# Unattractive people and BDD **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061 "2006-05-17T02:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/1 "2006-05-17T02:24:28Z")
I’ve recently been diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and it got me thinking… How are ugly people diagnosed with it? I mean, any time I’ve read or seen anything about it, it’s reasonably attractive people who see themselves as unattractive or loathes their appearance to a point where they convince themselves that they’re hideously ugly. But what about the people who ARE hideously ugly? I mean, what if you really DO have a big nose and bags under your eyes? Does everybody who thinks they’re hideous have BDD? what if they really are hideous? I mean really, is my view of myself distorted or just realistic? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/2 "2006-05-17T02:29:09Z")
First of all, you’re using a lot of terminology that’s totally subjective. Remember the eye of the beholder. That being said, does everyone with BDD see themselves as \*\*worse than \*\*they actually look? What if you actually see yourself as \*\*better than \*\*you actually look? So if a “homely” person saw himself as “beautiful,” that also would be BDD. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/3 "2006-05-17T02:54:45Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] What if you actually see yourself as \*\*better than \*\*you actually look? So if a “homely” person saw himself as “beautiful,” that also would be BDD. [/QUOTE] Not according to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder), “BDD focuses on an individual’s preoccupation with an imagined physical defect in their appearance although this person looks reasonably normal.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/4 "2006-05-17T05:34:30Z")
[QUOTE=PoorYorick] Not according to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder), “BDD focuses on an individual’s preoccupation with an imagined physical defect in their appearance although this person looks reasonably normal.” [/QUOTE] The person’s self-image doesn’t correlate with reality. If it’s not a type of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, then what is it? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/5 "2006-05-17T05:43:16Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] The person’s self-image doesn’t correlate with reality. If it’s not a type of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, then what is it? [/QUOTE] Narcissism. Though of course the term covers a broader scope of meaning than just the issue in the example you gave, a narcissistic person is certainly prone to believing they are much better looking than they really are. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/6 "2006-05-17T11:48:20Z")
You dont have to be attractive, the main criteria is that any viewed imperfection is seen as vastly bigger than it really is - and by ‘vastly’ it means ‘vastly’ as in bad acne might be dealt with by trying to dig it out with a knife for instance. The DSM criteria are: A. Preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance. If a slight physical anomaly is present, the person’s concern is markedly excessive. B. The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. C. The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., dissatisfaction with body shape and size in Anorexia Nervosa). Otara ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/7 "2006-05-17T20:19:56Z")
[QUOTE=SurrenderDorothy] I’ve recently been diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and it got me thinking… [/QUOTE] Interesting. I haven’t been stalking you or anything, **Dorothy** , but I did idly wonder from reading your posts if you had an eating disorder. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/8 "2006-05-17T20:32:11Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] Interesting. I haven’t been stalking you or anything, **Dorothy** , but I did idly wonder from reading your posts if you had an eating disorder. [/QUOTE] She does. [She talked about it in this post.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7394844&postcount=57) Best wishes for your recovery, **Dorothy**. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/9 "2006-05-17T20:42:36Z")
Oh. Well, I guess that proves I haven’t been stalking her. [Rosanne Rosanna-Danna]Never mind![/R R-D] ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unattractive-people-and-bdd/357061/10 "2006-05-17T20:54:38Z")
I don’t know about ugly skinny people , but as a ugly fat person I don’t let how I look dictate whether I go to the doctor. It has to be something fairly serious before I get diagnosed with anything.