Do you believe most if not all bodybuilders suffer from some form of body dysmorphia?

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7 Answers

PJ Stein Profile
PJ Stein answered

Sure, some do, but most of the ones I have known do not. Actually most of the people I know started working out as a way to build themselves up as a way of protecting themselves. Most had rough childhoods and body building not only gave them physical strength, but mental and emotional as well.

Rooster Cogburn Profile
Rooster Cogburn , Rooster Cogburn, answered

I know a couple that suffer from that ! They spend more time in front of the mirror making sure they are perfect than anything else. From what I've seen? I believe it !

Tris Fray Potter Profile

I believe so, but I am biased against anyone who tries to change their bodies in unnatural ways

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Tris Fray Potter
Tris Fray Potter commented
Well, that's not unnatural. It's only unnatural when people start taking drugs for it. I get the impression that most bodybuilders do.
Tris Fray Potter
Tris Fray Potter commented
I've never been to a gym, so I guess I have an idea of a more stereotypical type of bodybuilder
Michael Poland Profile
Michael Poland answered

Yoga for life,

but only if you want to live longer.

Dee Clarkson Profile
Dee Clarkson answered

I think so especially those who used steroids. I'm sure there are more healthy body builders nowadays who know the repercussions of using steroids.

Jorge  Gonzales Profile
Jorge Gonzales answered

Research seems to suggest that many physique athletes are affected by
body-image issues, so don't be afraid to voice any concerns you might
have. It's much better to seek help than stay silent. And, while it's
not uncommon to be self-conscious about your body, there's a fine line
when it comes to being obsessive or destructive.

Tom  Jackson Profile
Tom Jackson answered

Behavior is pretty much always "overdetermined" (---there's usually more than one reason for what we do whenever we do it).

I would hesitate to put a quantitative adjective on the percentage of any athlete who appears to exhibit an excessive amount of focus on his / her physical results.

"body dysmorphia disorder" is a specific diagnosis in the Diagnostic Standard Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).

The following is from:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), also known as body dysmorphia or dysmorphic syndrome, but originally termed dysmorphophobia, is a mental disorder characterized by an obsessive preoccupation that some aspect of one's own appearance is severely flawed and warrants exceptional measures to hide or fix it. In BUDD's delusional variant, the flaw is imagined. If the flaw is actual, its importance is severely exaggerated. Either way, one's thoughts about it are pervasive and intrusive, occupying up to several hours a day.

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