Body Dysmorphic Disorder & Binaural Sound: A Case Report
George Lindenfeld.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is an increasing public health concern, particularly with an upsurge in social media influencers, like those found on websites like Instagram and TikTok. Self-disgust and shame appear to be primary elements of BDD. Photo editing apps, including those with beauty filters, contribute to altered perceptions of the self, which are now being described as ‘Delusion Amplification by Social Media.’ Scientific studies of BDD have found that many of the participants have previously engaged in self-harming activities, ranging from piercing and scarring to suicide. Furthermore, the relationship between BDD and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been found to be highly associated.
Globally, from 2020 to 2021, the US ranked first in cosmetic procedures, with 4.5 million Americans undergoing this intervention. In 2023, the United States registered 6.2 million procedures, the highest number worldwide. Between 2000 and 2023, private equity investors experienced a 7,630% increase in their capital investment, primarily in general, facial, and oculoplastic surgery practices. Five years after cosmetic surgery, Brazilian researchers concluded that the procedure was ineffective for BDD patients.
Gold-standard treatments have produced modest results. New procedures are necessary to alter ingrained patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior in individuals with BDD. One such nonverbal intervention, RESET Therapy (RT), focuses on resetting aberrant trauma or stress-induced cortical networks through the use of binaural sound. Central to this telehealth-based intervention is the alteration of long-term memory through the reconsolidation process. A RESET Therapy case report describes an iPhone and Android application called Resolve-It! designed to provide patients with a non-verbal, readily available sound-based treatment.
