MESO-Rx Exclusive Which strategies do you use to manage muscle dysmorphia?

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

YES, Mair I would really love to see you write about the research studies on muscularity/mating choices and relate/compare/contrast with bodybuilder experiences in online communities.

It's a deal Millard, I will add it to the list of all the things I want to write for MESO. Thank you so much for the opportunity

 

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

If I recall correctly, many of the studies that you mention where women will fuck the huge guy but not have long-term relationships didn't even depict physiques that were huge by bodybuilding standards. In other words, they were at the smaller end of the bodybuilding continuum.

you are correct about this, one day I will do better studies of this so we can get to the complexity of this issue

 

[DavidGoodmen]

It's the staying objective part that I think is tricky, indeed I am not sure objectivity is even possible

In nineteen sixty-nine, there was a fuss going around about long-haired boys. I wondered why this was a big deal—everyone should just have his hair however he desired. I truly did not know why anyone would care about someone else’s hair, he should care only about his own.
I decided, you guessed it, to let my hair grow to see whether it was worth the fuss. This course of action brought out the weird folks, the authoritarians, the bigots, and all the other human flotsam and jetsam. Pressuring me is a sure way to not get what you want.
So, as the situation developed, the experimenter became part of the experiment. But I did like my hair. In my twenties and thirties, it was eventually down to my elbows, bright yellow, and flew in the wind. Now it reaches to the bottom of my shoulders, is dark brown, and only five percent remains.
The experiment taught me little about hair, but much about people who believe they should run other peoples’ lives—I learned to despise them.

And, as I said somewhere else, the second time around, I thought that man’s arm could not have been as amazing as I remembered it, as, by that time, mine looked the same. This was not even important to me, but it happened, and I completely failed to see it at the time. So maintaining objectivity is a problem.

If you bench three thirty-five, there is someone benching three eighty-five. And then four hundred five. Or four fifty-five. There is no objective cut-off point, because someone else is always ahead of you, like a carrot on a stick, leading you ever higher. Until you say, “Wait, this is OK!,” or you become injured trying to use too much weight. And that last is a disaster!

 

[NLM36]

I’ll be honest. I haven’t really. I always look in the mirror when I’m outside of the gym and think I look skinny fat or look like shit. When people compliment me I always have a thought that they’re being sarcastic. I even started to prep for 2 shows in the past and dropped out because I’d start thinking I didn’t have a right to be on stage. I’ll never be big or lean enough. I put more into this hobby than I’ve put into almost anything in my life and when I still see the same body I had when I first walked into the gym sometimes.

 

[DavidGoodmen]

I’ll be honest. I haven’t really. I always look in the mirror when I’m outside of the gym and think I look skinny fat or look like shit. When people compliment me I always have a thought that they’re being sarcastic. I even started to prep for 2 shows in the past and dropped out because I’d start thinking I didn’t have a right to be on stage. I’ll never be big or lean enough. I put more into this hobby than I’ve put into almost anything in my life and when I still see the same body I had when I first walked into the gym sometimes.

Do you have any objective measurements? Old photographs? I have old photos, but having weighed two seventy, I have no desire to look at them!
What about body fat measurements?
Training logs showing the improvements in your weights?
To be blunt, I do not know you, but I can say you cannot have spent all that time in the gym to achieve absolutely nothing!
How do you compare to the new men coming in? Very well, I expect!

Are there any advanced men there who would be willing to give you some advice and time, give you tips, and tell you objectively how well you are doing? Those who have trained many years would know what’s what!

 

[NLM36]

Do you have any objective measurements? Old photographs? I have old photos, but having weighed two seventy, I have no desire to look at them!
What about body fat measurements?
Training logs showing the improvements in your weights?
To be blunt, I do not know you, but I can say you cannot have spent all that time in the gym to achieve absolutely nothing!
How do you compare to the new men coming in? Very well, I expect!

I’ve posted recent pics here. I’m 5’9 215. Pretty lean. I started at 115lbs. I also have about every training session logged in notebooks or in my phone from when I first started to now. It’s how I know I have pretty bad body dysmorphia. I know I’ve made changes. I can see it in pictures and I’m proud of it, but there’s a lot of times in the mirror or when I can’t really see myself that it hits me. It’s hard to explain and have it make sense. It sounds crazy when I actually verbalize it or write it out.

 

[DavidGoodmen]

I’ve posted recent pics here. I’m 5’9 215. Pretty lean. I started at 115lbs. I also have about every training session logged in notebooks or in my phone from when I first started to now. It’s how I know I have pretty bad body dysmorphia. I know I’ve made changes. I can see it in pictures and I’m proud of it, but there’s a lot of times in the mirror or when I can’t really see myself that it hits me. It’s hard to explain and have it make sense. It sounds crazy when I actually verbalize it or write it out.

It’s not crazy, not really. It means you have some “issues” causing you trouble. When the bad thoughts hit you, what are they saying? I used to have a voice which, when I was looking down at the sidewalk across the street, and some man went by, it would say, “His beard is good.” It was actually telling me my beard was bad, and therefore I was no good. One time, I had had it with that. I said, “We will see about that!”
Living in the big city, there was no shortage of men with some kind of facial hair. I observed them, counting them as they went by. Having OCD is a godsend for this! After one thousand men, being careful to not count anyone extra times, the number of those as good as mine or better was: Five. I have never heard from that voice again!
So, you need to determine exactly what complaint the voices/feelings are actually saying, then find a way to counter them. Usually, as in my case above, the voice is lying, trying to make you feel bad. You might need some help from a therapist. My advice, obviously, comes from my rather extensive personal experience. A real therapist, even without my life experience, might do you some good. If you have insurance, or a county health center, then check them out. Dave

 

[testaholic]

pretty easy for me, I just ask myself what most hot girls go for and it's always the slim (and/or shredded) look v the overly muscle bound look. with that as my benchmark, I dont have to worry about getting in my head about not being "enough"

I have leanness dysmorphia if anything, I always punish myself for the slightest deviations from my diet and often stress if I am holding water in my face or w/e. hell over the past 3 years ive only had prob a single "bulk" and it lasted 4 months.

 

[MFAAS]

@MairUnderwood(Researcher) discussed the differences between how doctors and bodybuilders see "bigorexia" / "muscle dysmorphia" in Part 1.

Now MESO is proud to publish part 2 exploring clinical treatment options and bodybuilders' attempts to manage symptoms.

How do you deal with and/or manage symptoms of bigorexia?

How to Stop the Suffering Caused by Muscle Dysmorphia / Bigorexia: Treatment Options and Bodybuilder Attempts to Manage Symptoms

(Muscle dysmorphia part 2) Muscle dysmorphia, or bigorexia, causes a great deal of suffering. It consumes lives, it ruins lives, it can even end lives. In

thinksteroids.com

I really think an additional option needs to be added that says "Disengage from social media content that reinforces body dysmorphia such as instagram, facebook, etc."

It is well proven that this sort of content negatively impacts mental health. The absolute best way to not feel like shit about yourself is to stop comparing yourself to a bunch of fucking assholes/bitches you don't know. Stop comparing your girlfriend to some other girl who that edited the fuck out of their photos and planned every pose with the perfect lighting, etc... Everyone I know that has a high level of dissatisfaction and confidence issues around their body is extremely engaged, particularly with instagram. They follow all these guys and girls and they spend upwards of hours every day just scrolling through, constantly comparing themselves. It wrecks their confidence, it often makes them feel like their partner isn't as attractive as s/he is either, all because they are constantly comparing themselves to other people's highlight reel--even if it is subconscious.

This goes for body image issues, confidence issues, general life satisfaction.

I personally found my mental health, confidence, body image, and general well-being to go up immensely. I take body measurements almost every week. Weigh-ins every day or two, soft tape measure each muscle and use calipers to measure fat. These measurements help keep me on track and center my mental image of myself.

But really THE BEST thing to do is to delete your fucking instagram and just disengage from that bullshit entirely. There is nothing else that even comes close to helping as much as ceasing the constant exposure to people who are "better looking than you are"! Fuck facebook. Fuck instagram. Fuck tiktok. Fuck twitter. Delete your accounts!

 

[Millard]

I really think an additional option needs to be added that says "Disengage from social media content that reinforces body dysmorphia such as instagram, facebook, etc."

It is well proven that this sort of content negatively impacts mental health. The absolute best way to not feel like shit about yourself is to stop comparing yourself to a bunch of fucking assholes/bitches you don't know. Stop comparing your girlfriend to some other girl who that edited the fuck out of their photos and planned every pose with the perfect lighting, etc... Everyone I know that has a high level of dissatisfaction and confidence issues around their body is extremely engaged, particularly with instagram. They follow all these guys and girls and they spend upwards of hours every day just scrolling through, constantly comparing themselves. It wrecks their confidence, it often makes them feel like their partner isn't as attractive as s/he is either, all because they are constantly comparing themselves to other people's highlight reel--even if it is subconscious.

This goes for body image issues, confidence issues, general life satisfaction.

I personally found my mental health, confidence, body image, and general well-being to go up immensely. I take body measurements almost every week. Weigh-ins every day or two, soft tape measure each muscle and use calipers to measure fat. These measurements help keep me on track and center my mental image of myself.

But really THE BEST thing to do is to delete your fucking instagram and just disengage from that bullshit entirely. There is nothing else that even comes close to helping as much as ceasing the constant exposure to people who are "better looking than you are"! Fuck facebook. Fuck instagram. Fuck tiktok. Fuck twitter. Delete your accounts!

There has been a large amount of research in recent years on social media and body image dissatisfaction.

 

[DavidGoodmen]

…

But really THE BEST thing to do is to delete your fucking instagram and just disengage from that bullshit entirely. There is nothing else that even comes close to helping as much as ceasing the constant exposure to people who are "better looking than you are"! Fuck facebook. Fuck instagram. Fuck tiktok. Fuck twitter. Delete your accounts!

There is always someone stronger than you.
There is always someone better looking than you.
There is always someone taller than you.
More intelligent.
Richer.
Better childhood.
Plays game-x better than you do.
Went to a fancier college.

The list is endless. What do YOU want from you? Go for that.
If you want to be as strong as a certain person, or to look like a certain person, then put those static items where you can refer to them if you so desire. Those things should be incentives to do your best work, and NOT be used as a sign you are inadequate!

When it comes to muscle dysmorphia, I know my mind is lying to me, so I generally just ignore it. When it comes to strength, the weights tell me true, so to them I pay attention! All else is optional, and personal.

 

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

I really think an additional option needs to be added that says "Disengage from social media content that reinforces body dysmorphia such as instagram, facebook, etc."

It is well proven that this sort of content negatively impacts mental health. The absolute best way to not feel like shit about yourself is to stop comparing yourself to a bunch of fucking assholes/bitches you don't know. Stop comparing your girlfriend to some other girl who that edited the fuck out of their photos and planned every pose with the perfect lighting, etc... Everyone I know that has a high level of dissatisfaction and confidence issues around their body is extremely engaged, particularly with instagram. They follow all these guys and girls and they spend upwards of hours every day just scrolling through, constantly comparing themselves. It wrecks their confidence, it often makes them feel like their partner isn't as attractive as s/he is either, all because they are constantly comparing themselves to other people's highlight reel--even if it is subconscious.

This goes for body image issues, confidence issues, general life satisfaction.

I personally found my mental health, confidence, body image, and general well-being to go up immensely. I take body measurements almost every week. Weigh-ins every day or two, soft tape measure each muscle and use calipers to measure fat. These measurements help keep me on track and center my mental image of myself.

But really THE BEST thing to do is to delete your fucking instagram and just disengage from that bullshit entirely. There is nothing else that even comes close to helping as much as ceasing the constant exposure to people who are "better looking than you are"! Fuck facebook. Fuck instagram. Fuck tiktok. Fuck twitter. Delete your accounts!

I fuckin love this. I am working on publishing this research in the academic literature and would love to include your words (obviously with no name or anything). Some other bodybuilders suggested building an awareness of how untrue social media images are but as my psychologist colleague said, this is unlikely to make any difference. Just scrapping social media all together is a much better alternative IMHO. But, in this day and age a lot of people would consider it impossible to do this because they would see themselves as severely disadvantaged by not having a social media presence

 

[MFAAS]

I fuckin love this. I am working on publishing this research in the academic literature and would love to include your words (obviously with no name or anything). Some other bodybuilders suggested building an awareness of how untrue social media images are but as my psychologist colleague said, this is unlikely to make any difference. Just scrapping social media all together is a much better alternative IMHO. But, in this day and age a lot of people would consider it impossible to do this because they would see themselves as severely disadvantaged by not having a social media presence

Yeah, everybody who knows anything knows that it's all a bunch of fake bullshit. Every photo is planned, down to the pose, the lighting, the minor (or major) edits they make in photoshop (or have someone else edit for them!), the clothes they wear. Hell, often times body builders will do a quick pump workout before taking photos so lets say they are posting a chest pic, you better bet they are gonna go pump up their chest quick before the photo.

Awareness of something being fake means nothing. Because our primal mind will still see it and compare ourselves--even if only subconsciously.

Thankfully, both my girlfriend and I have no social media other than facebook accounts we never check and I have a linkedin I never check. Some people think it's weird, but I don't give a shit what they think.

The problem I see is that, as you alluded to, so many people RELY on social media to maintain their career choice. They need to engage (and regularly) in order to grow their follower base, or even just not be forgotten by their current followers.

For people who choose to engage with social media (or, as I mentioned, are forced due because of their job, which is adds a whole different facet to this issue that I won't get into), carefully curating who THEY follow is critical. I know that at least in facebook if you're friends with someone you can opt to not see their updates on their timeline. Idk if that is possible with instagram or twitter or whatever as I don't have those things at all (and am MUCH happier for it!), but that is something people should look into. Follow them so you can maintain the connection online, but don't see their posts. Maybe set a reminder once per month to navigate to a few specific people's pages and comment on one of their posts or something if that's what it takes, idk. Only follow people who actually connect with and engage with.

This is all easier said then done. There is also a whole addiction aspect (and it is very strong!) to social media too that I was a part of for several years. Post a picture, how many likes did it get? Why did this one get less likes than the other one? Was it the time of day? Was it the tags I used? It is such a shitty mental place to be in and causes so much stress.

Y'all know me, I could write way more, but I must be done for the day. I look forward to seeing others responses to my thoughts here. And regardless of my pontifications, @MairUnderwood(Researcher), wonderful job on your article! I love the work you do and you are also looking fabulous! I look forward to seeing more of your work and appreciate you sharing it on our platform here

I strongly encourage everyone to watch "The Social Dilemma". Some of the dramatization is a little cheesy. But honestly it is an incredibly well done documentary. It goes into all of this in great detail, how the companies make their apps as addictive as possible. The guy that made it used to work at Google as like a technology ethicist or something, and left because of the unethical practices Google was engaging in to get users hooked on their platform (re: addicted). Very, very good. A must see for literally everybody in this era, from children to old people.

 

[MFAAS]

There is always someone stronger than you.
There is always someone better looking than you.
There is always someone taller than you.
More intelligent.
Richer.
Better childhood.
Plays game-x better than you do.
Went to a fancier college.

The list is endless. What do YOU want from you? Go for that.
If you want to be as strong as a certain person, or to look like a certain person, then put those static items where you can refer to them if you so desire. Those things should be incentives to do your best work, and NOT be used as a sign you are inadequate!

When it comes to muscle dysmorphia, I know my mind is lying to me, so I generally just ignore it. When it comes to strength, the weights tell me true, so to them I pay attention! All else is optional, and personal.

Exactly, these platforms are designed to make you forget about YOU HAVE and what YOU WANT and what YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED and instead get sucked away in what you don't have, what others have accomplished, and why haven't you been so accomplished? What is wrong with you? Better keep scrolling for tips and tricks on instagram or reddit to find the next "hack" to take your physique/career/wealth/other personal goals to the next level!!! Just keep on scrolling baby, that's all they need. YOU scroll, THEY make money. Simple as that.

 

[Methyl Mike]

@MairUnderwood(Researcher) discussed the differences between how doctors and bodybuilders see "bigorexia" / "muscle dysmorphia" in Part 1.

Now MESO is proud to publish part 2 exploring clinical treatment options and bodybuilders' attempts to manage symptoms.

How do you deal with and/or manage symptoms of bigorexia?

How to Stop the Suffering Caused by Muscle Dysmorphia / Bigorexia: Treatment Options and Bodybuilder Attempts to Manage Symptoms

(Muscle dysmorphia part 2) Muscle dysmorphia, or bigorexia, causes a great deal of suffering. It consumes lives, it ruins lives, it can even end lives. In

thinksteroids.com

I just accept the fact that I will always be a skinny kid in a grown man's body. It is what it is.

 

[Methyl Mike]

I’m actually aiming to be professionally body dysmorphic so...

I accept it’s part of the game and don’t root my self worth in daily mirror appearance. Frame it in long term goals and the immediate mental impact dissipates.

Every meal and workout represents one brick in the wall brother. Thats how I look at it. Guys who are all about basking in the short term wow look what I lifted etc do not last.

As I sit here after a killer leg session and everything literally every part of my body seems to hurt I ask why do we love it? Why do we love pain? It has to be a sickness. We are sick. And we love it.

 

[DavidGoodmen]

I just accept the fact that I will always be a skinny kid in a grown man's body. It is what it is.

I complain about being weak, but all is relative. I have always, in spite of my nasty childhood, been a robust person. (Robust meaning can take damage and keep functioning. This is counter-productive to having a long life, though.)
I trained nineteen months, did rather well. Thirty-three years later, ALL was gone.
Now, against ineffective thyroid meds, low-T, and whatever else, I did manage to get dumbbell bench up to fifty pounds. Back in the day, my very first day in the gym, I could not even pick up a fifly pound dumbbell—my hand would just peel off. So, while I know my performance should be much better than it is, I also know I am still better off than I was that first day.
I look at the big-man photos, too, and wish I were strong. In fact, I wish I were able to train hard enough to make me happy with my work, and eventually with my body. I have doctors looking into this.
While I complain about myself, I see the occasional man staring at me as though I were something great. Only last night, did I see it from their perspective as this statement: “You have a great chest, a big beard, still have your hair, have muscles in your arms and legs, too, but you think you do not measure up? What’s wrong that you think that?” Dysmorphia at its finest! Of course, in this case, I tend to compare me now with me then, and the difference is huge.

But that geeky-looking scrawny teenager I was has become a man. I wish I would always keep this in mind, when I am complaining.

 

[DavidGoodmen]

As I sit here after a killer leg session and everything literally every part of my body seems to hurt I ask why do we love it? Why do we love pain? It has to be a sickness. We are sick. And we love it.

I greatly liked having my muscles both feeling worked hard and, later, sore. The feeling made them bigger, and thus seem stronger. Completely wrong, but it did make me feel good!
Now, when I exercise, I feel nothing, so feel lacking, and I do not improve. Now I feel only anger at what my life has become!

 

[Mac11wildcat]

I greatly liked having my muscles both feeling worked hard and, later, sore. The feeling made them bigger, and thus seem stronger. Completely wrong, but it did make me feel good!
Now, when I exercise, I feel nothing, so feel lacking, and I do not improve. Now I feel only anger at what my life has become!

the gym isn’t life man. Find another outlet. There are many. Nothing good comes of that thought process.

 

[Methyl Mike]

the gym isn’t life man. Find another outlet. There are many. Nothing good comes of that thought process.

You have a way with words my friend. The thin skinned will withdraw but the strong at heart will get off their butts and do more than they believed they were capable.