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Psychological Evaluation: Body Dysmorphia and Mental Illness

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badgerbrocktree
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Posts: 28
Joined: Dec 2024
Posted on Dec 9, 2024, 8:48 pm
#1
Some providers are saying that you should treat short men unless they exhibit signs of Body Dysmorphia / are mentally ill.

However, is height dysphoria not a subset of body dysmorphia?

And aren't most short men at this point-- at the point of willing to temporarily cripple themselves to get taller-- mentally ill to a degree? Being ostracized, being marginalized, having an "anti-halo effect" by being a short man (and, more importantly, being AWARE of this ostracization) certainly will lend to a tougher life and higher degrees of "mental illness".

Thoughts?
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badgerbrocktree
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Posted on Dec 9, 2024, 10:29 pm
#2
Side note, but I also suspect that it's far harder to get enough serotonin / oxytocin (unsure of the relationship of both) as a short, straight male in modern western society.
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bid133
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Posted on Dec 11, 2024, 6:10 am
#3
The first criterion of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is "Preoccupation with one or more perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance that are not observable or appear slight to others." For someone below the average height, it's not a perceived defect or flaw, it's a very real one (unless one would like to make a moral argument over whether short stature is a flaw or defect, but that's beyond the scope of the criterion) and it is observable (and often pointed out) by others. By definition, that criterion must be met for BDD to be diagnosed. Therefore, height dysphoria is not body dysmorphic disorder, regardless of whether or not one wishes to undergo CLL.
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Activatedxx
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Posts: 482
Joined: Jan 2021
Posted on Dec 19, 2024, 4:14 am
#4
No not really, I’ve met a lot of LL patients and I agree some of them are nut bags. All they talk about 24/7 is height. Even after they have completed LL and are average or plus they won’t ever let it go. They’re still obsessive. When I did femurs I completely forgot about it and the forum and went back to living a normal life. Some of these people never will and won’t ever be happy.
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badgerbrocktree
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Posted on Dec 19, 2024, 8:17 am
#5
I mean, you're doing a round 2 now, right? So when you said you completely forgot about it, what do you mean?
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badgerbrocktree
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Posted on Dec 19, 2024, 8:33 am
#6
Also: chatted with Assayag about this question, about what kind of people he thinks are psychologically unfit for this procedure.

His thoughts are that there are folks who have some form of OCD about these things-- obsessing over millimeters and the most minute ratio differences. And folks who are addicted to surgery. These are the two groups of people he would not operate on.

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Activatedxx
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Posted on Dec 20, 2024, 6:46 am
#7
Quote from: badgerbrocktree on December 19, 2024, 08:17:46 AMI mean, you're doing a round 2 now, right? So when you said you completely forgot about it, what do you mean?

I did tibias because I felt that I’d rather spend the money on this than a new car or something, but if it was not possible I was happy with my new stature. Sure, more is better, but I no longer had negativity about my height. It was just the money spent on this would make me happier than on some other material thing. It ended up being covered though haha.

There are people here who like Assayag described, do not seem normal. They’ll measure themselves a dozen times a day and obsess over millimeters.. Every conversation with them is about some height related dialogue or trauma about society. You can’t have a normal conversation with them about the any other topic. You’ll understand more when you meet them, but it’s definitely a form of social tardation.theres nothing going on in that head or life except thinking bout height.
Sure height is important, but facial attractiveness, intelligence, being in shape, being successful etc are all important. These guys think if they are short of this imaginary target in their head then they failed.

I literally watched a guy have depression because he ended up being 179.25 at night after he did his femurs, and he was very upset that he was gonna go under 180 at some point through out the day. I thought he was kidding at first
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badgerbrocktree
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Posted on Dec 20, 2024, 9:15 pm
#8
Quote from: Activatedxx on December 20, 2024, 06:46:55 AMI did tibias because I felt that I’d rather spend the money on this than a new car or something, but if it was not possible I was happy with my new stature. Sure, more is better, but I no longer had negativity about my height. It was just the money spent on this would make me happier than on some other material thing.

I totally understand this. After getting to normal height myself from femoral LL, my money really will just go to early retirement, travel, or tibial surgery. Or family, I suppose, if I end up with one.

Quote from: Activatedxx on December 20, 2024, 06:46:55 AMThey’ll measure themselves a dozen times a day and obsess over millimeters.. Every conversation with them is about some height related dialogue or trauma about society. You can’t have a normal conversation with them about the any other topic. You’ll understand more when you meet them, but it’s definitely a form of social tardation.theres nothing going on in that head or life except thinking bout height.
Sure height is important, but facial attractiveness, intelligence, being in shape, being successful etc are all important. These guys think if they are short of this imaginary target in their head then they failed.

I literally watched a guy have depression because he ended up being 179.25 at night after he did his femurs, and he was very upset that he was gonna go under 180 at some point through out the day. I thought he was kidding at first

What in the hell? I scoured the internet and I found a subreddit completely dedicated to height comparison (r/heightcomparison). Dude, it is an illness. People are obsessed!

I know some people here are calculating like actual height, using trigonometry to take into account their femur angles. That is bonkers.

Okay, this makes me feel much better about myself and my own psyche. Thank you!
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GrowGrow123
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Joined: Jun 2023
Posted on Dec 27, 2024, 11:06 pm
#9
I would argue, for most people at least, that it's not dysmorphia. Dysmorphia means you see your body in a way that it isn't in reality. However, if you're legitimately short then you are actually seeing your body accurately.

Also, there's a difference between dysmorphia and dysphoria. The latter just means "unhappy with".
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account03
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Joined: Apr 2022
Posted on Dec 28, 2024, 12:36 am
#10
Quote from: Activatedxx on December 20, 2024, 06:46:55 AMI did tibias because I felt that I’d rather spend the money on this than a new car or something, but if it was not possible I was happy with my new stature. Sure, more is better, but I no longer had negativity about my height. It was just the money spent on this would make me happier than on some other material thing. It ended up being covered though haha.


I'm extremely hesitant to prosthelaytize, but I feel so bad when I see other short people who clearly suffer due to their height and they either have no clue CLL exists or that it's actually safe. I dont want to look like a fking freak but I feel like i'm doing something immoral to withhold the information to them. I guess if they care enough they'll find out eventually. I seriously think if your under 5'8 or 5'7 then CLL gets you the most for your money than anything you could buy multiplied by 100. Even if CLL was $1,000,000 for only 3 inches, I am 100% sure I would try to get money to do it.

The question really is, are all these people deluded about how negatively their height affects them, or am I obsessed? I tend to think that I know the unfortunate truth, but I do feel like i'm mentally ill to some degree. I'd say it may contribute 30% of my opinion though.

I wonder if it would be MORE immoral to tell them about CLL, becuase there many variety of things that can happen.

1. they want the procedure but never can afford it so they go throughout their life thinking they can change their height and stressing about it when they practically couldn't have changed it

2. they get obsessed and butcher themselves in turkey or South Asia

3. or the good outcome where they go to a good doctor/clinic and get a good result

But how many cases are case 3? Would it be the majority? Does it morally balance out the rest?

If everyone on earth knew the true facts of CLL would it be a good thing from a utilitarian perspective? I'm really not sure.
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