Who hasn’t wanted to be listed in “America’s 50 sexiest people”? To look a little bit more like Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, or Jennifer Anniston? Often it feels like society pressures people to look good. We get products, diets, and treatments pushed at us each day. It’s no surprise that most of us are mildly dissatisfied with our appearance.

Recently, I’ve been asking people what bothers them the most about their bodies. The number of answers that came back to me was amazing. For one person, it was the shape of his nose, for another, the flabbiness of his stomach; one woman hated her skin, while another just couldn’t get her hair the way she wanted it. It seems that we all have something we don’t like about how we look.

But for most of us, it’s an occasional thing. We glance in the mirror, give a sigh and a shrug, and get back to our lives. But imagine if you glanced at the mirror and felt a sense of disgust. What if the thought of going to work, or school, or even just stepping out the door was terrifying?

For the over three million Americans that have Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), that’s life. Concern over one’s appearance becomes crippling. Being able to concentrate well enough to perform on the job or at school is a challenge. Relationships seem nearly impossible. As a result, individuals with BDD can become nearly housebound, depressed, and even have thoughts of suicide.

Anyone can develop BDD, man or woman, young or old. So far, research has shown that it’s a disorder that affects no one race or region more than another.

People with BDD can have any number of debilitating behaviors. They may avoid mirrors or spend hours in front of them, constantly checking their appearance. They might avoid social situations, or even have problems leaving their house. Some go to their friends or family for constant reassurance about their appearance, or go to cosmetic surgeons in repeated attempts to “fix” their body.

The constant link among individuals with BDD is an obsession with a perceived defect in their appearance. Sometimes this defect isn’t noticeable, or seems slight, to the rest of the world. But it is critically important – and a source of depression or anxiety – to the person with BDD.

Because the disorder has come to the attention of the medical community only recently, BDD is often under-recognized or misdiagnosed. The good news about BDD is that treatment is available, and it works. Experts most often recommend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, sometimes in conjunction with medication.

If you think that you or someone you know have BDD, get in touch with a mental health professional familiar with the disorder and request an evaluation. Help is available. People around the country with Body Dysmorphic Disorder are getting their life back.