Posted by med_empowered on August 6, 2005, at 11:04:25
In reply to Re: Obsessed with my PENIS, posted by Declan on August 6, 2005, at 3:34:19
Hey! Sorry about your obsession. But..I have to say that obsession with penis size in guys, like the obsession with weight in women, is probably due largely to cultural factors. Some studies (mostly done by sociologists, I believe...I'll look for specifics and try to get back to you) suggest that anorexia/bulimia are *largely* influenced by cultural definitions of "beauty". Although the research has focused primarily on women and adolescent females, logically definitions of beauty could affect men as well, though perhaps to a lesser degree. For example, one study focused on an island culture where exposure to television and other forms of mass-media from the US and Europe were minimal. As the island "progressed," television was introduced quickly and on a massive scale via satellite. Within a few years, the anorexia/bulimia rates shot up *exponentially*. Before television exposure became commonplace, anorexia/bulimia was extremely rare and largely limited to those who had serious pre-existing mental health/adjustmen issues (basically, it was secondary to other problems). It was also largely limited to the upper-classes, since the elite of the society were more likely to have exposure to television and live "modern" (read: US/European middle- to upper- class) lifestyles and values. As television penetrated all levels of society, eating disorder rates shot up *very* quickly, and there were more "normal" women developing these disorders, even in the absence of "major" mental health problems. So...I guess I'd say your problem probably isn't a disorder per se (although some shrinks *might* diagnose it as such); rather, I'd guess its a result of cultural definitions of what makes a "real man" and the resulting anxiety from trying to live up to those (exagerrated, often toxic) expectations. Maybe if you re-evaluate your own understanding of what "makes a man" (and what "makes a woman"), you'll have less anxiety regarding your penis size. I'd recommend looking into some sociological theory/research on gender roles and transferring the energy you use to obsess about your penis to pursue something more constructive...spirituality, volunteering, writing, meditating, reading, etc. Making friends and talking with people who don't "fit" with traditional notions of masculinity/feminity--lesbian women, gay/bisexual men, etc.-- would also give you some perspective on the issue, and be enlightening in other respects as well. Good luck!
poster:med_empowered
thread:537931
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050803/msgs/538269.html