So often you hear about people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
This is a psychiatric disorder where people are obsessed with their real or perceived body flaws.
Often their notions of a physical flaw is widely exaggerated like someone who has a barely noticeable mole, but they see it as a major blotch on their skin that everyone must be staring at and repulsed by.
People with this disorder may often stand in front of the mirror starring at themselves obsessing over these minor imperfections.
But there is something major that is missing here.
And it is the polar opposite of BDD.
I would call it the Body Morphic Disorder (BMD).
My notion of BMD is where people are similarly obsessed with their bodies, but rather than real or perceived flaws, they are focused on real or perceived notions of their body’s beauty and perfection!
Instead of looking in the mirror and perceiving problems and feeling self-loathsome, these people are excessively vain and see themselves as a (near) perfect specimen of a human being.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
Or the equivalent of ain’t I just grand!
It’s funny-weird that we perceive criticism and self-contempt (BDD) as a psychiatric disorder, but we don’t generally see narcissistic self-worship as a personality disorder!
Yet any extreme is a bad thing.
Excessive loving or hating of your physical self–is the kiss of death when it comes to seeing things the way they really are and being a genuine human being. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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