“I Have Gynecomastia”
The following confessional passage, from the Gynecomastic.org website, speak volumes about what it is like to live with gynecomastia and why this condition causes so much psychological trauma for so many men and adolescents:
“I have had man boobs for most of my life. I am 22-years-old, weigh about 206 pounds, and my height is 5 foot 5 inches. Suffering gynecomastia has turned my life into a complete downfall. It has put me in a position where I don’t feel like living anymore. I know what I am saying is wrong, but the reason I am making this post is because I would really appreciate if you guys would give me a re-encouraging response.
In high school, I weighed about 280 pounds. I never really cared about my moobs. Even when my friends would pinch me, I never really cared because I know they were just joking around. After high school … having man boobs is so frustrating. There are so many things I have to do to prevent it from showing. Like I would buy an under armour to hide it, and when I would go running, I would use a waist trimmer around my chest.
My life sucks… one of the most depressing things about gynecomastia is that fact that I can never be in a relationship. All my friends are dating and… I honestly feel like an embarrassment to the whole world. I am heartbroken and nobody knows the pain I have inside me. My man boobs has ruined my self-conscious and has put me into a low self-esteem. Before, I was never like this. I used to be the person who would make feel people better if they were going through some hardship. I was always helping… always boosting one’s self-esteem. Now, I am the one who needs help. I am too embarrassed to talk with my friends about my problems.
…I am freaking frustrated. I have just been pushing a lot of friends away [and] that’s making me so sad. But if I were to hang out with them, I would just be super paranoid… and just want to get the day over with.”
Another gynecomastia sufferer poignantly noted: “I lost 10 years of my life hiding.”
A third wrote: “I really struggled for a while trying to hide it … jackets in summer, wearing three shirts, always wearing button down shirts with pockets, etc. Wearing a compression vest made a huge difference for me … yes, it was not totally comfortable, but it really did the trick. I can wear pretty much anything and people really can’t tell I have gyne. I wear a vest daily.”
What happened to these men to give them this horrible condition?
Perhaps more importantly: what can victims do, not only to correct their “gyne,” but also to rehabilitate themselves, psychologically and socially?
