Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder

In a world obsessed with appearance it is not surprising that body dysmorphic disorder or BDD -- an emotionally painful obsession with perceived flaws in one''s appearance -- has manifested itself as a troubling and relatively common problem for many individuals. In The Broken Mirror the first and most definitive book on BDD Dr. Katharine A. Phillips provided a comprehensive manual for patients and their physicians by drawing on years of clinical practice scientific research and professional evaluations of over 1000 patients. Now in Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide the world''s leading authority on BDD reaches out to patients their friends and their families with this concise and updated handbook.BDD causes sufferers to be obsessed by perceived flaws in their appearance and may afflict as much as two percent of the population or nearly five million people. Many sufferers are able to function well in society but remain secretly obsessed by their hideous acne or horrible nose sneaking constant peeks at a pocket mirror or spending hours at a time redoing makeup. Others find their lives disintegrate because of their appearance obsessions. It is not an uncommon disorder simply a hidden one since sufferers are often embarrassed to tell even their closest friends about their concerns.Using stories and interviews to show the many different behaviors and symptoms of BDD and a quick self-assessment questionnaire Dr. Phillips guides readers through the basics of the disorder and through the many treatment options that work and don''t work. With Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide sufferers will find both helpful advice and much needed reassurance in a compact down-to-earth indispensable book.