This site is honest about the fact that people train to look good. So we owe you honesty about the other side.

What it can look like

Body dysmorphic disorder is a recognized mental health condition in which a person is preoccupied with flaws in their appearance that others barely notice or can't see. A related pattern, sometimes called muscle dysmorphia, is a fixation on not being muscular or lean enough.

Some signs worth noticing, in yourself or in a friend:

  • Hours a day spent thinking about a part of your body.
  • Checking mirrors constantly, or avoiding them completely.
  • Training through injury, or panicking about missing a session.
  • Very rigid eating, or using substances to change your body despite the risks.
  • Feeling that no amount of progress is ever enough.

What helps

These are treatable. A licensed therapist, ideally one experienced with body image and, if it matters to you, LGBTQ+ affirming, is the right first step. Treatment works, and you don't have to be in crisis to ask for it.

Progress should make your life bigger, not smaller.