Gynecomastia removes a mans control

[turningacorner]

I am a 20yo male from the UK with gyne. I am 180cm tall, with a bmi of 23 and in good health. I should be living my life as fully as possible, but because of a f*cking layer of breast tissue across my pecs am living like a freak. I have tried everything to shift the tissue, I've been in the gym for 2 hours 3 times a week, I've worked split routines of every kind. Nothing will make this go away. This is what is driving me crazy, if I want to lose weight it's no problem, but gynecomastia is there no matter what you f*cking do, all the hard work you put in is such a waste, because those stupid lumps make a mans figure look fat as f*ck and idiotic, it's embarassing. I have friends that do alot less excercise than me, yet I am stuck with this freakish figure, worrying about what to wear. It's affecting me psychologically, I dwell on it everyday, I see little point in relationships at the moment, I'm too ashamed of my chest, I'm paranoid people are staring. It makes me so mad because I can control every other aspect of my life, but the one thing I hate the most I am completely powerless to deal with. I hit my chest in frustration sometimes, punching until the pain is unbearable, at times I've held knives and sissors near my chest and just imagined how wonderful it would be to have these f*cking things gone, grabbing, dreaming of ripping them off, all to just appear normal for once. I've become vegan full time, terrified of the hormones in animal meats and liquids such as milk, I've blamed my mother, she did'nt quit smoking soon enough, or drinking when she was pregnant with me, recently it was because I was'nt breast fed, it's ruining my family relationships aswell as my friendships. I know surgery will change everything, I need to get this surgery so i can move on with my life, i am 20 now, this pattern of living is'nt healthy and I'm scared of what I might end up doing to myself. I don't just look at myself in the mirror and think what a mess I am, I look down at my chest and despise it, I have so much hatred towards my breast tissue and nipples I actually want to hurt my chest as though it were not even a part of me.

[mattmando]

yea man most have been there or are still there.   I can totally remeber coming home drunk by myself from a night out and just hating my chest so much i would hit it as well.   But yr 20 man your in better shape than we were as we were when we were 14 with this condition.  Get out there and make money live like you got 3 children to feed meaning have no luxuries or anything like that for several of months.  I saved about 4 grand in less than a year just working one day a week during the semister and holidays.  Its totally possible. and if you have to beg, beg your mom and tell her how it makes you feel.  My parents are totally conservative and i explained that a surgery isn't about looking GOOD its about looking NORMAL and they paid for my first surgery.   so i totally second what maywest in saying your energies need to be a positive one because if not you'll just end up hating yr chest without doing anything productive.  most of us here have hated our bodies. I have missed out on alot as a teenager.  but i still had gfs still went to prom. NO i however didn't go senior trip because of this condition.

good luck with getting money man and try to stay positive.   

[turningacorner]

Wonderful to hear from you guys, It's good to hear from someone who has despised their condition to the point of lashing out also. I'm considering spending my student loan on it, I stayed at home to avoid living costs, sacrificed potentially what could have been the best three years of my life to avoid gathering a massive loan. I never intended on spending the money, but the payback rates are so low it's almost free cash. I have to look at this way, I suppose if I had have gone to uni I would have spent three years in an extremely sociable environment (something I tend to avoid at the moment) dwelling on my gyne and worrying even more about it because of all the social activity, with no cash at all to pay for it. At least staying out of that environment has given me the potential to get rid of this forever. It's so frustrating how we are born with this and nothing but a very large cash settlement will sort it out, no matter what choices we make in regard to diet and exercise. However, At least this is something that there is a way of changing, I suppose I should be grateful I don't have down syndrome etc.

Thanks

[mattmando]

yeah man you  may have all this money but if your too ashamed to get out there because of yr condition or won't have a good time because of it then dude all yr money is worthless.  Go for the surgery get rid of it and live your life.

good luck

[Jackd]

Know how you feel mate, same sort of age/circumstances as you too, and from the UK as well. I too have missed out on pretty much everything most other teenagers do when they are growing up, holidays? no way.. I barely even have any friends.

Use that loan for surgery as it seems it is the only way forward for all of us. Better to use the low interest student loan whilst you can rather than a high interest loan when it's too late. Or get a part time job and work loads. I'm putting £30 a week into savings at the minute, just sold one of my vehicles to pay some bits off so that I can up my weekly savings to £50/60 to get there quicker.. I don't want to be going through this next summer.  This time next year I want to be going on holiday to France etc having the time of my life.

Make yourself a target as well? and use that nice low interest loan for something worthwhile that will change your life.

Good luck and stick around the forums let us know how you get on etc 

[weareinittogether]

I've blamed my mother, she did'nt quit smoking soon enough, or drinking when she was pregnant with me, recently it was because I was'nt breast fed, it's ruining my family relationships aswell as my friendships.

Don't blame your mother, mine gave up smoking and drinking and breast fed me but i've ended up with gyne for the last 14 years, there is no certain concrete cause of gyne at this moment, i'm sure there will be in the future then we can all have the answers we are looking for.

[turningacorner]

I know it is wrong to blame someone for a condition like this. I feel bad about it but I find it extremely maddening that I have this condition when I choose to lead a far healthier lifestyle than many people that don't have it. I have searched everywhere asking 'why me.. what have I done wrong' and as you eliminate everything it's sad that family can become an option of blame, even though they should'nt. It turns out I was never breast fed and my mum smoked and dranked a few months into gestation, she had no idea she was pregnant until it became apparent. I know it's no good blaming her for this and I can accept that this may have played no bearing on me getting the condition, the only option now is to get it removed so I (we) can forget about it forever.

I'm waiting to hear from the NHS, things are looking fairly hopeful, at first they refused but on an appeal they are inquiring more and wanted my BMI. I'm not overweight and am a 23. Hopefully they will consider me worthy of treatment because my gynecomastia has not worsened since a young age, I'm not overweight and because of the profound psychological effects it has had on me.

[migfuel]

hey man! Get your surgery done really faster, I was just like untill I've done the operation, I did last monday and now I'm felling the happiest men in earth!!

[Bolognianips]

Make sure you don't blame others.  Your not a freak and there is a solution.  Just be careful the people you alienate, they don't care what your chest looks like and there might not be a solution for burnt bridges.