Body (penile) dysmorphia is worse than sps

[basic11]

.

[Lukaz]

Hi, I've asked a similar question before and think it is part of my issue and more besides, it's like I want to be a man but I don't feel like one because of the dick being insufficient. It's somewhat unhealthily perhaps but I have identified being a man with being hung abs I just can't get past it. I am a man trapped in the body of a man I don't want to be. Oddly this experience (at least the inability to reassign my gender to the one I already have) makes me somewhat unsympathetic and perhaps even jealous of transsexuals. Maybe I'm not really saying what I mean clearly but it's very very frustrating. 

[basic11]

Wow, i Think i understand what you are trying to say.. i feel the same way.

I know what you mean, i know the feeling trapped in the wrong body, not in a gender way but in a way of being the man i want to be but my penis distracted me from my life.

Idk if this makes a lot of sense, had some wine..

[Lukaz]

Exactly, it is kind of dysmorphia might be helped with CBT or SSRI but in reality, given the very real and constant reminder, will it ever go away? Idk. It really affects everything in my life, relationships, and even general motivation. As for whether you should still treatment then why not.

[basic11]

Like I said, idk the answer but im sure it can go away, because its psychological but im not sure if it will go for me or for you...

We need to face a lot of discomfort to claim our own comfort back...

But its harder than it Sounds.

[Wayless]

The Medical/Psychiatric Establishment, in my opinion, has confused 2 issues.  Excessive or exaggerated focus on a body part being "imperfect" in some real way  AND delusion about it being substantially different than the norm or imperfect.  In my view, treatment for the 2 cases is completely different.

I notice that you didn't say if you actually have a smaller than average penis, or are obsessed with the issue.  I think that is important in dealing with it.

The Establishment also fails to acknowledge that SOCIETY through small penis jokes and ridicule actually creates small penis syndrome.  In other words, sps is actually imposed by society on the actually small.  Learning to deal with real negative evaluations can be part of the cure. 

I think you are correct in thinking "group therapy" would usually be a problem in dealing with sps unless most or all of the group had sps.  Otherwise, the group actually is likely to abuse the sps sufferer.

[Klingsor]

I've had this disorder all my life, but didn't realize there was even a label for it until recently:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_dysmorphia

Quote

Muscle dysmorphia affects mostly males, particularly those involved in sports where body size or weight are competitive factors, becoming rationales to gain muscle or become leaner.^[3] The quest to seemingly fix one's body consumes inordinate time, attention, and resources, as on exercise routines, dietary regimens, and nutritional supplementation, while use of anabolic steroids is also common.^[1][3] Other body-dysmorphic preoccupations that are not muscle-dysmorphic are usually present as well.^[1]

The distress and distraction of muscle dysmorphia provoke absences from school, work, and social settings.^[1][5]Versus other body dysmorphic disorders, rates of suicide attempts are especially high with muscle dysmorphia.^[1] Researchers believe that muscle dysmorphia's incidence is rising, partly due to the recent cultural emphasis on muscular male bodies.^[3][6]

Signs and symptoms

Those suffering from the disorder closely monitor their body and may falsify its appearance by wearing multiple clothing layers to appear larger.^[7]     // [I do this, why I hate summer]

Muscle dysmorphia involves severe distress at having one's body viewed by others.^[10]Occupational and social functioning are impaired, and dietary regimes may interfere.^[7]Patients often avoid activities, people, and places to conceal their perceived deficiency of size or muscularity.

Risk factors

Trauma and bullying

Versus the general population, persons manifesting muscle dysmorphia are more likely to have experienced or observed traumatic events like sexual assault or domestic violence,^[7][15] or to have sustained adolescent bullying and ridicule for perceived deficiencies such as smallness, weakness, poor athleticism, or intellectual inferiority.^[7][16] Increased body mass may seem to reduce the threat of further mistreatment.^[7][17]

Sociopsychological traits

Increased body size or muscularity may seem to enhance the masculine identity.^[7]

Media exposure

As Western media emphasizes physical attractiveness, some marketing campaigns now exploit male body-image insecurities.^{[19][20][21][22]} Over the past 20 years, the number of men's-fitness magazines and of partially-undressed, well-muscled men in advertisements have increased.^[18][17] Such media provoke bodily comparisons and pressure individuals to conform,^[18] yet increase the gap between men's perceptions of their own muscularity versus their desired muscularity.^[23]In college-aged men, a strong predictor of a muscularity quest is internalization of the idealized male bodies depicted in media.^[24][25]

Prevalence

Prevalence estimates for muscle dysmorphia have greatly varied, ranging from 1% to 54% of men in the studied samples.^[7] Samples of gym members, weightlifters, and bodybuilders show higher prevalence than do samples from the general population.^[7] Rates even higher have been found in users of anabolic steroids.^[15][28]The disorder is rare in women but does occur, and has been noted especially in female bodybuilders who have experienced sexual assault.^[7][15] Crossing cultures, muscle dysmorphia has been identified in populations in China, South Africa, and Latin America.^{[14][29][30][31][32]}Nonwestern populations less exposed to western media show a lower rate of muscle dysmorphia.^[33]

 

I compulsively compare my wrist size (and also hands) to practically the same degree that I do my genitals. Next to penis size, a man's frame or stature is the most important masculine characteristic he can possess. I'm considered tall but have a very gracile build. I am not exceptionally tall for men in my area and guys who are 6'5"+ are not exceptionally rare; I might stand an inch or two taller but they invariably have much more robust physiques.

So not only do I have a pencil dick (nub actually) I'm not physically imposing either, so I got a double fucking dose.

This is another problem that will never be addressed by the larger public because

• it doesn't affect women
• the  # of men who have this is probably a minority, especially if we only consider the ones who are at a genuine physical disadvantage (like me)
• the men who do have this will never admit it (except Klingsor the Bitch)
• since it's a men's problem we are unironically expected to "stop being a bitch/mangina/pussy" and "shut tf up and man tf up" because a man is more than his penis, his muscles, his skeleton, his body, his looks...