Eating disorders are a severe problem that can affect anyone at any age and are often associated with other conditions, such as depression or anxiety. People with eating disorders are likely to have poor body image. This post may provide some methods to help you or someone you know overcome an eating disorder.
How Are Eating Disorders Defined?
A person with an eating disorder restricts, avoids, or consumes food in an unhealthy manner. Unfortunately, many people avoid confronting their problems by attempting to stay under the radar. According to this Brisbane rehab centre, people with eating disorders tend to lack support due to the secrecy surrounding those suffering from one. There are six main types of eating disorders. If you see signs of an eating disorder in yourself or a loved one, it may be time to seek help.:
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a mental illness characterised by a distorted perception of self-image leading to self-starvation. People with anorexia nervosa obsess about their perceived weight and often try to maintain a less than average weight through starvation or intense, obsessive exercise. People with anorexia nervosa may experience physical symptoms such as hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, frequent infections, and electrolyte imbalance.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterised by frequent, uncontrollable binge eating. Binge eating is the most common form of eating disorder, and affects roughly the same amount of men and women. Binge eating is a serious mental illness entirely unrelated to overeating. There are many reasons why a person may overeat (availability of food, boredom, sadness), but binge eating is typically accompanied by a feeling of being out of control and may be highly distressing.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves binge-eating accompanied by self-destructive behaviors such as vomiting, obsessive exercise, fasting or abusing laxatives, diuretics or enemas. Bulimia nervosa is a severe condition that can damage the body and lead to other health problems such as a damaged, eroded or ruptured oesophagus, heart failure, stomach ulcers, eroded tooth enamel, gum disease, bad breath and more.
Pica
Pica is a disorder typified by individuals craving or even starting to eat things that aren't food, such as paper, hair or chalk. There are no specific triggers for pica, but some altered states of mind and emotional distress can cause it to happen at any point in time. It is often hard to identify a person suffering from pica as they typically don’t avoid normal eating and usually don’t display the kind of weight obsession seen in other eating disorders. Pica is often first diagnosed when the ingested substance causes a health problem due to toxicity, infection or other physical effects such as cracked teeth or a bowel obstruction.
Rumination Disorder
This is a relatively recent addition to the list of recognised eating disorders and is typified by people, regurgitating and re-chewing food they have swallowed then re-swallowing, or re-chewing then spitting out food they had recently swallowed. Although there is no clear cause known for rumination disorder it appears to be linked to increased abdominal pressure.
Avoidant Or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder is characterised by a persistent and harmful eating habit that does not meet nutritional needs. People with AFRID may limit their caloric intake to a single meal a day, avoid categories of food due to sensory sensitivity, or show a fear of eating and its possible consequences, such as choking, vomiting or have a general phobia of eating. ARFID may be caused by several factors such as depression, anxiety, OCD or some autism spectrum disorders.
Steps To Overcome Your Eating Disorder
As with many things in life, the first step is often admitting you need help. There are several steps that you can take to understand your condition, find help, and, over time, recover. Before embarking on any plan to overcome an eating disorder, you should first see a doctor, as they will be able to advise you on the best action to take and refer you through to professionals best positioned to give you the help you need.
Seek Support
Once you have admitted that you need help, you should attempt to find support. There is no shame in this, and you could ask anyone from your family to friends. Although you might think that you can do it all by yourself, you will be surprised at how willing your loved ones are to help you. If you don't know where to begin, you could try the following tips:
- You should choose the time and place carefully
- Consider how you can start the conversation
- Have patience
- Tell the person exactly how they can help you
Consider Your Long-term Treatment Options
Eating disorders are serious conditions that require professional medical help to overcome. Your doctor will be able to discuss what your possible long-term treatment options may be. These options may include:
- Therapy (both physical and psychological)
- Nutritional advice
- Regular medical checkups
- Rehabilitation
Set Up a Treatment Support Team
These will be the people who love you and want to see you get better. This group can help support you emotionally during your recovery.
Identify And Resolve Any Health Problems
Eating disorders may be highly detrimental to your health , and you could have underlying issues that you must resolve as part of your recovery. Any issues linked to the eating disorder should be treated as a priority.
Identify Possible Triggers
It can be beneficial to understand when your eating disorder began to manifest itself and the potential triggers. Understanding these triggers can help with your treatment and also make it easier to avoid potential triggers during recovery.
A healthy diet and a healthy body image go hand in hand, and it's essential to be kind to yourself as you progress on your journey to recovery. You may have setbacks along the way, but as long as you continue to focus on your goals, have a support network and avoid your triggers, recovery is within your grasp.
If you believe you or a loved one may be suffering from an eating disorder and would like to start the process of recovery, schedule an appointment to see a doctor .
Your GP will be able to help you identify the problem and refer you for suitable treatment. The fastest and easiest way to search for and book healthcare appointments online is through MyHealth1st.