ABSTRACT

This chapter is a practical guide to cognitive therapy, one of the most effective treatments. We look at the way people with muscle dysmorphia automatically think about themselves and their world. We examine the spontaneous distorted thoughts that men with eating disorders develop. These distorted thoughts are like the hardwiring of the brain. But your thoughts are within your control. You can literally learn to think straight by identifying and challenging the warped thinking:

Joe was one of the best students in his year. One of his strengths was his

ability to organise himself. He would make a revision plan well in advance, and

break it down into steps and stages. He kept an electronic diary where he

classi®ed all the things he had `to do'. He classi®ed his list into `quick' and

`signi®cant', and every morning he would update the list. That way he always

felt `on top of things'.