Proposal Revision

My research project focuses on a growing disease called Body Dysmorphic Disorder or BDD. Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a psychological perception of a perceived flaw. This disorder comes with serious damage and is rapidly growing worldwide. Individuals diagnosed with BDD are constantly aware of their appearance. They obsess with their reflection in front of the mirror for hours and some refuse to go outside or be seen by anyone but themselves. I will mainly focus on the different types of treatment offered to those who suffer from BDD. However, I will use the other aspects such as causes, who it affects, and other issues as background information. I hope to accomplish various things with this paper. First off, my main goal is to obviously inform. I want to bring attention to this disorder because it is becoming mainstream. However, by being more informed my audience will be better equipped to deal with this disease whether because of their suffrage or a loved ones. It is becoming a widely known disease that needs to bring awareness. I will in fact argue that BDD needs more attention. This disorders is becoming more wide spread however, society and even doctors don’t know a lot about it. BDD should be just as common as OCD, ADD, etc. I will also argue the diagnosis process of this disease. As of right now the only definite way to diagnosis BDD is through a questionnaire given by a psychologist or psychiatrist. This is an ineffective way for a diagnosis because it is only based on behavior that could easily be associated with other types of disorders. Misdiagnosis could also mean mistreatment and would therefore be of no benefit to the patient and could possibly worsen the behavior. An uneducated individual may believe this disease isn't life threatening but it is controlling and detrimental enough that over 50% of individuals diagnosed with BDD commit or attempt suicide. I want to certainly point out the several different treatment options, entailing that there is hope when dealing with this disorder. The two most common treatment options are antidepressants and cognitive behavior therapy. SSRI's (selective seritonin ruptake inhibitors) help the effects of this disease by decreasing anxiety and alleviating other symptoms of BDD. Another treatment option is cognitive behavior therapy. This is a verbal therapy session that identifies the perceived flaw or parts of obsession and other destructive behaviors and replaces those thoughts and actions with a more positive behavior. This treatment emphasizes that only the diagnosed individual can change they way they think and act so they must learn to manage and cope with BDD first in order to get better. CBT also encourages for the patient to spend less time in front of the mirror and more time outside socializing. I also want to touch on the causes of BDD and who is more likely to be affected by it. I mainly want my audience to be informed and aware. As well as to realize this disease is not a form of selfishness or vanity.