Chapter 1. Beyond Perfection: Female Body Dysmorphic Disorder

1.1 Beyond Perfection: Female Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Short Description

Thirty-year-old Jennifer is obsessed with having a perfect appearance. She desperately wants her skin to appear flawless without the application of any makeup. Instead, she reports spending three hours applying foundation to cover blemishes and scars before she feels presentable in public.

Long Description

Although she is in fact a very attractive woman, Jennifer is convinced she is terribly disfigured. When Jennifer looks in a mirror she claims she sees a monster. To her, her skin seems badly discolored and scarred. She believes others also view her as badly disfigured. However, as she walks down a busy Boston street, male strangers frequently whistle and note her sexy appearance. For a brief moment, she thinks she must be attractive, but then realizes they are too far away to know what she really looks like. Though Jennifer comes from a wealthy family and is well-educated, she works only part-time at McDonald's. Her therapist claims that Jennifer meets the criteria for a variety of psychological disorders including OCD, borderline personality disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and major depressive disorder. Jennifer literally wants to be someone else. While at university, she was obsessed with other students whom she thought looked perfect. For example, she became obsessed with one close friend whose life seemed ideal. Jennifer bought the same jewelry, the same socks, and even tried to emulate her friend's handwriting. The efforts failed and she dropped out of school. Three years ago, Jennifer began undergoing cosmetic surgery. She underwent a nose job and now she is saving for dermabrasion, a procedure designed to improve the appearance of skin. With each procedure, she feels she is getting closer to her goal and thus claims to be happier.

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