請依下文回答第 21 題至第 25 題：
At 20, Sarah was shy but lived a normal life. Then, when her marriage broke up a year later, she
suddenly believed she was extremely ugly. “Sometimes I’d lie in bed all day because I couldn’t face the
mirrors in the bathroom,” she says. “If I did go out, I’d cover my face with my hands. If I saw myself in a
mirror, I’d burst into tears and run home.” After spending $35,000 in three years on cosmetic surgery, Sarah
saw a television program about body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and recognized the symptoms. She saw Dr.
David Veale, an expert in BDD, and had two months in hospital and two months of daily therapy. Today, she
is coping with her condition.
BDD is an illness characterized by distorted body image—sufferers are affected by small or imagined
defects in their appearance. “It’s still underdiagnosed,” says Veale. “That’s dangerous as there’s a high rate of
suicide with it.” The condition affects one in 100 people, and some experts believe the number of sufferers is
growing fast, thanks to the increasing emphasis on physical perfection in society and the media. It often starts
in teenage years and can be triggered by stress, extreme teasing, or sexual abuse.
It affects as many men as women, particularly those who are sensitive, perfectionist or work in an
artistic field. It can take the form of a general feeling of ugliness or can focus on a particular body part, most
commonly the face. Sufferers may do everything they can to hide their “flaw” and can develop obsessive
rituals such as checking their appearance, adjusting their hair, or measuring the hated body part. They can
become addicted to cosmetic surgery or weightlifting.
Once established, BDD causes a change in the brain chemistry, particularly of the neurotransmitter
serotonin, which regulates happiness and satisfaction. The most effective treatment seems to be a
combination of cognitive therapy and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drug, such as Prozac.
【題組】21 What is this passage mainly about?
(A)Medical treatments of BDD. (B)How to deal with BDD.
(C)Obsession with feeling ugly. (D)Sarah and her unhappy marriage.
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