Dysmorphophobia- Fear of deformity
In a society which depicts beauty as being the zenith of importance, and perfection of the body causing men and women anxiety at an even younger age, looks can be seen as the be all end all of a person’s existence. Where a person cannot achieve what they consider to be physical perfection, a person might focus on the opposite of physical beauty which would of course be considered deformity. A person can become obsessed by physical deformity, be that the potential to have it or the perception that they have it when it does not exist. This can lead to a full blown phobia which is known as Dysmorphophobia. The potential causes of this phobia could be a personal experience leading to a minor physical deformity or knowing someone with a deformity can also be a causative factor.
A sufferer with this condition will do all possible to avoid observing or being around anyone with a physical deformity. Even though they may be fearful of these people, a sufferer may become transfixed on them being unable to detract their attention from them if they see a deformity in another person.
Symptoms of this condition are similar to any other phobia and can be just as intense. Additionally, there may also be a sense of guilt or remorse about their responses to people with deformity, as they do not feel that it is good or nice to feel this way. Hypnotically based psychotherapy can help to desensitize sufferers and regressive hypnosis can help to find the cause of this unpleasant phobia.
