Bodybuilding Addiction / Muscle Dysmorphia Pattern

• “I am too small.”
• “If I am bigger, I will be safe.”
• “If I am stronger, I will not be hurt.”
• “If I look powerful, I will not feel weak.”
• “My body must prove my worth.”
• “Rest means weakness.”

Feeling small, weak, ordinary, vulnerable, or not enough without using muscle, training, control, or appearance as the only answer. Bodybuilding may provide power, protection, identity, admiration, control, distance, superiority, or a way to avoid feeling weak, ordinary, unsafe, or emotionally vulnerable.

Ask, "What feeling am I trying to defeat by becoming bigger, stronger, leaner, or more defined?"