Question

The nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder. When the client verbalizes disapproval of her physical features, the nurse should:

1. encourage verbalizations about fears and stressful life situations.
2. agree with the client because she feels a specific physical feature is awful.
3. ignore the comment and talk about less threatening issues.
4. compliment the client on her appearance.

Answer 1

The nurse should encourage a client with body dysmorphic disorder to talk about fears and stressful life situations to create a safe space for exploring their feelings, as reinforcement or dismissal of their beliefs could be counterproductive to their treatment.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a client diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder verbalizes disapproval of her physical features, a nurse should encourage verbalizations about fears and stressful life situations. This approach can help the client to discuss and explore their feelings in a safe environment, which is an important step in cognitive-behavioral therapy often used for this disorder. It is not advisable to agree with the client's negative view of their physical features nor to ignore their comments, as this could reinforce the disorder or dismiss the client's feelings. Likewise, offering compliments might not be effective because individuals with body dysmorphic disorder tend to have deep-rooted beliefs about their appearance that are resistant to reassurance from others.

Understanding the severity of body dysmorphic disorder is essential, as it often coexists with other disorders such as anorexia nervosa, with a significant number of individuals having co-occurring eating disorders. Supportive therapy and a non-judgmental approach are critical in managing the condition, and resources such as 'The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder' by K. Phillips are valuable for professionals dealing with this population.