I had to look this up, because I was not sure what this was. Here is my answer: Sign and Test: There are no physical examination findings or lab tests specific to the diagnosis of PMDD. Treatment: Regular excersise 3-5 times per week, Adequate Test A balanced diet (with increased whole grains vegetables, fruit, and decreased or no salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine.

This is from my personal knowledge, but there are huge variations between sufferers so really you would have to speak to a specialist to be certain: - a deep feeling of disgust with personal appearance, either a specific feature, or something more general, where there is no normally perceptible defect (although the sufferer's view will be distorted and they will often not recognise that others can't see the defect), and a resulting obsession with appearance, which affects everyday life and activities. It can include, but is not limited to, a disatisfaction with weight- although it is not an eating disorder, and it is common for sufferers to see themselves as "too skinny" as well as "too fat" (and occasionally will switch between the two) - avoiding mirrors and reflective surfaces (such as shop windows, backs of Cd's etc) altogether, or alternatively, an obsession with checking the reflection constantly. Sometimes there will be a combination of the two, or a perception of "safe" and "unsafe" mirrors (you might be obsessive about checking mirrors at home, but avoid them outside the house for example) -A desire to avoid being seen in public because the person believes they are hideously ugly. They might confine themselves to the house, or in extreme cases, a single room. In milder cases they might only avoid certain situations (such as parties) or might take steps to hide the face, such as hooded tops, keeping the head down, or only going out after dark. - Excessive efforts to correct the perceived defect. Often this will involve over-the-top cosmetic treatments such as scrubs, face masks, spot creams etc, use of heavy make up, particularly foundations and concealers (sufferers often refuse to leave the house without make-up, and will apply a full face of make-up only to be dissatisfied, wash it off and re-apply- repeated cleansing often causes damage to the skin, causing increased distress), it often takes BDD sufferers several hours to dress for a night out, and they will become more distressed and miserable with each outfit, often deciding not to go out at all because they are too disatisfied with their looks. - Some suffererers will have repeated unecessary cosmetic surgery procedures to attempt to correct the perceived defect, although a key sign of the condition is that the procedures frequently cause a decrease rather than an increase in self-confidence. Some sufferers have actually attempted to carry out their own cosmetic surgery procedures. - self-harm, often cutting, pulling out hair, or scratching at the skin in attempt to "punish" the body. Suicide attempts are not unusual. - an obsession with touching or checking the body part or parts seen as defective. Can include picking at or touching the skin, playing with the hair, or poking at a scar for example. - Obsession with appearance overtakes nearly everything else. This is how one tells the difference between normal concern with our not-so-pretty parts and genuine BDD. A BDD sufferer thinks of virtually nothing else but the way they look. They may find it difficult to hold down a job or realtionship due to their constant obsession with their looks. In some cases it may be misinterpreted by those close to them as vanity. Like I said, this is just from what I personally know, if you think you, or someone you know might be suffering from BDD it's important to talk to a specialist (see your GP in the first instance), the profile of the disorder has been raised in the past few years and fortunately doctors are now much better at recognising and treating it than they once were. It CAN be treated very succesfully, and the earlier treatment starts the less likely you will do yourself some serious damage. Trust me on this.

BDD is quite varied. A severe case of BDD is hard to miss though. Symptoms include: * Being preoccupied with minor or imaginary physical flaws, usually of the skin, hair, and nose, such as acne, scarring, facial lines, marks, pale skin, thinning hair, excessive body hair, large nose, or crooked nose. * Having a lot of anxiety and stress about the perceived flaw and spending a lot of time focusing on it, such as frequently picking at skin, excessively checking appearance in a mirror, hiding the imperfection, comparing appearance with others, excessively grooming, seeking reassurance from others about how they look, and getting cosmetic surgery. Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/body_dysmorphic_disorder/article.htm My ex suffered from a mild case of BDD.