The 7 main characteristics of muscle dysmorphia

A review of the most important characteristics that define vigorexia.

Muscle dysmorphia, also known as vigorexia, is a disorder that affects many men, obsessed with being as muscular as possible, even if this means putting their own health at risk.

Many men who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder with Muscle dysmorphia, when they see themselves in the mirror, see someone thin, weak and flabby looking, despite the fact that anyone who sees them will see them as a very muscular person.

The main characteristics of characteristics of vigorexia have to do with substance abuse, excessive sports practice, diet control and many more. Let's see what they are.

The main characteristics of muscular dysmorphia

Vigorexia, also known as Adonis complex and, more appropriately, body dysmorphic disorder with muscle dysmorphia, is a mental disorder characterized by an obsession with gaining muscle mass.

People suffering from vigorexia experience a distortion of body image, causing them to perceive themselves as not being muscular or strong enough. As a consequence, men with vigorexia exercise compulsively and determine their entire diet with the aim of rapidly gaining more muscle volume.

Vigorexia is not strictly an eating disorder, although it is true that it shares certain particularities with them, especially with anorexia. In the latter disorder there is an obsessive preoccupation with body shape and distortion of the body schema. Anorexia affects mostly adolescent girls, while vigorexia affects men between the ages of 18 and 35.. Body dysmorphia has a negative impact on the personal relationships of those who suffer from it, as well as on their mental and physical health.

There are several characteristics of vigorexia that we can highlight. Among them, the most representative of the disorder are:

Perfectionism, high self-demand and other obsessive traits 2.

Men who are perfectionists and have a very inflexible mentalityPerfectionists and men with a very inflexible mentality, especially in matters of health and body image, are prone to manifest this disorder.

Also if you are a very self-demanding person, who always wants to reach the maximum and show that you are trying very hard, it can be a trait that increases the likelihood of suffering from vigorexia.

People with an obsessive personality, especially with themselves, as well as those who suffer from various emotional problems in their personal and professional relationships are more prone to develop muscular dysmorphia.

2. Difficulties in interpersonal relationships and emotional problems.

Many men who meet the criteria for a diagnosis of vigorexia say they push themselves to the limit in the gym or pushing their bodies to the limit as a way of managing their emotional distress due to frustrating or failed interpersonal relationships..

Although this is not the case for all men, the idea is widespread in the male culture that, after having gone through a tough breakup or having suffered some intense emotional problem, the best thing to do is to join the gym and try to become the best version of ourselves. This "best version" is often understood as that of a highly muscular person.

While there is no doubt that the practice of regular sport involves benefits not only physically, but also mentally, the motivation behind it may be to try to improve a declining mood and hope that getting in shape will automatically solve all our problems.

However, when we are emotionally down or going through a bad patch emotionally, it is best to go to mental health professionals or seek emotional support from family or trusted friends. The practice of sport helps, but it should not be seen as the only therapeutic or personal improvement tool that we have at our disposal..

3. History of overweight and school bullying

It is not at all strange that the people who present vigorexia of adults had overweight of small, sometimes bordering the morbid thing. In most cases, obese children become obese adults, but sometimes it happens that when they grow up they try to absolutely break with the past and start acquiring a healthy lifestyle, characterized by making good dietary choices and practicing sports regularly.

However, there are many cases of people who go from one extreme to the other. Their desire to be muscular, their firm will to do away with their past self and become a radically different one, makes them obsessed with sport and set themselves very high goals, so much so that they even run the risk of getting injured. The motivation for wanting to be muscular is not due to health issues, but to image..

This obsession can be especially intense if the person suffering from vigorexia was a child victim of bullying, which is usually the case for almost all children who are overweight. It is as if they want to prove to their bullies that they are no longer like that, that they are now very fit and that, although they are now adults, they are still in good shape. and that, although they are now adults, if they had the chance to meet the people who caused them so much physical and emotional discomfort, they would be able to defend themselves by teaching their bullies a lesson.

4. High preoccupation with eating

Vigorexia is not considered an eating disorder per se.but it does share with disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa a strong preoccupation with dieting. Vigorexic men seek speed in the process of achieving a sculpted body and eliminating all fat and, therefore, often follow diets with lots of protein, while carbohydrates and fats are avoided.

This causes them to deprive themselves of many foods, which they see as "forbidden". This aspect also affects their social life, as they cannot go out to eat with friends or show up for a family meal. They need to be in complete control of what they eatto make sure that their mass gain goals are achieved. Calorie counting applications can not be missing on your cell phones.

5. Consumption of illicit substances

Many people with vigorexia want to accelerate the process of gaining muscle mass by taking different food supplements such as protein powder and creatinine, substances that are not dangerous as long as they are taken under medical and nutritionist criteria.

However, there are not few who take non-legal substances, such as hormones and anabolic steroids to stimulate muscle development.. Despite the fact that consumers are well aware that these substances are dangerous, they consider that the benefits outweigh the harm and decide to take them, sometimes exceeding the doses considered dangerous.

Steroids are substances associated with several adverse effects, among which we can highlight: acne, testicular atrophy, poorer sperm quality, renal and hepatic insufficiency, cerebrovascular accidents. In women, the use of steroids affects the menstrual cycle and masculinizes them.

6. Associated with injuries and body disproportion.

As we have mentioned, people with vigorexia play sports compulsively, so much so that exercise becomes detrimental to their health. Many times, by exerting themselves beyond their body's capacity, people with muscular dysmorphia run the risk of suffering from muscular and skeletal injuries..

There have been cases of people who have broken their spine lifting excessive weights, motivated by the desire to be the most muscular in the gym.

There is also the ironic fact that this disorder of muscular dysmorphia can produce body disproportion. It sometimes happens that people with vigorexia train excessively those parts whose perception they have very distorted, such as the chest, legs or arms. As they see these parts as thinner than they really are, they train them without rest, causing them to gain so much muscle mass that their body silhouette is really disproportionate with respect to the head.

7. Fed by the male beauty canon

There are many people who consider that vigorexia is the anorexia of men. This statement is wrong, because men can present anorexia and women can suffer from vigorexia, however, it is true that there are more vigorous men and anorexic women than the other way around.

The reason for this is that both disorders are fueled by the beauty canon of what is an ideal man and an ideal woman.. In our society we understand an attractive man to be one who is very muscular, who exudes an image of virility, strength and fortitude, while an attractive woman is one who is graceful and slim.

In the same way that the media have fed the image of the extremely thin woman as a synonym of beauty, influencing the minds of millions of young people, the same thing has happened with men. In the case of men, they have been sold the idea that a man is not a man if he is too thin or too fat, that he must be muscular if he wants to feel masculine and virile.

Are you looking for psychological assistance?

If you want to start a psychotherapy process to overcome emotional or self-esteem related problems, whether they are psychopathological or not, please contact me.

My name is Javier Ares and I attend in person and online to both adults and adolescents.