Dysmorphophobia fear of ugliness

Disturbed perception leads to the impression of being disfigured

05/02/2015

Panic when looking in the mirror and fear of the eyes of others: Up to one million people suffer from the perception disorder „dysmorphophobia“, through which they feel ugly and disfigured for no apparent reason. The causes of the still relatively unknown disorder are not yet known, but it is often assumed that the causes lie in many cases in childhood.

Up to one million people affected by KDS
„I'm ugly and disfigured and everyone stare at me for that“ - Anyone who thinks this way may suffer from a so-called dysmorphophobia, a perception disorder that affects up to one million people in Germany. Characteristic of the disease, also known as body dysmorphic disorder (CDB), is the fear of being severely disfigured by a defect - even though it does not exist or is only minimally recognizable. Most often, the face and head are perceived as deformed, for example, by a supposedly too large nose, a suspected asymmetry of the facial features, acne or scars.

Fear of rejection often leads to social withdrawal
As a result, those concerned excessively deal with the imaginary blemish, which more and more solidifies the impression of their own unattractiveness and even in the event of a slight physical anomaly, an exaggerated concern arises. As a result, those affected feel constantly stared at by others and fear that the alleged disfigurement could lead to rejection and contempt. This often has fatal consequences again, because the fear of rejection, many people withdraw with KDS from social life and isolate themselves.

Affected are often very attractive
For outsiders often an incomprehensible behavior, because „those affected are often very attractive. Your self-assessment is very different from your actual appearance“, explains the psychologist Viktoria Ritter from the University of Frankfurt / Main to the news agency „dpa“. In her research on dysmorphophobia she found out, among other things, that those affected by KDS were above average sensitive to aesthetic proportions and therefore would immediately perceive minimal differences. But that this could actually be a disease, is often recognized late, because the question „Am I beautiful?“ every now and then, the psychologist continues.

Bullying and rejection in childhood as a possible cause
The specific triggers of dysmorphophobia are not yet known, but experts consider both biological and sociocultural factors to be possible. Accordingly, for example, bullying or teasing or even media-mediated beauty ideals could favor the emergence of a KDS, especially in formats such as „Germany's Next Topmodel“ or many previous evening series, attractiveness and success are usually closely linked. „The causes are often in childhood“, so the psychotherapist Stefan Brunhoeber opposite the „dpa“. Here could among other things a „overprotection“, but also constant criticism and rejection lead to people feeling ugly and disfigured, the expert continues. (No)