Dr. Phillips is Professor of Psychiatry, Dewitt Wallace Senior Scholar, and Residency Research Director at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending Psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Her pioneering research on BDD has identified and elucidated many important aspects of this common and severe disorder, and she has developed and tested treatments, both medication and therapy, for BDD.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) can often be effectively treated with certain types of medication. Medication and cognitive-behavioural therapy that is tailored to BDD are the only two evidence-based treatments for BDD. For medication to be effective, the correct medication, dosing, and trial duration are needed. This presentation, by Dr. Katharine Phillips, who has conducted most of the published medication studies of BDD, will review first-line medication approaches for BDD, including dosing and trial duration. She will also discuss next-step options if a first-line medication is not adequately helpful. In addition, Dr. Phillips will review myths about medication, some possible side effects and approaches that may alleviate them if they occur, and other topics such as for how long a helpful medication should be continued.
