Medical Questions » Other Problems Questions » Question No. 771
| Question: | I am a 19 year old male and I want to find out if there is a cure for shortness. I am only 5 ft 4 in and I really get depressed about being so small. It' s just so horrible being short, and I really don' t enjoy life at all the way I am. Nobody takes me seriously, and I find great difficulty in finding work of any kind. |
| Answer: | The simple answer to your question is no. At your age, there is no cure available for shortness, and even if detected at an earlier age, it is most unlikely that you would have been given growth hormone to increase your height, as 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) is not particularly short.
Growth hormone is a substance that can be given to children in their early teens, who have not yet finished growing, to promote their growth, if it is found that they will be extremely short.
I feel that there is a lot more behind your question than just being short—a lot of very successful people have been your height or less—Napoleon was only 5 ft 3in tall. You are obviously lacking in self-confidence, and you are blaming your social and employment problems on your height. I do not believe that there is any significant discrimination against shorter people unless that shortness is very marked—and you do not fit into that category. You need help in coping with a situation that is going to be with you lifelong, and I suggest that you discuss with your general practitioner the possibility of obtaining counselling from a psychiatrist or psychologist. You do not have to be mad or crazy to see a psychiatrist, just someone in need of help to cope with problems.
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