Cosmetic surgery addiction can be caused by a condition called body dysmorphic disorder, wherein an individual is preoccupied with a slight or imagined "abnormality' in their appearance, which a person without the disorder might interpret as a quirk, individualistic, or perfectly acceptable. This obsession often causes significant social or occupational impairment, as well as emotional problems. People with body dysmorphic disorder will often seek plastic surgery in order to alleviate their distress, but since they have a mental disorder and not a physical one, they will always find something new that is perceived to be "wrong" with them. Body dysmorphic disorder cannot be alleviated by plastic surgery, and can only be addressed by mentally coming to terms with reality.