Everyone knows what an Eating
Disorder is, right?
Emotional turbulence can cause your mind
to develop an unhealthy relationship to food. People assume that eating disorders
are all about losing weight in order to be thin. That’s both the stereotype and
the stigma associated with them.
Most of the time eating disorders are
about taking control of a personal world that’s way too far out of control.
Victims use food intake to regain that sense of control they crave.
Anorexia
and Bulimia are the most well known types of
eating disorders and involve depriving the body of nutrients, but there are
other serious conditions in this spectrum disorder.
Let’s start with the one everybody knows the most about, Anorexia Nervosa.
The victim slowly starves themselves while
day after day they are consuming little to nothing at all. Anorexia has the
highest mortality rate of any mental illness and is extremely difficult to
treat. Aside from death, victims will suffer from sterility, osteoporosis,
hypothermia among other conditions damaging to the body. Even the mind can be
affected as the body begins to shut down from lack of nutrition.
Bulimia Nervosa has the same goal, but uses a different strategy to take control
over the body.
The victim will binge on food, then,
force themselves to purge it back up. The cycle can continue until they either
get help or succumb to the disorder. It can all start innocently enough when
people want to lose weight and still be able to eat something. What they don’t
realize is that purging can be addictive.
Like cutting, the intense act of
vomiting releases endorphins along with the inevitable rush once it’s all over.
Now, the victim doesn’t want to stop. Side effects of purging time after time
can leave the victim dehydrated, destroy the enamel on teeth, cause hair loss,
and even liver failure.
Unlike a cutter who may be wearing arm
warmers in the hot summer sun or wear a full sweat suit on a stifling August
beach, bulimics can’t be spotted that easily, especially if they wear baggy
clothes to hide their weight loss. Bulimia Nervosa is, however, dangerous and
needs professional treatment immediately.
ENDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) is a new category, but
still dangerous.
These victims aren’t sick enough for a
diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia but still exhibit unusual and unhealthy eating
patters. Victims will often have a combination of anorexia and bulimia
tendencies and depending on the extent of the practice can result in the same
deadly consequences.
Binge Eating Disorder, or BED is a fairly new category.
The opposite of the previous three
disorders, the victim takes control of an emotional disorder by binging on food
instead of starving themselves. Again, like cutting, a large amount of food
ingested over a short time period can provide a temporary sense of comfort
through triggering euphoria in the brain.
The consequences of extended binging can
be serous and include heart disease, stroke, and the related effects of
obesity. People who binge need to find help and discover a healthier way to
cope rather than turning to food.
Anorexia Athletica is another relatively recent category of eating disorder.
The victim will exercise to the point
where it becomes unhealthy for their body as they create a calorie deficit on a
regular basis. Instead of starving themselves like an anorexic, over-exercising
they’ll burn more calories than they take in. They will be at risk for
malnutrition, decreased bone density, and delayed menarche.
Finally, there is Orthorexia.
The victim will become obsessed with
eating only certain foods and avoid all others. Unlike an anorexic, they don’t
restrict their food intake, but their obsession over planning their meals
begins to take over their life. Although seldom life-threatening, their
obsession can lead to isolation, physical deterioration, and may impact their
ability to enjoy life.
Many who are victims of eating disorders may practice Self-Harm.
Eating disorders and the emotional
disturbances that lead to them inevitably result in low levels of self-esteem
and self-worth. When frustrations boil over they may punish themselves with
cutting or other forms of self-harm.
Anyone with an eating disorder should
work with a therapist and visit a nutritionist. If their condition has become
serious, checking into an eating disorder program or unit at a clinic or
hospital would be the prudent thing to do as these disorders can be
life-threatening.
To help someone with an eating disorder,
always reach out in a kind, non-threatening way. Maintaining Control is their first priority, so
don’t try to take that away from them. If you push them to eat, or not to eat,
depending on the disorder, you’ll likely push them away. Be reasonable and
suggest they get professional help. Make sure they feel it’s their decision so
they feel in control of the situation.
Eating disorders may not seem that
serious, but they can be among the most dangerous and difficult mental illness
to treat. With awareness, knowledge, and compassion we can help eating disorder
victims find health and wellness!
Outline
EATING DISORDERS
Not always about Losing Weight
Emotional Disturbances are the Root Cause
Personal World is Out of Control
Victim Substitutes Control of their Body
TYPES OF DISORDERS
Anorexia – Slow Starvation
Bulimia – Binge then Purge
ENDNOS – A Mix of Symptoms
BED – Binging without Purging
Orthorexia – Only Eat Certain Foods
SELF-HARM PRACTICED
Low Self-Esteem can Lead to Cutting
Victim wants to Punish Themselves
To Help – Don’t Push
Victim Needs to Remain in Control
