What is BDD?
BDD centers on a painful preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance. The Institute addresses the cycle of mirror checking, camouflaging, comparison, reassurance seeking, and avoidance that can make daily life feel impossible.
Common signs and symptoms
- Hours spent checking mirrors, photos, skin, hair, or body features
- Avoiding school, work, dating, social events, or bright lighting
- Repeated reassurance seeking or comparing appearance
- Urges for cosmetic, dermatologic, or surgical procedures
- Shame, isolation, depression, or anxiety tied to perceived defects
How Westwood Institute treats it
- Specialized CBT for distorted appearance beliefs
- Exposure work for mirrors, photos, social situations, and avoided environments
- Response prevention for checking, camouflaging, and reassurance seeking
- Careful coordination around surgery or cosmetic procedure concerns
- Practical tools for rebuilding confidence and function