HomeBlogConditionsMental Health GuidesHow Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Anorexia​ Often Co-Exist

How Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Anorexia​ Often Co-Exist

Several conditions come with a high risk of overlap with other mental health conditions as well as co-occurring disorders. Individuals with anorexia can also struggle with things like OCD, bipolar disorder, and depression. However, there is also a co-occurrence of body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia with distinct features but shared aspects. For those who struggle with a co-occurrence of body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia, it’s essential to get early intervention.

What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?

Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition where an individual focuses on the removal or alteration of a specific body part because they perceive it as abnormally formed.

What Is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by individuals who severely restrict their food intake relevant to their needs and generally have significantly low weight as a result. These individuals have an intense fear of gaining weight or getting fat and disturbances in how they view their weight or shape as well.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder vs. Anorexia: Key Differences and Overlaps

There are several key differences as well as some overlaps between a body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia.

Difference Between Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Anorexia

Differences exist in terms of the following:

  1. Body dysmorphic disorder can present with repetitive behaviors, while anorexia does not.
  2. Body dysmorphic disorder has a severe impact on interpersonal relationships, in large part because of social isolation.
  3. Someone who struggles with body dysmorphic disorder might undergo surgery.
  4. Body dysmorphic disorder can present with visual processing abnormalities.
  5. Body dysmorphic disorder can be triggered by psychosocial stress as well as socioeconomic status.
  6. Body dysmorphic disorder can present with problems associated with information processing, particularly abnormalities in emotion recognition, attention, and executive function as well as a tendency toward a bias for negative and threatening interpretations of ambiguous scenarios or facial expressions.
  7. Anorexia can present with binging and purging behaviors as compensation measures.

When looking at body dysmorphic disorder vs. anorexia, one difference between the two has to do with the functional consequences. Most people with body dysmorphic disorder are much more likely to experience impaired psychosocial functioning because of their concerns over appearance, and that impairment can range from moderate, where an individual just avoids certain social circumstances, to incapacitating, where an individual is entirely housebound.

This difference between body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia is significant as someone with anorexia might avoid certain types of social events especially if they are unable to utilize binging or purging behaviors to which they are accustomed, but it doesn’t have the same severe functional consequences.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder vs. Anorexia: Where They Overlap

Overlap can exist in terms of the following:

  1. Both anorexia and body dysmorphic disorder can be brought about by social anxiety or co-exist with a social anxiety disorder.
  2. When looking at body dysmorphic disorder vs. anorexia, they can both present with severe weight loss in large part because of avoidant or restrictive behaviors.
  3. Both conditions can co-exist with major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, or OCD.

Is Anorexia a Form of Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Eating disorders are categorized differently from body dysmorphic disorders in the DSM.

Is anorexia a body dysmorphic disorder? At present, no, it is not considered a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder, but that does not mean there isn’t a link between the two or shared similarities.

The Relationship Between BDD and Anorexia

When looking at body dysmorphic disorder vs. anorexia, both present with severe body image disorders and have similarities in terms of compulsive behaviors, obsessive thoughts, and differences in emotions, but they are not the same.

When BDD and Anorexia Co-Exist

Body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia can co-exist despite the fact that they are two separate types of mental health disorders. Nearly 1/3 of people with body dysmorphic disorder will experience an eating disorder at some point, and individuals who have anorexia and develop body dysmorphic disorder usually present with body dysmorphic disorder that focuses on areas of the body outside of weight alone.

The Psychological and Social Triggers of BDD and Anorexia

There are many psychological and social triggers for both conditions.

Societal Pressures and Media Influence: Body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia can co-occur in large part because of social pressures as well as media influence, something that exists more frequently in younger females.

Trauma, Perfectionism, and Control: Childhood trauma can increase the risk of developing several co-occurring disorders, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and body dysmorphic disorder. Needing to exercise control over something because of childhood trauma or perfectionism can take the form of controlling body, weight, or food.

Recognizing the Signs: Early Detection of BDD and Anorexia

It is important to recognize the early signs of body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia so that an early intervention can take place.

Common Warning Signs of BDD and Anorexia

Some of the common warning signs of body dysmorphic disorder include the following:

  1. Constantly comparing yourself with other people
  2. Always asking others if you look okay
  3. Not believing others if they tell you you look fine
  4. Avoiding social activities
  5. Constantly looking at yourself in the mirror or avoiding mirrors
  6. Trying to hide parts of your body with makeup, scarves, or hats
  7. Constantly grooming or exercising
  8. Not leaving your house, especially in the daytime
  9. Getting unnecessary plastic surgery

For anorexia, some of the common warning signs include the following:

  1. Dramatic weight loss
  2. Avoiding eating with others
  3. Lying about how much you eat or when you eat
  4. Lying about your weight
  5. Cutting your food into small bits to mask how little you are eating
  6. Not eating enough

With either of these conditions, early detection is imperative because it will provide you with the opportunity to seek help before conditions get worse.

Treatment Options for Co-Existing BDD and Anorexia

The treatment options for body dysmorphic disorder anorexia include therapy, medication, and nutritional counseling.

body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help individuals change their relationship with food as well as their inaccurate perceptions of self. It can also be used to help treat underlying issues like anxiety or depression, recognize triggers, and utilize coping mechanisms.

Medications

In some cases, medications can be prescribed, especially if the anorexia has reached the point where it is causing severe malnutrition and other health risks. Medication might be prescribed to help control these symptoms at first or to control secondary symptoms of things like depression or anxiety.

Nutritional Counseling and Body Image Support

A substantial part of successful anorexia treatment, as well as body dysmorphic disorder treatment, involves nutritional counseling and body image support. This can help change perceptions of what a healthy or perfect body looks like, do away with the perfectionism that could contribute to either condition and provide ongoing support.

Conclusion

There can be a co-existence of body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia. They share both differences and similarities, but if you notice shared symptoms or symptoms of both body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia, it’s important to get early intervention. Early intervention can lead to a comprehensive treatment approach and ongoing support for individuals struggling with both conditions.

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