The condition known as bigorexia is one of the mental health and physical appearance illnesses that receive a lot of attention. However, it is extremely simple to minimize its significance and talk about the fact that this or that individual is bigorexia as if it were a straightforward characteristic of personality.
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However, we are dealing with a significant health issue that requires us to find a solution. On this occasion, we will explain to you what bigorexia, also known as muscle dysmorphia, is and what the signs are to spot it, so that you can take action. This will allow you to get to know it correctly and gain a better understanding of it.
What is Bigorexia?
Bigorexia, also called muscle dysmorphia, is a mental disorder in which a person becomes so obsessed with how he looks that he changes how he eats and how he lives in order to reach an image in his head that he doesn’t think he will ever reach.
In fact, someone with this problem will never look big enough or fit enough. They will keep training harder and changing their lifestyle, but they will stop socializing and pay less attention to their work relationships.
As is usually the case with these kinds of mental problems, this is a disease that gets worse over time. The sooner the problem is found and fixed, the better it will be and the less damage it will do.
Bigorexia People
People with bigorexia never look muscular enough, so everything they do is meant to make their muscles bigger and change how they look. Because of this, they train for hours on machines and by lifting weights, and they change the way they eat by eating a lot of carbs and proteins. In the end, they also start using dangerous drugs like anabolic steroids.
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This mental disorder is more likely to happen to men between the ages of 18 and 35, but it can happen to women and people of other ages as well. Most of the time, a big inferiority complex is at the root of it.
The severity of body dysmorphia means that it will be easier to treat with the treatments recommended by a specialist. This will depend on when the treatments start, how the patient thinks about the problem he is having, how much help he gets from his environment, and if he has any other problems. There are some feelings that may have been a cause of bigorexia. In the worst case, the disease will last for a long time if it is not taken care of properly.
Symptoms of Bigorexia
A person with bigorexia has symptoms that go beyond changes in diet and drug use. These include constantly looking in the mirror all day, comparing their bodies to those of other people, having stress and anxiety problems if they miss a workout or meal, making exercise the center of their lives, continuing to exercise even when they are hurt, and being obsessed with eating a certain amount of protein every day.
If you take anabolic substances or anabolic steroids, you may experience hair loss, high blood pressure, problems with erectile dysfunction, infertility, depression, irritability, acne, kidney damage, liver problems, and problems with your heart. They can even start a dependency. In this way, this mental illness can lead to very serious illnesses in the body.
Treatments for Muscle Dysmorphia
The specialist will recommend a certain treatment based on how bad the muscle dysmorphia is. In mild cases, the best way to deal with it is to see a psychologist. He or she will use cognitive behavioral therapy to help you get over your problem. In more serious cases, antidepressants may be added to this.
Prevention of Bigorexia
Moderate exercise and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle are important for our health, but we need to take care not to get bigorexia or other obsessions with how we look.
If you do an exercise program, you should be supervised by a professional trainer and see your doctor often for physical exams and health checks.
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When you exercise, you should stop as soon as your muscles hurt or you feel too tired, and you shouldn’t think too much about how you look. Don’t forget to take care of your mind just as much as you take care of your body.
Even so, if you think you or someone you care about might have this problem, don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor and ask for help from a psychologist or therapist to solve it before it gets worse. Love yourself and take care of your body as it deserves.
