5 things you must know about Ileana D’Cruz’s battle with body dysmorphic disorder

Here are 5 things that you must know about body dysmorphic disorder. (Source: File Photo)

Bollywood actress Ileana D’Cruz, who has always been forthcoming about her battle with depression, recently opened up about how she suffered ‘body dysmorphia’ for 15 long years. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychological condition in which a person obsessively focuses on one apparent flaw or shortcoming in their physical appearance. The Barfi actor said she thought of herself as a misfit and always looked forward to be liked by people around her. She spoke about how she found it difficult to be comfortable about her body shape, especially after getting into the entertainment industry.

Do you know friends or family members who are struggling with body issues or eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia and are always in a desperate bid to lose weight? Other than helping them access professional help, here are five very important things you must know.

*Although the person has the symptoms of a medical illness, it can still not be fully explained as a physical disorder. It is basically an exaggeration of what probably are small defects in their bodies.

*The obsessive focus of the person is so much that it leads to clinically significant stress or depression in the person. This, in turn, compels the person to avoid social gatherings and communication in general, as their self-confidence levels dip low.

*According to the BDD foundation, Michael Jackson, Andy Warhol, Franz Kafka, Sylvia Plath and Shirley Manson are some well-known figures of history who went through mental disorder because of their distorted understanding of their physical appearances.

*People suffering from BDD start asking for attention and validity. They constantly feel pressurised and assume that people don’t find them attractive enough. This kind of behaviour makes it difficult for them to concentrate on their daily work and interferes with their regular routine. Students suffering from BDD, for instance, face difficulties concentrating on their studies and their performance suffers.

*Obsessive and repetitive behaviours are a central part of BDD. Individuals with BDD develop body-focused repetitive behaviours such as hair pulling, skin picking, cheek biting, or mirror checking. This happens in response to the preoccupations that they have with their appearances.