gyne in the head

[Neutron]

hey guys. just wonderin if gyne can get in the head. i guess makin you more self concious. but the question at hand is that have any of you been overweight with gyne, then when you lose alot of it and your lookin good.. yet no matter how many pounds you lose, you still feel.. overweight? haha thats my problem and im sure it hasta do with gyne. just wonderin if anyone else had that.

thx

[nothingworse]

I have gyne on the brain almost all day. Mine is a medical version of gyne and it bothers me all day. I used to be 170 pounds at 5'9" a little chuncky for my height not really overweight and my gyne did make me feel super over-weight. I am now 152 pounds at 5'10 and thats as tall as I will grow. When I get my gyne surgery in a month or so I will feel super fit again. I have done a lot of working out and have slimed my midsection and hips a little bit so those areas are taken care of and slowly getting better as I work out those areas more. I can't do any lifting involving the chest because of my super painful and uncomftorable glands. Once I get this surgery and get my problem taken care of I will have more time to improve my body a little and finally after 3 years get to work out my chest again without having pain and tone it up. I am a little flabby right now and need to do a little more toning up but, toning and a little more muscle and the gyne surgery is all I need to get back to my old slim self. I am not looking for perfection just to look good and take care of myself. With gyne I feel overweight still everday even though I have a more mild/moderate case. It is just in the way I can't walk care free anymore. I want my gyne taken care of so I don't feel so self concious and have people look at me a different way anymore. It has been so long since I haven't been so self-concious. I can't wait for this to be over. I understand what you are going through and it does seem to affect the mind. I can't let those past instances of taunting and being made fun of go. They stick in your brain and are branded there for good. I need this surgery to help me reach closure and to stop the physical and mental pain. Once I can gain my self-concious back I will be a more free person and won't be afraid to take my shirt off in front of others anymore, go to the beach, and be more care-free and happy again. Its been to long and I've been wasting too much time with this, Its time to get it done and feel good again. It sucks when you have a toned up muscle body like a nice stomach and arms and are looking good then you look and theres your gyne forever present. I am not a perfectionist but, like to keep myself up but, this gyne has been keeping me down. It controls you and what you wear also. I always now wear button ups and thicker shirts to cover my more mild/moderate case. The last time I wore just a nike t-shirt to school with shorts I saw myself in the mirror and didn't like the way and it didn't look normal my chest. I am not looking for perfect pecs but, I know once the surgeon removes all that glandular tissue under my chest the bottom and sides will shrink and no more puffy nipples and no more chronic pain from the glands. Tomorrow I find out if Aetna will cover my surgery. We have to call the specialist because he is really busy. He said if he doesn't call within 2-3 weeks give him a call to check. I will check tomorrow and am hoping for coverage. I will die and feel like crap inside if the deny my medical case. And if they do wait and see what happens to them next. My mom has been pissed with them lately for not covering little things they should be covering and she pays $6000 a year for insurance and knows how much this has been affecting me. I feel like total crap because of my gyne. At least once the glands are out I can feel way better physically and be flatter and feel better about myself mentally. This has just been to much of a burden the physical pain especially. It has to end and will. Sounds like you have lost a lot of weight and are probably looking good but still have that dang gyne. I would bet if you got it removed you would feel loads better and could wear and shirt you wanted without checking to see if your chest looks right. Just the feeling of a shirt looking normal on me would restore my confidence and not having puffy nipples that rub against my shirt all day. Some people take there chest for granit. I would do anything just to have a normal non-painful chest again. I will never be overweight again unless I don't have time to do my simple 20 minute work-out plan everyday on my bodyworks machine. It is so easy and sometimes fun to work out on it and it keeps me looking decent. I can't wait to work out my chest again it has been so long. Gotta take a long heal first after I get my surgery. Then I will be ready to go to finalize and look and be the best I can be. I feel your pain Neutron it is just so hard to look your best with gyne in the way. I just remembered all the time I was never overweight but, would go to my friends everyday and everyone of them had nice flat chests and would taunt me about my breasts. It got so sickening I stopped hanging out with them. I always knew something was different about my chest and should have taken action earlier. But, now that I have waited and done all I can do naturally there is nothing to stop me now from getting to my final solution. Good luck on getting your gyne taken care of and yes as long as you have it sometimes it is going to mess with your head because remember if you don't do something about it it will always be there. I used to do other things like clubs, bowling, whatever I could do to get it out of my head. But, I realized it wasn't going anywhere and only cause me pain and grief. So I took a step and am now one step away from surgery. It has been so long and I feel like I have missed so much. I want to get back into the game while I am still young. I want to hit the clubs, and parties, and have fun. Even when I am doing something fun gyne puts me down it is always there and in my head and maybe after surgery it will still be there but, eventually I will work it out and get it out for good. But, will always remember this site and support anyone in need. I thank all of you guys for the help and support you have given me. You are all in my mind great friends and the world needs more supportive people like you. Good luck to you all and I now know there is hope. Thanks

[Paa_Paw]

So far as having Gyne on the brain, There are at least four different groups of people.

The first is that some people with the condition become obsessive about it and it starts to interfere with their self image, ability to socialize etc.  This has been true for as long as I can recall, and I am 68 years old.

The second seems to be more a product of the current time.  It concerns those who have very slight or no noticed gyne but become obsessed as well.  These people are sometimes diagnosed as having Body Dysmorphic Disorder.  

The latter group have bought into the idea that the have something seriously wrong with them and frequently seek surgery to correct a problem which in reality does not exist.  The obsession is so great that if they are thwarted in their attempt to get cosmetic surgery, they may suffer severe depression and even contemplate suicide.

Another group consists of men who actually like and/or enjoy having breasts.

Finally, there are many who have the condition but manage to cope with it quite well and lead their lives with no concern about the Gynecomastia.

It would be hoped that as more people become educated about the condition and how common (even normal) it is; The last group will grow.

So long as the condition is percieved as being anything other than normal, it will continue to be a problem for many men.

[a-man]

I think a lot of people (if not the majority) on this board really don't have what most would call "gynecomastia"... problem is society has led us to believe that every male should have a completely flat chest which is of course not true.

There are certainly many people here who do have overly large breasts that warrant surgery, but if you take a look at the "user photos" section, you will see how many people post pics claiming they have gyne when in reality there is nothing wrong with them... no one would notice other than themselves.

The problem with a lot of people is definitely all in the head. Not sure what can be done about that...

[ItsOK]

The problem with a lot of people is definitely all in the head. Not sure what can be done about that...

The "gyne in the head" problem with young men is very similar to what leads young women to anorexia.  They look in a mirror and see an imperfect body that needs to be "fixed".

I did a Google search on "anorexia treatment" and predictably got a huge listing of treatment centers.  I am sure that many of these are excellent, and that some of them are simply pumping the market for what it can bear.  In fact, there is a very good analogy between choosing one of these and choosing a surgeon for the gyne procedure.

My thought is that many of the same techniques used to help anorexic women would help men who have "gyne in the head".  Unfortunately, centers devoted exclusively to that issue don't exist.  It appears that the only alternative is to recommend traditional counseling.  I would hope that when a surgeon is presented with a prospective patient who would benefit more from counseling than from surgery that the surgeon would refer them to a counselor.

I am sure that there are many fine ethical surgeons out there who do this.  I am as sure that there are surgeons who are more concerned with collecting a fee for a procedure that's inappropriate than with the benefit of the patient.

[Worrier]

I have body dysmorphic disorder. Before the Gyne I was obsessed with a few spots on my face and tried to commit suicide when the doc refused to send me to a dermatologist as he said I only had a few pimples.
I was diagnosed with BDD and put on medication. The med caused the gyne he he. I have been told it is a mild case on one side but to me it is horrendous and at times I got so  depressed I refused to leave my house.
This site has been a great help to me I ave to say.
      Iam better now to a large degree off the meds and am getting as fit as possible before I decide if I  need surgery. As the med caused a lot of weight gain. I have to say I know from personal experience how a slight imperfection can become a huge problem in someones head.And it has cost me dearly.

[Gine2D]

The "gyne in the head" problem with young men is very similar to what leads young women to anorexia.  
<snip>
 I would hope that when a surgeon is presented with a prospective patient who would benefit more from counseling than from surgery that the surgeon would refer them to a counselor.
<snip>

A plastic surgeon makes his living by doing cosmetic surgery as per the patients instructions, as long as it does not endanger the health of the patient.

If the patient comes in and says " I want these boobs removed"  that is what the PS will do & collect his $7000.00, not mater what size the boobs are or if they are not even noticable.

He did his job.

[Minitits]

I agree with Paa Paw and I'm certainly a 'type 4'.

Breasts seem to have an exceptional focus in society.

I don't regard myself as deformed, or ill - in fact I don't use the term gynaecomastia - I don't have women's breasts like I don't have women's eyes or women's height. It's just a physical feature I have and most men don't.

If that worries anybody, they can look in another direction or go see their analyst.

[ItsOK]

This discussion brings to mind the huge number of TV commercials we have (at least in the US) for prescription drugs.  The obvious motive is to get people to think that they have whatever condition the drug treats and run to their doctor, demanding the drug.  It must be working because the drug companies aren't stupid; they're spending tons of money on the ads and they must be generating lots of revenue.  (I hope I'm not giving these companies too much credit.)

In much the same way, some men will see what they consider overdeveloped breasts and go to a surgeon demanding action.  If family doctors are caving in to their patients' demand for drugs that they see advertised on TV, I'm sure that the same thing is happening with surgeons.  Even the ethical ones may think, "If I refuse to do this procedure because there's really no reason, this guy will just find someone else who will do it, so why should I refuse?"  After all, an individual should have the right to handle his own health issues.

This is a very sticky issue.  On the one hand, my health insurance dollars are subsidizing these unnecessary procedures.  On the other hand, I'm not wild about the idea of having someone looking over my shoulder telling me what to do about my personal health.  I wish that there was a happy medium, but I don't think that there is.

Disclaimer:  I am not implying that all surgery is unnecessary.  I am only discussing the "gyne in the head" ones where the patient really doesn't have the condition, or is so young that they should give it a chance to resolve naturally.

[a-man]

At the same time however, a lot of people really do have gyne, it really does affect their lives in a negative way, and they really do need surgery.

How to tell? See your GP perhaps.... mine said straight up that I have gynecomastia, and that a plastic surgeon could help. If it's all in your head, your GP will probably say so. They usually aren't the first to suggest plastic surgery.

[gynosucks1]

The second seems to be more a product of the current time.  It concerns those who have very slight or no noticed gyne but become obsessed as well.  These people are sometimes diagnosed as having Body Dysmorphic Disorder.  


that was me

[gynosucks1]

funny thing is i've never gotten a comment about my boos size as long as i lived

but i somehow developed this thing about my boobs

although mine were very little glandular tissue, and just fat.. basically cuz i was chunky with like 18-20% b/f for a couple of years during pueberty, then lost it all at about 16 and was down to 10-12% but still had a pretty loose chest.

anyway it took me a year of fucking lipyoderm/skulpt/nolvadex/rebound xt to finnaly shrink them to nothing to get over it

although i don't think i'm still completely over it

anyway bodydismorphic disorders suck

sad cuz u know u have it and u know no one even notices ur breasts but u r obessed

ya

[Paa_Paw]

For those of us who have been diagnosed with gynecomastia, there is a large number who have simply learned to live with it.  Those who have surgery are generally pleased with the result.

For those who have Body Dysmorphic Disorder, yours is really a much greater problem.  Surgery may seem a quick fix, but the rate if dissatisfaction with surgery is high and often a new concern surfaces.

The most important things for anyone contemplating surgery are to be properly diagnosed, have reasonable surety that there is not an underlying problem which would caust the breasts to re-grow and to have reasonable expectations regarding the surgical outcome.

If possible, an Endocrinologist and a Psychologist should both be consulted before even considering surgery.