BIGOREXIA - do you have it?

[TorontoMoFo]

"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!

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

This has been discussed here before...I definitely have it.
I always think I need to be bigger and I always think I am smaller than I really am

This is the reason it took me so long to finally make a decision to cut....the fear of getting smaller

[jennyd]

Oh Sh!t....I might have bigorexia. Uhhhh, that sounded weird.

Only, I don't want to be big. So, I'm not sure what you'd call it.
But I do alot of those things listed.

I might just have body issues, and I'm never satisfied. I just always think it could be better. But that might be the same for alot of people...idunno.
Nevermind.
So...I have issues, we'll leave it at that.

[smallfry]

geez...they have a "dis-order" for everything now. It does'nt matter what.
i guess iv got it to. whats the cure...eat, lift, sleep

[Rickster]

ya i think i got this somewhat lol

[Lifter101]

Was the part about him leaving the board his post or was that from the article? I feel the same way as that part and I thought about leaving the board for awhile too but some of the comments here are funny as shiet, thats why i come back. =/

[mini_muscle]

i know this is a little late.

but i have known that i have had bigorexia for a while. i have all of those symptoms, i haven't been out/socialized for 6 months in fear of missing a gym session, i can be as sick as a dog - hardly breathing and i will be hitting the gym harder then the day before.

i constantly look in the mirror and see a small little boy, and when i take pics of myself to check out my gains, i think i have lost muscle mass and not gained. im always at the gnc buying new gym supps, 2 months ago in 3 weeks i had spent over £300 on gym stuff (and i didnt even realize it till i got my credit card statements), last week i spent £250 on gym supps. i take up to 20 tabs a day, protein, all of it! you name it!

i feel my clothes getting smaller, and people saying that im getting bigger, but i still cant see it.

i weigh myself everyday, and some days its less and some days its more. on the days i weigh less, i feel as if i need to go back to the floor and push myself harder.

age: 25
weight 151lbs
height: 5'10
bench: 165lbs
leg press: 396lbs
squat: 243lbs

so any help?

[drugsarebad...hummmkayy]

i have chronic bigorexia...............
one of my biggest fears is being skinny again!!!!

it frightens the life out of mejdvb lfjklvb.n.............. opps i was looking in the mirror again!!!!!!

[Will100]

i do, but its not chronic lol..i mean id rather have sex then workout...im not afraid to take my shirt off or wear revealing (tight) shirts...but i do always wanna get bigger/stronger, but more for self-competition (BEAT THE LOG BOOK) and not cuz i feel inecure about being small

im 187LBS or so at 5'9. i know im not small lol

[khrolix]

I can answer yes to about 4 or more of those questions. But I still think I really am small. Only thing is I don't wear baggy clothes or try to hide my body but I do disbelieve people who tell me I have big Bi's or something, and I cannot cut the time I work out because I do fear I will lose muscle. Even when I'm extremely sick I'll find some way to hit the weights.I don't think i can have it since I am small, but I could be wrong. This is confusing.

[Lifter101]

This, along with aneroxia (sp?), are not about your weight or eating. It's about your mentality and self image.

[CubanChick]

Wow that bigorexia stuff is crazy. I look in the mirror alot but not to obssess or dwell on what I do or don't have. I mostly check to make sure my hair looks fab, haha! I don't obsess over being bigger, getting leaner, not missing a day of stength training or cry about not getting my cardio in.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy on how my body is changing every week and of course I would love to see my abs in better shape or my hams tighter, but I don't think I would call it an obsession, its just become a part of my life. Luckily I haven't skipped a beat in my training, but if I can't make it because I have a more important priority, I don't make it and don't dwell on it. I do miss it but oh well there is always tomorrow.

For me atleast whenever I have felt bad about myself, its mostly because of other personal issues in my life, but not my body. I have felt comfy in my skin, even when I was pregnant and then when I had about 20pds on me that I didn't have prior to pregnancy. Heck, I didn't workout close to 2 years after I gave birth and I still wore tight jeans.

You come to a point where priorities overcome that so called obsession. Everyone is different, nevertheless I am still enjoying the size 6 with a few dimples that of course could be tightened up. But I won't lose sleep or not enjoy a piece of cake if I want to over it. No way I wanna be a size 4, its too dang skinny for my shape and I don't want to look sickly. If it happens on its own that may call for a bulk..

[NiteHawk]

I definitely have it.

Im cutting for my show in June and its hard to see the scales go down and have my clothes get looser on me and my pants get looser. I know it needs to be done but its a strong mental game Im having to overcome.

[GetNPumped]

I do. And WOW...Will 100 your sig is really close to my stats. Height 5'10-11' dead 405, squat maybe hit 330 now, bench...well now i want to know! haha

[jlozan84]

Getting big is overrated.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by jlozan84

Getting big is overrated.

My big bald headed mousie tells me that all the time

[jlozan84]

Originally Posted by BiggerGuns=LongerDrives

My big bald headed mousie tells me that all the time

bwahaha!

[roehrigs01]

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). twice - morning & night

Do you think your body needs to be leaner and more muscular? And does it drive you crazy thinking you are too small? Yes, No.

Do you find yourself reading up on new training methods, diets and supplements? Yes

Do you eat special high protein or low fat diets or use food supplements to improve your muscularity or to help you bulk up? Yes

Do you disbelieve people who comment on how big you and find fault with your musculature? Yes

Do you ever wear baggy clothes because you wish to hide the body you feel is too small? No

Or do you avoid situations where your body might be seen such as the beach because you think you are not muscular enough? Not really, however I do think I am not muscular enough

Do you still train and work out even when injured because you fear losing muscle mass? No

Do you find it difficult to cut back on the hours spent working out and training? Yes

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? No

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? a bit.

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? No