Index
Today’s society is imposing beauty standards in such a way that, sometimes, many take body image as a true obsession . This is what vigorexia is all about: an excess of body worship that can lead to other serious health problems and endanger the general well-being of people.
Causes of vigorexia
In modern culture, image is influencing people’s behavior too much. The values promoted by current society have caused many people, especially men, to exceed their body image care. The obsession with an excessively muscular body leads to vigorexia and other associated problems .
Another cause of this disease is the lack of self – esteem , as well as the overwhelming desire to be approved by others. Vigoréxic people are obsessed with liking others and not being good about themselves. This implies that a vigoréxic really suffers for his appearance, but not for his health. People with the highest degree of perfectionism are the most likely to fall into these types of problems , as well as those who have experienced bullying in childhood.
Social networks and their influence on the image
This is another cause that can lead to vigorexia. Social media drives many people to adhere to unhealthy sports guidelines .
The desire for approval and shyness allow many to feel socially recognized through their publications on different social networks. The more photos they have with a perfect body full of likes, the higher their self-confidence will be. For them, the number of followers indicates the number of people who admire them, without realizing that this data is not real because it belongs to the digital world and not to the ordinary one.
Symptoms of vigorexia
In order to know if a person is going through an excess of body worship there are a series of symptoms that can give the alarm signal:
- The patient constantly distorts reality as it relates to his physique . He looks fatter than he really is or thinner and less muscularly defined when the truth is that he is perfect for his constitution.
- There is an excess of preoccupation with dieting . These types of people are constantly making changes in their diet in order to gain muscle mass, even resorting to the use of anabolics.
- An obsession with sports occurs, in such a way that the patient does not have time to carry out other important activities in his life. The gym is your only concern .
- The vigoréxico never stops talking about his physique and checks his weight daily, as well as his body measurements.
What treatment is useful for vigorexia?
The most valuable thing in these cases is psychological therapy . This is because the problem mainly resides in people’s minds and not in their body. Thanks to psychological help, patients understand what is really important for their true well-being.
The most useful psychotherapeutic treatments are:
- Acceptance or commitment therapy.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy.
By modifying the thoughts this treatment is able to modify the behavior and lead the patient towards a life without obsessions.
In short, vigorexia is a psychosocial disorder that can be treated early before it can cause much more serious problems that can put the patient’s health at risk
Hello Readers, I am Nikki Bella a Psychology student. I have always been concerned about human behavior and the mental processes that lead us to act and think the way we do. My collaboration as an editor in the psychology area of Well Being Pole has allowed me to investigate further and expand my knowledge in the field of mental health; I have also acquired great knowledge about physical health and well-being, two fundamental bases that are directly related and are part of all mental health.