Cosmetic Surgery Addiction

Many of us, both women and men have something on our body that we are dissatisfied with and would like to change, and many of us has also thought of plastic surgery at one point of time (I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t). This is completely normal but when someone begins to obsess over theses thoughts is when it becomes a problem. Cosmetic surgery addiction commonly seen among celebrities and can be caused by many things and can lead to a somatoform disorder called Body Dysmorphic Disorder. MayoClinc.com has published an article on the causes, signs, symptoms, and treatment for BDD that I will be critically analyzing.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder is said to be an excessive preoccupation with a real or imagined defect in your physical appearance. People with BDD often have problems controlling negative thoughts about their appearance, even when reassurance from others that they look fine and that the minor or perceived flaws aren't noticeable or excessive, this characteristic is commonly seen in people with eating disorders which shouldn’t be a surprise that BDD can cause or be present with an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, especially if it involves a weight-related part of the body, such as the waist, hips or thighs that is wanted to be changed. Other disorders associated with BDD are Generalized anxiety disorder. This condition involves excessive worrying that disrupts your daily life, often causing exaggerated or unrealistic anxiety about life circumstances, such as a perceived flaw or defect in appearance. A history of or genetic predisposition to GAD may make a person more susceptible to BDD. Also OCD is common in BDD people in which a person uncontrollably practices ritual behaviors that may literally take over his or her life. A chemical imbalance in the brain such as an insufficient level of serotonin, one of the brain's chemical messengers involved in mood and pain, may contribute to BDD which could possibly be hereditary. Someone with BDD would exhibit such behaviors as frequently comparing appearance with others, repeatedly checking the appearance of the specific body part in mirrors or other reflective surfaces, refusing to have pictures taken, wearing excessive clothing, makeup and hats to camouflage the perceived flaw, seeking reassurance about the perceived defect or trying to convince others that it's abnormal or excessive and avoiding social situations in which the perceived flaw might be noticed. Depending on the behavior a person is carrying out the disorder associated with it would be quite obvious.
To discuss plastic surgery and not mention what role the media plays would be an injustice to many who suffer from BDD. In Jean Kilborne’s “Still Killing Us Softly: Advertising and the Obsession with Thinness” talks about the influence of the advertising and how eating disorder has recently increase in recent years. Taken directly from the article “The sixth most frequently prescribed drug in America is a diuretic. Many ads for laxatives that used to feature old people now use slim and attractive young women (398)” this directly suggest to young women if you want to loose weight and look like the women in the ad use laxatives which helps in the explanation to why some people develop eating disorders and other disorders like BDD.
As I stated earlier celebrities or those in the lime light are usually the victims suffering from BDD and I’m pretty sure we can name a few without thinking that hard. Michael Jackson would defiantly be one at the top of the list. From the article on MayoClinc.com “People from families of higher socioeconomic status or strict cultural standards may experience body dysmorphic disorder more often. Someone who feels that he or she must live up to unobtainable or unrealistically high expectations for personal appearance and success may be more prone to BDD.” It is understandable how the King of Pop would feel the pressure to live up to these high expectations of personal appearance. In the You Tube video of Morphing Michael Jackson you can observe how Michael’s look (his face and skin color in particular) has drastically changed over the years.

A combination of medications and therapy is often used to help people overcome BDD. A specific type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help lessen or alleviate the signs and symptoms of BDD. Cognitive behavioral therapy is often recommended the process of treatment. This type of therapy identifies unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replaces them with healthy, positive ones.
With this example we see how addiction can lead to severe disorders and can influence your mind and body. However there is treatment which is effective and can help break this addiction.