If you find that you are obsessing about a perceived flaw in your body, then you may be dealing with Body Dysmorphia also known as BDD.

What you might be feeling:

If thoughts about your body or body parts are persistent and intrusive and you find it is difficult to shut them down, quiet them, and they occupy your thoughts for several hours during the day, you might be dealing with Body Dysmorphia. Do you consistently think about your perceived flaw, judge it, and work hard to hide your perception from others? The thoughts about your alleged body defect can be anywhere on your body. If you have a hard time avoiding the thoughts you it is very possible that you avoid social and work environments, as well.

What can help?

Using cognitive strategies, you will identify the thoughts that filter through your brain, and ultimately challenge the thoughts and replace them with a different way to think about that body part.

It is important to learn desensitization techniques that enable you to feel and to believe that you are in control of the thoughts and your response to them. You will be able to identify when your mind and cognitions are trying to trap you into thinking a certain way. Are you doing all or nothing thinking, intuitive belief coercion, or distortion in your thinking process? You will learn to challenge the thoughts with specific cognitions that give you the power to change the way you hold onto the negative thinking. What do you believe is the worst think that could happen if you hold on to this belief?

Hint: You might find that you only feel this way when you are with certain people or in specific situations. Identify them and you are on the way to healing.