Do you spend hours each day fixated on what you perceive as flaws in your appearance? Do you constantly check mirrors, seek reassurance from others, or avoid social situations because you’re convinced something about your appearance is wrong or ugly? If you find yourself trapped in obsessive thoughts about your body or appearance that interfere with your daily life, you may be experiencing body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Help is available right here in Bountiful, Utah.
Many people in Northern Utah communities struggle with distressing thoughts about their appearance that go far beyond normal self-consciousness. Body dysmorphic disorder involves an intense preoccupation with minor or imagined defects in appearance that can consume hours each day and significantly impact your ability to function. Our specialized intensive outpatient program in Bountiful, Utah offers evidence-based treatment that can help you break free from these obsessive patterns.
What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition that causes you to view your own physical appearance unfairly. The thoughts and feelings related to your appearance can consume you and affect your thoughts and actions. Unlike occasional dissatisfaction with appearance that many people experience, BDD involves a deeply ingrained belief that one or more aspects of the body are inherently flawed.
More Than Normal Body Concerns
BDD is characterized by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday appearance concerns. This worry is accompanied by many psychological and physical symptoms. People with BDD often describe feeling like there’s a huge gap between their perception of their body and what family and friends tell them.
Common Areas of Focus
With body dysmorphic disorder, any aspect of the face or body can become a focus of obsession, but the most common areas include facial features such as the nose, skin (moles, freckles, scars, acne), hair (including facial and body hair), muscle size or tone, and size and shape of various body parts. The perceived flaw may be completely imagined or, if present, is usually minor.
How is BDD Different from Normal Body Concerns?
It’s natural to fixate on physical concerns from time to time, but if your preoccupation with your appearance causes you significant distress or interferes with your day-to-day life, those are signs that you’re dealing with something more serious than normal body consciousness.
The Intensity Factor
The difference lies in the intensity and impact of these concerns. Normal body awareness doesn’t prevent you from functioning or enjoying life. BDD involves obsessive thoughts about appearance that can consume multiple hours each day and significantly interfere with work, relationships, and daily activities.
The Reality Distortion
People with BDD often have difficulty seeing themselves accurately. They may focus intensely on minor details while losing sight of their overall appearance. This distorted perception is not simply vanity or self-obsession—it’s a genuine inability to see oneself realistically.
Why Do People with BDD Avoid Mirrors or Constantly Check Them?
Close to ninety percent of individuals with body dysmorphic disorder have an unhealthy relationship with mirrors. This can manifest in two opposite ways: excessive mirror checking or complete mirror avoidance. Both behaviors are attempts to manage the distress caused by BDD, but both actually maintain and worsen the condition.
The Mirror Checking Trap
The drive for mirror checking involves checking the mirror to ease fears about appearance or using the mirror to confirm that perceived flaws are still there. What is meant to be a brief glance often becomes a long and torturous examination of perceived flaws, leaving individuals obsessing for anywhere between 10 minutes to multiple hours.
Mirror Avoidance Patterns
Some people with BDD go to the opposite extreme, completely avoiding mirrors and any reflective surface. They may avoid car windows, computer screens, store windows, or any surface that might show their reflection. This avoidance actually reinforces the fear and makes the BDD worse over time.
How Does Treatment Help with Body Image Obsessions?
Effective BDD treatment focuses on changing the relationship with appearance-related thoughts and behaviors rather than trying to “fix” perceived flaws. The goal is to help you see yourself more realistically and develop healthy coping strategies that don’t revolve around appearance checking or avoidance.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for BDD
CBT helps you identify and challenge distorted thoughts about appearance. You’ll learn to recognize how BDD affects your thinking patterns and develop more balanced, realistic ways of viewing yourself. This includes learning to see your whole self rather than fixating on perceived flaws.
Exposure and Response Prevention
ERP for BDD involves gradually facing appearance-related fears without engaging in compulsive behaviors like excessive mirror checking, grooming rituals, or reassurance seeking. This might include looking in mirrors for normal amounts of time without checking or analyzing, or resisting the urge to seek reassurance about appearance.
Finding BDD Treatment in Bountiful, Utah
Our intensive outpatient program in Bountiful, Utah specializes in treating body dysmorphic disorder and related conditions. We serve Northern Utah communities including Bountiful, West Bountiful, Woods Cross, Centerville, North Salt Lake, Farmington, Fruit Heights, and Kaysville, providing comprehensive care close to home.
Intensive Treatment Approach
Our program delivers treatment three hours per day, Monday through Friday, allowing for intensive work on BDD symptoms. This concentrated approach provides multiple opportunities each day to practice new ways of thinking about appearance and resist compulsive behaviors, leading to faster recovery than traditional weekly therapy.
Evidence-Based Results
We achieve an average 64% symptom reduction—the highest rate in the country—through specialized BDD treatment protocols. Our program maintains a 79% recovery rate and 92% client satisfaction, demonstrating our commitment to effective, evidence-based care for body dysmorphic disorder.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my body concerns are normal or if I have BDD?
Normal body concerns don’t significantly interfere with daily life or consume multiple hours per day. If you spend excessive time thinking about appearance, engage in repetitive behaviors like mirror checking, or avoid activities due to appearance concerns, it may be BDD. Professional evaluation can help determine the difference.
Can BDD be treated without giving up all mirrors?
The goal isn’t to eliminate mirrors entirely, but to develop a healthy relationship with them. Treatment helps you use mirrors normally—for practical purposes like grooming—without getting trapped in obsessive checking or analysis. You’ll learn to look at your whole self rather than fixating on perceived flaws.
Why don’t compliments from others help with my BDD?
BDD involves distorted perception that doesn’t respond to external reassurance. Even when others tell you that you look fine, your brain doesn’t process this information accurately. Treatment helps address the underlying thinking patterns that maintain BDD rather than relying on reassurance from others.
Will treatment make me care less about my appearance?
Treatment doesn’t eliminate normal self-care or interest in appearance. Instead, it helps you develop a balanced relationship with appearance that doesn’t dominate your thoughts or interfere with your life. You’ll learn to take care of yourself without becoming obsessed or distressed.
Can BDD affect other areas of my life besides appearance?
Yes, BDD often significantly impacts work, relationships, and social activities. Many people avoid situations where they feel their appearance might be scrutinized. Our program addresses how BDD affects all areas of life and helps you regain the ability to engage fully in activities you value.
Is BDD treatment available with insurance in Bountiful, Utah?
Yes, 95% of our clients are able to use their insurance for treatment at our Bountiful, Utah program. We work with most major insurance providers to make evidence-based BDD treatment accessible to Northern Utah residents.
What if I’ve tried therapy before but it didn’t help my BDD?
Many people with BDD have tried therapy that wasn’t specifically designed for this condition. Our program uses specialized BDD treatment protocols with intensive delivery that often produces results when other approaches haven’t been effective. The concentrated format allows for more intensive work on BDD-specific symptoms.
Body dysmorphic disorder can feel isolating and overwhelming, but effective treatment is available. You don’t have to remain trapped by obsessive thoughts about appearance. Contact our Bountiful, Utah program to learn how our specialized, evidence-based approach can help you develop a healthier relationship with your appearance and reclaim your life from BDD.
