Adonis complex: causes, symptoms and treatment

Concern for physical appearance, to a greater or lesser extent, is common nowadays, since we live immersed in the culture of images.

Now, when this worry becomes too much a part of our lives and leads us to engage in self-destructive behaviors, so maybe we are talking about the Adonis complex, a serious problem that must be treated in psychotherapy

In this article we will talk about the Adonis complex and we will delve into its causes, symptoms and treatment.

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What is the Adonis complex?

The Adonis Complex It is what is popularly known as vigorexia, muscle dysmorphia or inverted anorexia. People with this disorder suffer continuously for their physical appearance and especially for their appearance. obsession and fixation to acquire a muscular body, which would represent the maximum expression of body image masculine. This obsession and concern drive the individual to pathological extremes.

The term "Adonis complex" is not usually used in the medical environment, but is rather the name given to vigorexia in a popular way.

This curious name is extracted from Greek mythology, which represented Adonis as half man and half god. Adonis was considered the supreme being of male beauty and, according to mythology, his body was so beautiful that he won the love of Aphrodite, queen of all gods.

On the other hand, it should be said that the concept of "inverted anorexia" can cause confusion. In fact, while there is no debate as to whether anorexia is an eating disorder, Adonis syndrome does not easily fit into that category; in this second psychopathology, what is important is not so much the problematic way of relating to food, but rather what the person feels before his body; Food is only one of its many areas of management of this discomfort.

In addition, it should also be clarified that although people with Adonis syndrome tend to look in the mirror a lot and to get very muscular, this should not be confused with the narcissism: everything they do is based on complexes with their own body and, in general, they are vulnerable when relating to others because of their very high self-esteem. low.

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Causes

As some investigations affirm, in Spain there are approximately 700,000 cases of the Adonis complex or vigorexia. mostly It is men between the ages of 15 and 35 who usually suffer from this disorder; however, cases of women with this condition have also been reported.

Although the exact cause of this disorder is difficult to determine, scientific studies conclude that a series of factors can cause the appearance of the Adonis complex. They are the following:

1. Low self-esteem

low self esteem is both a cause and a consequence of this disorder, and it is that individuals with the Adonis complex tend to value themselves negatively and have a lack of self-confidence. They are obsessed with physical appearance thinking that this way they will feel better. They are not well with themselves and seek external approval that does not favor their mental well-being at all.

• Related article: "10 keys to increase your self-esteem in 30 days"

2. image culture

The culture of the image and the values ​​and beliefs that this society promotes have an effect on how people interpret the environment and value ourselves. We are constantly surrounded by media that make us feel bad if we do not meet the unrealistic expectations that we can end up having as a result of the Western beauty canon. Education is the best way to counter these toxic values ​​or beliefs.

3. Bullying

Some individuals may develop this condition after having a negative self-image that is a consequence of how they have been harassed in the early stages of their lives. For example, because of the teasing of classmates at school.

4. perfectionism

The perfectionist personality is closely linked to the desire to have a perfect body. This type of behavior leads to obsession, because perfectionists are very hard on themselves and do not accept themselves as they are.

• Related article: “Perfectionist Personality: The Disadvantages of Perfectionism”

symptoms and signs

Individuals suffering from the Adonis complex are obsessed with their physical appearance and may spending several hours a day thinking negatively about your body and looking in the mirror over and over again time. The vigoréxicos are people who take care of their diet to the extreme, because want to have a body without fat but at the same time bulky and muscular. They are never happy with how they look because they never look good.

Not looking good causes them discomfort and they try to counteract the anxiety and low self-esteem they feel with some harmful behaviors. For example, they take anabolic drugs, eat unhealthily, and they play sports obsessively, leaving aside the health benefits and focusing purely and exclusively on body image, even sacrificing their well-being.

Treatment

Psychological therapy can be really effective in treating this disorder, but the first step to overcome the Adonis complex is that the patient accepts that he has a problem and is willing to seek aid. If you are aware that he is suffering from vigorexia, you may go to your GP first to discuss the problem. Although this professional can make a first diagnosis, it is necessary to contact a psychologist specialized in this type of disorder.

Psychological therapy is useful because it re-educates the patient to learn positive and realistic thought patterns and behavior patterns. Although there are other treatments such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MCBT) wave Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which belong to third-generation therapies and which help the patient to accept himself and adopt a non-judgmental attitude towards his body, Classic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is usually the treatment par excellence. It has enough scientific evidence to affirm that it is an effective treatment.

CBT can be group or individual, and has the purpose of recognizing and establishing connections between thoughts, feelings and behavior of the patient, so that he can acquire practical skills to overcome his issues. In this case, the objective will be to focus on the beliefs that the patient has regarding his own body and his physical appearance, which will allow him to modify harmful behaviors.

Different techniques are used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: cognitive restructuring, exposure techniques, training in social skills, among others.

• You can learn more about these techniques in this article: “The 10 most used cognitive-behavioral techniques”