Eating Disorder

Eating Disorders should not be neglected

Eating disorder treatment needs to be considered with the utmost attention and urgency. It is one disease that afflicts the majority of the young people in the present day society and thus it requires to be addressed expeditiously. Majority of our youngsters are under a tremendous stress to look good and fit. Also in majority of the cases they zealously follow some of the most harmful and debilitating eating habits that later on lead to many serious illnesses. Some of the most common types of eating disorders are like anorexia, bulimia among others. In the modern times there are people and institutes that are really interested in helping the people suffering from eating disorder.

These eating order treatment centers are like a haven for people who have no control over their eating habits.  The eating disorder treatment programs that are provided at these centers are designed in the most scientific manner. Care is also taken that the exact reasons behind the patients getting afflicted with this easting disorders are addressed in toto. Another factor that these eating disorder clinics keep in mind is the counseling of the parents and friends of the patient. This is done in order to make sure that the patient is continuously fed with positive thoughts and energies.

Once the patient is out of the eating disorder treatment center the eating disorder help does not stops there. In fact these eating disorder treatment centers make it a point that the patient does not passes into the relapse after wining the battle with the eating disorder.

Signs of an eating disorder

Food and eating

Someone with an eating disorder may :-

1- become excessively busy on purpose to avoid food, hunger and meals;
2- may throw large amounts of food away or never fully finish a meal;
3- may hoard or secretly hide uneaten food in bags, pockets, or under beds;
4- may enjoy watching others eat and encourage them to do so;
5- may cook elaborate meals but not take a mouthful themselves;
6- may taken a sudden interest in cooking and food preparation and hover around the kitchen while another family member prepares a meal, or show a great interest in ingredients or in how a dish is cooked: steaming or boiling giving them reassurance, roasted or fried prompting trepidation;
7- may ‘read’ packets and count and note calories;
8- may study recipe books and food magazines laboriously, and watch cookery television programmes;
9- may come up with never ending excuse for not eating – ‘I ate earlier’ or ‘don’t worry I’ll have something later’;
10- may adopt dangerous and altered food habits – pile their plate high with vegetables, almost to the exclusion of protein and carbohydrates, and have a fear of fatty and indulgent foods – no cheese, butter, salad dressings or mayonnaise, and certainly no chocolate, biscuits or cake;
11- constantly chew gum or consume vast amounts of diet fizzy drinks or black coffee to distract themselves from feeling hungry;
12- adopt food fads – a liking of foods with strong flavours, for example – mustard, chilli, tomato ketchup, Tabasco, marmite, vinegar. They may add copious amounts to a meal to mask its taste if forced to eat, or deliberately spoil their food by overcooking or adding too much salt.

Self-perception

People with eating disorders have low self-esteem. They constantly doubt themselves and at any opportunity put themselves down. They are highly self critical and always dissatisfied with their achievements. This dissatisfaction runs beyond body size and weight, shape and figure. They find it difficult to cope with themselves both physically – despising their appearance, the way they dress and look – and as a person. ‘I’m rubbish’, ‘I’m stupid’, ‘I’m such a bitch’, ‘I’m lazy’, ‘I’m such a freak’, ‘I’m useless at that,’ are common thoughts.

Relationships, mood and behaviour

An individual may seem distant and disinterested in others – food, meals, exercise and weight are their only interests. They may be difficult to live with – experiencing low mood, anxiety, or frequent, unpredictable fluctuations in temperament. Alternatively they may be numb – emotionless – rarely showing anger, joy, sadness, pleasure, anxiety or pain. They may be restless, continually on the go, unable to sit still and insist on rising early.

An eating disorder takes precedence over everything and everyone. It is an individual’s one and only priority, a full time occupation. People with eating disorders forget hobbies, cut off their friends and social ties. They prefer isolation.

About the home

Important signs at home include:

1- sinks and toilets blocked with vomit;
2- large quantities of food going missing from cupboards;
3- empty food packets;
4- the smell of vomit in bathrooms;
5- someone continually disappearing after meals and making excuses – ‘I’m just going upstairs for something,’ ‘I’m just going to the toilet.’

Some people enjoy cleanliness and neatness, spending hours hoovering, wiping and dusting, or going to great lengths to ensure tidiness. They may become distressed or agitated if someone else interferes, of if objects are not left ‘just so.’

Their personal hygiene may of great importance: they may incessantly wash their hands or shower several times a day, particularly after meals.

Changes in interests

An individual will reorganise their life around weight control – spend hours in the supermarket shopping for food, and then carefully prepare it. After eating, they will compensate or purge by fasting, exercising or taking laxatives. Often, someone previously uncommitted to sport develops a strict, regular and fierce exercise routine. Solitary exercise is preferred – running or gym sessions as opposed to team sports. They may choose to walk everywhere, even inconceivable distances, and in all weathers, sometimes at night. They will experience extreme panic, fear and distress when the schedule is broken or if their calorie count for the day is altered.

Appearance

Above all, watch for overt, sometimes rapid weight loss in someone who has anorexia. Often some of the signs will have been present for a considerable period of time. Weight loss could be considered as the final sign, proof that previous suspicions were correct.

The weight of people with bulimia remains unchanged, allowing them to hide their bulimia for years. But they will have swollen glands, a puffy face, hamster cheeks, tooth decay and dry pale skin. These are subtle signs.

Treatment For Eating Disorders in Adolescents

One of the first things to do in seeking treatment for eating disorders for adolescents is to admit to yourself that it’s possible that your adolescent could be suffering from an eating disorder. You might think you’re a pretty open-minded person, but it can be very hard, even for a free-thinking individual, to accept that your teenager has an eating disorder.

This is because parents will often jump to the conclusion that their child’s eating disorder is all their fault, and while it is possible that they contributed (either through well-meaning advice on a child’s weight, neglect, or even abuse), there are other reasons that a child could develop an eating disorder that are out of your control.

The reason all of this is important is because you need to know how you contributed to the disorder if you want to help your child recover. A parent’s involvement in recovery is instrumental in helping a child who has been suffering from an eating disorder. Once you suspect that your child has been exhibiting symptoms of an eating disorder––anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating, as examples––you should immediately seek professional help for your adolescent.

The treatment for eating disorders in adolescents tends to vary by location. If you live in a large city, there are probably large clinics and hospitalization programs to facilitate a positive change for your adolescent. In some cases, you’ll want the child to live in a residential treatment facility where their progress can be monitored 24/7, but this can be disruptive to a child’s social life, family life, and academic life, so this should probably be a last resort option. Otherwise, a child can simply seek treatment around regular activities.

In a smaller town, there are fewer options because licensed therapists who can help your adolescent will literally be fewer and farther between. If you get a therapist to help at your home, make sure that you are not sacrificing the kind of care that the child really needs just to keep him or her from having to go away to a residential treatment facility. The treatment for eating disorders in adolescent has to be tailor-made to each adolescent, so what is necessary for one might be overkill for another. This is why you need professional advice to help you decide what is necessary for your own adolescent child.

While there is no universal recommendation for treatment in adolescents, typically an adolescent will start in an outpatient treatment option with regular medical and mental health visits. If necessary, the adolescent will then proceed to more intensive treatment, but the key is that you not force them into something without gradually determining how they respond to less invasive help. Ultimately, treatment for eating disorders in adolescents should be as noninvasive as possible.

Also, don’t forget how important your role is as a parent in the treatment process. If you have any part in the cause, you have to have a part in the solution. Hopefully you are better acquainted with treatment for eating disorders in adolescents, and you should seek professional help right away if your adolescent is exhibiting any eating disorder symptoms.