Nobody truly understands what
it is like to have an eating disorder except for those who have been or are still
struggling day after day with their eating problem.
Eating
Disorders are not simply about food and weight but are an attempt to use food
and weight to deal with emotional problems.
"She is absolutely
obsessed with her weight and she binges at least twice a week."
"It
seems the only thing that makes me feel better is eating. I eat and eat, and then
I feels so bad about myself and make myself throw up."
"Even
though the numbers on the scale say that his weight has gone down, he doesn't
see it when he looks in the mirror."
Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia)
Anorexia is characterized by excessive weight loss by self-starvation.
Even though people with this illness are very skinny, they are convinced they
are fat and have an intense fear of gaining weight.
Bulimia
Nervosa (Bulimia) Bulimia is characterized by episodes of uncontrolled
binge eating followed by inappropriate methods of weight control such as self-induced
vomiting, fasting, abuse of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, and diet pills, or excessive
exercising.
Binge Eating Disorder (Compulsive Overeating
Disorder) Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by episodes of uncontrolled
binge eating followed by periods of guilt and depression.
Eating Disorders - no matter
what form or shape they may have taken - are serious and potentially life-threatening.
Up to ten percent of sufferers from an eating disorder die
as a result of their illness either from starvation, cardiac arrest, medical complications,
heart problems, malnutrition, or suicide from depression caused by the eating
disorder.
Eating disorders are not
diets and are not a solution to lose weight! They may sound great to you at first
in order to quickly get rid of those couple of extra pounds - but starving, binging
and purging is not the solution for any of your problems.
80
to 90 % of eating disorders begin with a diet!
You may
start out with a diet but will gradually lose control over your realtionship with
food and develop an obsession with eating. The situation can so quickly and easily
get out of controll and turn into a vicious circle of dieting and binging of which
it is extremly difficult to get out of. Your eating disorder has slowly taken
over control over your life and won't let go so easily again ...
"Even
though her life looked glamorous from the outside, inside she was a physical and
emotional mess. She was a scared and lonley girl with an eating disorder."
Imagine, a girl, so skinny that her
bones are sticking out and you can easily count her ribs. Her skin that used to
be soft like velvet, is now dry, pale and swollen from all the purging she does.
The beautiful smile that she used to have and everybody admired her for, has turned
into a black and rotten grin. Her gorgeous big eyes that she loved so much about
herself are now red and have deep dark circles underneath. Her long and waivy
hair has started to fall out. Imaginge, a girl, so sad that her cheeks taste salty
from her tears.
Well, maybe you think that this is too extreme
and that this will never happen to you. But believe me, it just might, and maybe
even quicker than you think.
Being obsessed with food 24/7 will make you depressed,
sad, lonley, isolated... and that is just the beginning. How do I know? Well,
I have been there, and let me tell you, it was like going through hell..
Think
about what you are doing to your body. Well, you are probably young and don't
care about what happens to you later in life - the only thing that counts for
you is how you look, how much you weigh and when you finally fit into those tiny
jeans you bought just a couple of days ago. But I urge you - think twice before
you start your journey in the cycle of endless dieting because slowly but for
sure you will slide into the vicious circle of an eating disorder.
Eating disorders can be treated and a healthy weight restored.
The sooner these disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcomes
are likely to be. Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a comprehensive
treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, psychosocial interventions,
nutritional counseling and, when appropriate, medication management. At the time
of diagnosis, the clinician must determine whether the person is in immediate
danger and requires hospitalization.
Treatment of anorexia calls for
a specific program that involves three main phases: (1) restoring weight lost
to severe dieting and purging; (2) treating psychological disturbances such as
distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; and (3)
achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery. Early diagnosis
and treatment increases the treatment success rate. Use of psychotropic medication
in people with anorexia should be considered only after weight gain has been established.
Certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been shown to be
helpful for weight maintenance and for resolving mood and anxiety symptoms associated
with anorexia.
The acute management of severe weight loss is usually provided
in an inpatient hospital setting, where feeding plans address the person's medical
and nutritional needs. In some cases, intravenous feeding is recommended. Once
malnutrition has been corrected and weight gain has begun, psychotherapy (often
cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy) can help people with anorexia
overcome low self-esteem and address distorted thought and behavior patterns.
Families are sometimes included in the therapeutic process.
The primary
goal of treatment for bulimia is to reduce or eliminate binge eating and purging
behavior. To this end, nutritional rehabilitation, psychosocial intervention,
and medication management strategies are often employed. Establishment of a pattern
of regular, non-binge meals, improvement of attitudes related to the eating disorder,
encouragement of healthy but not excessive exercise, and resolution of co-occurring
conditions such as mood or anxiety disorders are among the specific aims of these
strategies. Individual psychotherapy (especially cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal
psychotherapy), group psychotherapy that uses a cognitive-behavioral approach,
and family or marital therapy have been reported to be effective. Psychotropic
medications, primarily antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs), have been found helpful for people with bulimia, particularly
those with significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, or those who have not
responded adequately to psychosocial treatment alone. These medications also may
help prevent relapse. The treatment goals and strategies for binge-eating disorder
are similar to those for bulimia, and studies are currently evaluating the
effectiveness of various interventions.
People with eating disorders often
do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist
getting and staying in treatment. Family members or other trusted individuals
can be helpful in ensuring that the person with an eating disorder receives needed
care and rehabilitation. For some people, treatment may be long term.
Males With Eating
Disorders - by Abigail H. Natenshon - The Eating disorders were once
thought to be women's diseases. No longer. The number of men with symptoms of
eating disorders has doubled in past decade. It remains taboo in our society for
men to care about how they look, so there is a greater motivation to keep body
image obsessions a secret.
It's
hard to be happy with an eating disorder- by Abigail H. Natenshon
- Eating dysfunction and body image concerns are responsible for creating some
of the most devastating forms of unhappiness...and these days, this unhappiness
is ...
You Don't Have to Be Eating Disordered to be
Thin - by Abigail H. Natenshon - Margaret, an emaciated 13-year-old
patient recently sat in my office and stated she wants to be thin, despite what
her doctor and parents tell her about how she has to gain weight. “I want to be
thin and I will be thin,” she exclaimed.
Eating
Disorders In Children - by Rexanne Mancini - If I had a dollar for
every time I persuaded a girl of 8 or 9 that they were not, in fact, fat, I’d
be considerably richer. When my older daughter was about that age, their mothers
...
I Think I Have an Eating Disorder and Want
to Stop - by S.A. Smith - An eating disorder is a life threatening
condition that often requires professional assistance and support to overcome.
If you think you have an eating disorder it is ...
10
ways my Eating Disorder Has Blessed My Life - by Mary Pat Nally - Have
you ever wanted to kill your Eating Disorder? I did. To dwell on the negative
keeps me feeling bad, so I work on seeing how my Eating Disorder has blessed me
...
Gymnastics
and Eating Disorders - by Murray Hughes - Gymnastics can be a high-stress
and high-maintenance sport for even the most emotionally stalwart of children.
After all, gymnastics pressures its participants for physical ...
Eating
Disorders and Weddings: ways to cope - by by Caurie Anne Putnam - One
in twenty American women have an eating disorder. That means many brides are eating
disorder sufferers. I am writing this article for these women, perhaps even you
reading this, because I have been where you are and I want you to know you are
not alone.
Eating Disorders Do Not Discriminate
- by Mary Pat Nally - Eating Disorders have destroyed the lives of many.
Don't let someone you love be the next. Understanding Eating Disorders and your
willingness to get involved is the first step.
My
Divorce Letter to My Eating Disorder - by Mary Pat Nally - Have you
ever wanted to kick your eating disorder out of your life for good? You are not
alone.
Food Is My Friend - by Mary Pat Nally
- Have you ever felt totally alone? Have you felt that no one understands
what you are going through? Has your Eating Disorder taken your life away from
you? You are not alone.
Jews and Eating Disorders
- by Abigail H. Natenshon - With the Jewish New Year upon us, observant
Jews the world over anticipate days of fasting to achieve clarity of thought,
personal self-awareness and moral cleansing. As a Jew and as a psychotherapist
specializing in the treatment of eating disorders in children and their families
for the past 28 years, I have been witness to Jewish self-starvation of another
sort, for less lofty and more tragic purposes.
