Muscle dysmorphia?

d-gal

Is this becoming more and more common? I know several gym users that suffer from it and I would say majority suffer mildly from it. Opinions?

Yapamillias

Its very common for people to utilize social comparisons in order maintain positive self evaluation. There is always someone who lifts heavier or is physically bigger so people will compare themselves against other groups or individuals which is why the big guys 'still arent big enough' because when you run out of people in your gym and city to compare yourself to you can always type in 'dexter jackson' and feel 'small' all over again.

TommyKnocker

This could be me at least when I look at myself with my eyes anyway.

It may sound strange, but if I see my reflection in a mirror it's not too bad, IMHO of course. However when I look at myself, I see this skinny guy who needs to add more muscle.

I am 5' 6" @ 12 st (76.3kg) and 11% BF, 31" waist

I would like to look at myself and have a physique similar to Transform and hopefully I will be able to notice if/when I get there

M

Hanley

I think it's something people have always suffered from, but now there's a catchy name and everyone's a snowflake the amount of people recorded as being muscle dysmorphic seems to be increasing.

@90kg)

It's all about state of mind really.

Before I went travelling for a year, I was happy with my physique and training and just as I was hitting levels in the lifts that I love (squats, deads, clean and press) the date came where I went travelling.

Now when I came back (september 09), I felt like a complete noob. Mainly because I am playing catchup to get back to where I was and am finding it hard to get back there !!! I know in my head exactly how to deadlift yet just last week, my program changed which now includes these compound lifts and my technique was messy, form not great etc and it's bloody frustrating because in my head I know it, weight no where near the level it was at, but because I'm just starting back on the squats, deads etc, my legs are taking 3/4 days before the DOMS goes away which was unheard of before and I basically feel like a complete noob again when it comes to these lifts. Before when I was going to squat, I could squat my bodyweight, now I have to start off significantly lower so in that sense, it's like three steps back !

And until I reach the goals I have (10%bf @90kg), I'm definitely going to be wishing I was more lean, bigger etc. But I don't think that's called muscle dysmorphia. It's just me feeling frustrated because I'm not where I want to be yet. Boo hoo though, just get on with it and work hard !

legend365

b-builder...

My stats were like yours...


...except im 6'4!! O_o

...ffs wheres the turkey!?

Darren of the Dead

For the past five years a friend of mine has become increasingly obsessive with regards to his bodybuilding regime. Since he begun he has gained upwards of 40 kilos, a lot of which is actually fat, though for him he doesn't seem to perceive it as fat. As a result of this he is literally covered in stretch marks everywhere. He has spent literally thousands of euro on supplements and red meat. This problem has been very much glossed over until recently when he began taking steroids. He assured me that he knew what he was doing and despite intervention from his parents he continued to take them. He has now become essentially completely removed from his family and is living in isolation with his grandmother.

I probably wouldn't be as concerned if there was a logical reason for his taking of the drugs - I could see maybe why some high ranked athletes or professional bodybuilders would consider using them- but he has no interest in competing and is not involved in any sport. He seems to take them for the social status he gets when people remark how huge he is- he is currently around 120 kilos and under six foot tall.

Now, you may think that a lot of this is trivial, but so did I until recently. I thought it was just another of his many phases.But last night through discussion I learned that he was getting as little as three hours sleep a night. This is largely due to the amount of time he spends at the gym. He spends so much time there that everything else is pushed aside- his academic work, his relationships, his job and even his sleep all come second to working out.

An average day could look something like this:

7:00am Up to cook meals for the day- he has stated that he feels angry if he doesn't get atleast five meals a day with three protein shakes. This is his minimum requirement.

9:00am Arrive at work ( He will take regular breaks to drink protein shakes, not that I claim to have much knowledge on the subject but he has told me that these shakes have up to 100 grammes of protein ie he is clearly exceeding the necessary amount, he could be having maybe four of these a day- I gather the average serving for one of these shakes is between 20 and 40 grammes).

6:00pm Home from work, fuel up for the evening's workout (possibly his sixth meal of the day).

7:00pm Arrive at gym, vigorous one to two hour work out of resistance training.

11:00pm Arrive home from the gym after walking home

12:00am Relax for two hours

2:00am Begin Academic work for a corespondance course in optics ( A part time degree course for a college in the UK)

5:00am Sleep
.
7:00am Up again for work.

We through the course of our discussion noted that indeed the problem was the gym- he is definitely aware that it is literally tearing his world down around him. I'm no expert but I presume that the massive weight gain mixed with his lack of sleep and intense work outs topped off with a diet rich in saturated fat and caffeine to compensate for his lost sleep, are endangering his health. He is aware of it, but admits that he doesn't want to stop. I suggested he cut out one gym day a week to try balance things out, he acknowledged the logic of doing so but admitted that he probably wouldn't.

This is a six day a week cycle. He tells me that he hasn't taken a holiday from training in two years.

He had a brief issue with bullying which has had a major impact on his life, he also has a major problem with the opposite sex ( he did attend one session with a psychological nutritionist but ended up leaving because she was a woman and he believes a woman could not possibly know anything about his problem) he is also particularly at odds with his mother. Added to this is a intensely "macho attitude," advocating the suppression of emotions and a strong and irrational homophobia, yet paradoxically, a lack of interest in having a girlfriend or entering into any form of relationship which would subtract from his time at the gym.

He is probably as we speak on his way from Cork to Waterford to buy his second batch of steroids. I am very worried and fear that if he does not stop he will damage himself further.

His family seem to have given up on him changing and are angry with him. I can see their reasons for anger, but it seems to me that he is indeed an addict and needs someone with skilled expertise in the area before he does himself further serious harm. He is desperate and I would appreciate it greatly if you could offer me any advice or point me in the direction of anyone with a knowledge of this bizarre addiction. He is unwilling to seek help himself. I hope you can find the time to respond to this email, because he won't listen to normal doctors or nutritionists.Is there any specialists with a knowledge of this condition you could recommend?

I have added a link to a journal which eerily describes a lot of his behavioral problems:
http://www.psy.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/38/6/548

He appears to be suffering from this muscle dysmorphia, though do note that I am in no way attempting to diagnose him, I recognise that I am in no way qualified to do such a thing, but I am suggesting that he displays much of the characteristics of the disorder.

I would appreciate any guidance or advice or direction.

g'em

Hi Darren, I appreciate the concern you have for your friend but unfortunately advice or guidance of that kind can't be given here - he needs to talk to a medical professional about this is his habits are infringing on his life to that extent.