In episode 228 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with George Mycock.
George is the Founder of MyoMinds and a mental health advocate for awareness of Muscle Dysmorphia (MD).
MyoMinds mission is to demystify mental health for exercisers and athletes and to create an understanding future for the exercising community.
Through research, public talks and their podcast, they work with universities, schools and other public institutions to change the conversation around Muscle Dysmorphia.
In this episode we discuss George’s experience of Muscle Dysmorphia, which some listeners may know by the term ‘bigorexia’.
Muscle Dysmorphia is a form of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), which is defined by: “Being preoccupied by worries that one’s body is “too small” or “not muscular enough” despite having a normal build, or in many cases, an objectively extremely “buff” physique.”
It can cause the person to create obsessive rituals, behaviours and a mindset that can cause serious psychological distress.
In its most extreme form, it can also put that person in extreme danger physically and mentally.
George began experiencing MD after he suffered a spinal injury when he was 13 whilst he was playing rugby, a sport he loved and which he had built his identity around.
He was told never to play rugby again and was signed off school for a year. After he returned, he suffered an identity crisis and began exercising and bodybuilding heavily in order to rebuild his identity.
Unfortunately, through this, he developed MD (which hasn’t been officially diagnosed) and eventually got to the point where he became suicidal and was only saved because by a coincidental miracle.
One of his best friends happened to visit his house and she supported him, listened to him and encouraged him to seek professional support.
He did that, worked through the issues the MD had given him and has now changed his life, founded MyoMinds and has done some brilliant advocacy work.
This includes participating in a LadBible roundtable on Eating Disorders, which included friend of the pod Danny Bowman, Miles Nazaire’s Channel 4 documentary on muscle dysmorphia and many other pieces of work.
In this episode we discuss his mental health journey, from avid rugby player, to obsessive bodybuilder and now mental health advocate, how he built his self-esteem pyramid through therapy, what ‘vulnerable narcissism’ is and how we can spot the signs that someone may be experiencing muscle dysmorphia.
As always, #itsokaytovent
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