of obsessive thoughts, anxiety, checking, reassurance-seeking, and avoidance.

Common signs of BDD may include:

• Frequently checking your appearance in mirrors or reflective surfaces

• Avoiding mirrors altogether

• Comparing your appearance to other people

• Seeking reassurance about how you look

• Frequently taking or reviewing photos of yourself

• Trying to hide or camouflage a perceived flaw

• Excessive grooming

• Picking at your skin

• Repeatedly researching ways to change your appearance

• Avoiding social situations because of appearance concerns

• Difficulty concentrating because you're thinking about how you look

The amount of distress someone experiences isn't necessarily related to how noticeable the perceived flaw is to other people.

What Can Body Dysmorphia Focus On?

BDD can become focused on virtually any aspect of someone's appearance.

Common concerns may involve:

• Skin or complexion

• Hair

• Nose or facial features

• Teeth

• Body shape or proportions

• Muscle size or definition

• Weight or perceived size

• Symmetry

• Scars or other physical characteristics

The specific concern can also change over time. What tends to remain is the cycle of focusing on perceived imperfections and trying to achieve certainty or relief about appearance.

The BDD Cycle

BDD can create a frustrating pattern.

You notice something about your appearance.

You become anxious or begin questioning how noticeable it is.

You check the mirror, compare yourself to someone else, ask for reassurance, adjust your appearance, or avoid being seen.

You may feel better temporarily.

Then the doubt returns.

These behaviors can provide short-term relief while unintentionally making appearance concerns more powerful over time.

How Therapy for BDD Helps

Evidence-based treatment can help you change how you respond to appearance-related thoughts and anxiety.

Treatment may incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies tailored specifically to BDD.

Therapy may help you:

• Reduce mirror checking and appearance checking

• Decrease comparison with other people

• Reduce reassurance-seeking

• Challenge unhelpful beliefs about appearance

• Become more comfortable with uncertainty about how others perceive you

• Reduce avoidance of social situations, photos, or activities

• Spend less time trying to correct or hide perceived flaws

• Re-engage with parts of life that BDD has made difficult

The goal isn't to convince you that you look perfect. It's to help appearance concerns take up less space in your life.

What BDD Therapy Looks Like

Treatment at Dear Therapy is individualized around your specific concerns and behaviors.

You can expect:

• An assessment of your appearance concerns and related behaviors

• Education about BDD and how the cycle is maintained

• A personalized treatment plan

• Gradual exposure work when appropriate

• Support reducing checking, reassurance, comparison, and avoidance

• Practical strategies to use outside of therapy

• Parent involvement when working with children or teens, when appropriate

Treatment is collaborative and designed to help you gradually build a different relationship with appearance-related thoughts.

BDD in Children and Teens

Body image concerns can become especially difficult during childhood and adolescence, when appearance and social comparison may already feel important.

BDD may lead a child or teen to avoid school, photos, activities, friends, or situations where they feel others might notice a perceived flaw.

They may also spend significant amounts of time getting ready, checking mirrors, asking family members how they look, or comparing themselves with peers.

Treatment can help children and teens reduce these patterns while helping parents learn how to respond without unintentionally reinforcing the cycle.

Why Choose Dear Therapy for BDD Treatment?

• Experience treating OCD and related disorders

• Evidence-based CBT and ERP approaches

• Treatment for children, teens, and adults

• Individualized treatment based on your specific symptoms

• Parent support when appropriate

• Supportive and nonjudgmental environment

• In-person therapy in Atlanta and virtual therapy throughout Georgia

BDD can feel isolating, especially when you're worried that others won't understand why an appearance concern feels so important. Treatment gives you a place to discuss these concerns openly while learning practical ways to break the cycle.

Start Body Dysmorphia Therapy in Atlanta

When thoughts about your appearance begin controlling how you spend your time, where you go, what you wear, or how you interact with other people, therapy can help.

With evidence-based treatment, you can reduce checking, comparison, reassurance-seeking, and avoidance—and spend more time focused on your life rather than your appearance.

Dear Therapy offers specialized Body Dysmorphic Disorder therapy in Atlanta and virtually throughout Georgia.