"In psychiatric circles, it is known as 'muscle dysmorphia' (an obsession about being muscular) but to the layman it's Bigorexia. (BIG.uh.rek.see.uh) is a mental disorder in which patients - typically men and typically bodybuilders—view themselves through a distorted lens and become obsessed about what they perceive as their physical inadequacies. It's the big brother disease to anorexia, except that bigorexia is to "huge" what anorexia is to "thin." This is an under-diagnosed condition because, for men, being big is acceptable.
DO THE TEST!:
How often do you look at your body in the mirror? (One study found that men with this condition check themselves in the mirror an average of 9.2 times a day with the most extreme checking their reflection more than 50 times).
Do you think your body needs to be leaner and more muscular? And does it drive you crazy thinking you are too small?
Do you find yourself reading up on new training methods, diets and supplements?
Do you eat special high protein or low fat diets or use food supplements to improve your muscularity or to help you bulk up?
Do you disbelieve people who comment on how big you and find fault with your musculature?
Do you ever wear baggy clothes because you wish to hide the body you feel is too small?
Or do you avoid situations where your body might be seen such as the beach because you think you are not muscular enough?
Do you still train and work out even when injured because you fear losing muscle mass?
Do you find it difficult to cut back on the hours spent working out and training?
Do you compare yourself to other men and feel envious when you see someone bigger than you and find yourself pre-occupied with this for sometime afterwards?
Do you ever perceive that others are snickering at your puniness?
Would you rather spend time and energy going to the gym than having sex and/or has your libido taken a dive?
Have you turned down social events, taken time off work (or passed up on a higher-paying job), had relationship problems or skipped family responsibilities because of your need to work out?
*typically men who have bigorexia will say yes to three or more questions.
So before any big guys or health clubs get hot under the collar. I'm not saying there is necessarily anything wrong with working out regularly, or being an exercise enthusiast or even a body-builder. But looking in the mirror at 110kg and seeing a weedy weakling and being so consumed with your pursuit of muscle gain that it interferes with your every day life is something totally different.
Sadly bigorexic tendencies are exacerbated, not alleviated, by more sessions at the gym. Wanting to be bigger is like running on a road to nowhere, because obsession breeds dissatisfaction. There will always be someone bigger and better."
Bigorexia - Eating Disorders Center
I think I have bigorexia... no.. I KNOW I have bigorexia..
.
People always tell me im big.. your HUGE.. your a tank.. ask me if I juice.. or talk about it behind my back. My friend once told me, "Yo.. I think you have bigorexia". My cousin tells me I have it. Sometimes I see myself as being nicely built. In some pictures I can see how big I am compared to alot of people. But I am only a somewhat lean 170 lb at 5'9. Technicaly, I am NOT that big, because I am not that heavy... but its about how big you "look", no how big you "are". People ask me for training advice. Ive had females tell me that I have an "insane" body and "i love your body". Yet I'm always disatisfied and sometimes i think I look like the shrimpiest little fukker runnin around and that I have been wasting my time in the gym.
This is pretty personal stuff...
I spend WAY too much time looking at myself in the mirror, trying to identify the kinks and fix them. Sometimes people notice. Fuk. I have to stop... im getting off these boards for a bit, gonna stick to my diet, my training, up the cardio, get a six pack, and forget completely about the size for now. Im gonna carb cycle actualy.. yes.. Ill do that.. keep pushing the heavy weights, but no more BBing forums, BBing pictures and mirrors for a while.
And then I think to my self... damn.. those crazy big muscles look so GNARLEY!! And I remember that I do it as an art.. for the freakyness and how cool that **** does look!