What is vigorexia and how does it relate to self-esteem?

Vigorexia is a psychological disorder closely related to how we perceive our own body.

Vigorexia or muscular dysmorphia is a mental disorder in which the patient worries about his or her physical appearance to pathological levels. This disease affects 4 out of every 10,000 people at any given place and time, mostly men between 18 and 35 years of age. Moreover, these figures are only increasing in the United States and the rest of the world, probably due to the greater awareness of physical well-being that exists today.

Muscle dysmorphia is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder which is categorized, more specifically, within body dysmorphic disorders (BDD). The obsession, in this case, is channeled into the search for a perfect image, especially as far as muscular development is concerned. Although vigorexia is not recognized as a disease by the international medical community, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR) takes it into account as a psychopathological condition.

As in all body dysmorphic disorders (BDD), there is a clear discrepancy between the imagined self and the actual individual. Patients become obsessed and believe that they are thinner than they should be and that they have inadequate Muscle mass, when the reality reflects the opposite. If you want to know more about vigorexia and its relationship with self-esteem, keep reading..

Criteria for diagnosing vigorexia.

Before exploring the correlation between vigorexia and the patient's self-esteem, it is necessary to consider what is necessary for the patient to be considered vigorexic in the first instance. in the first instance. The aforementioned Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR), published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), shows the following symptoms:

• The patient becomes obsessed with the idea that his or her body should be smoother and more muscular. He uses a significant portion of his time to lift weights and plan his diet.
• Planning and performing the ideal exercises to maintain his body type causes him to miss out on job opportunities, people in his social environment and fail in other activities.
• The patient avoids situations where he must expose his body. If he is unable to do so, he feels a clear discomfort and discomfort.
• Effectiveness at work and in the social environment is diminished by his insufficient self-perception.
• The potential detrimental effects of excessive training (e.g. muscle tears) do not deter the patient from putting it into practice.

For a patient to be considered vigorous, he/she must meet at least 2 of the last 4 points mentioned above. Muscle dysmorphia is sometimes confused with vanity, but nothing could be further from the truth: the patient is not comfortable with his body, he sees himself as small and thin, and therefore tries to solve his supposed deficiencies with physical training, which can be dangerous. A vigoréxic person does not find pride in his or her body nor does he or she try to attract attention with it, because he or she really feels self-conscious about what he or she thinks he or she is.

Vigorexia and self-esteem.

Self-esteem is a set of perceptions directed towards oneself, but clearly, the environment plays an essential role in how we perceive ourselves on a social level.. In its hierarchy of human needs, self-esteem is defined on 2 clear fronts: the need for appreciation, that which one has of oneself, and the respect and acceptance one receives from other people.

To estimate the possible correlation between vigorexia and muscular dysmorphia, we must turn to science. We begin with the research Muscle Dysmorphia and Eating Disorders: Comparison on Self-Esteem and Personality Traitspublished in the clinical portal ClinMed. In this research, 2 sample groups were taken: men with vigorexia (MD) and women with eating disorders (ED), which were controlled with a control (non-pathological) group.

Researchers and psychologists monitored interviews with each of the patients, which quantified parameters in each of them such as common concerns, self-esteem parameters, body self-perception and other things. It was shown that the pathological groups (ED and MD) presented a worse self-perception of the body, a higher degree of perfectionism and more common narcissistic behaviors. In any case, only women with eating disorders (ED) showed lower self-esteem than the control group.. Vigorexic men did not.

The following research, Relationship between self-esteem and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia in male bodybuilders (Revista Mexicana de Trastornos Alimentarios) explores the same concept, with a different approach. In this study, the aim was to identify the symptoms of muscle dysmorphia in 4 groups of men (competitors, non-competitors, gym users and sedentary) and to evaluate their relationship with possible diminished self-esteem. The sample consisted of 295 males, aged 15 to 63 years.

The results were as follows: participants with lower self-esteem scored higher in motivation for muscularity, compared to those with moderate and low motivation.. The correlation was significant and negative between both variables, i.e., the lower the self-esteem, the greater the desire to develop muscle mass.

In any case, it is still not clear whether this is a cause or a consequence of vigorexia: does low self-esteem lead to muscle dysmorphia, or does dysmorphia cause low self-esteem?

In conclusion

As you can see, understanding body dysmorphic disorders (BDD) still has a long way to go. Several studies argue that there is a clear correlation between vigorexia and lack of self-esteem, while other sample groups show the opposite. In any case, it is much more common for diminished self-esteem to occur in women with other disorders of this nature, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, than in men.

We are inclined to think that there is probably a clear correlation between both events, since not seeing oneself as one wishes always diminishes self-perception and, therefore, self-esteem. In any case, what is very difficult to quantify is whether diminished self-esteem is a cause or a consequence of disorders such as vigorexia.. More research is needed to elucidate these questions.

Looking for help?

If you need psychotherapeutic or psychiatric support to overcome an emotional disturbance that is affecting you, please contact us. At CITA Clinics you will find a team of mental health professionals with many years of experience treating patients in person and online.

Bibliographical references:

• Leone, J. E., Sedory, E. J., & Gray, K. A. (2005). Recognition and treatment of muscle dysmorphia and related body image disorders. Journal of athletic training, 40(4), 352.
• Mosley, P. E. (2009). Bigorexia: Bodybuilding and muscle dysmorphia. European Eating Disorders Review: The Professional Journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 17(3), 191-198.
• Rodrigue, C., Labrecque, I., Turcotte, O., & Bégin, C. (2018). Muscle dysmorphia and eating disorders: comparison on self esteem and personality traits. Int J Psychol Psychoanal, 4(2), 1-8.
• Rodríguez, J. H., & Puig, M. E. L. (2016). Some aspects of interest on vigorexia. Revista Cubana de Medicina General Integral, 32(3), 1-12.
• Ruiz, E. J. C., Rayón, G. L. Á., Reséndiz, F. D. J. D., & Ramírez, A. M. (2012). Relationship between self-esteem and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia in male bodybuilders. Revista Mexicana de Trastornos Alimentarios/Mexican Journal of Eating Disorders, 3(1), 11-18.