Posts Tagged ‘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.

Battling an Eating Disorder: When Bulimia Becomes a True American Idol Sized Problem

In a People Magazine article, American Idol contestant, Katherine McPhee disclosed that she has secretly suffered from bulimia for the past five years. It was her success in television’s American Idol competition that inspired her to come forward and get help to recover from her life-threatening eating disorder. Katherine, a vocalist who at her worst point was self-inducing vomiting up to seven times a day, claimed that she realized her bulimic behaviors were “equivalent to taking a sledgehammer to her throat” and brought herself to treatment.

Glamorizing Eating Disorder Illnesses? Or Becoming an Invaluable Role Model?

Some may think when celebrities like Katherine come forward with such problems it only “glamorizes” the illness and encourages dysfunction in impressionable young people. In reality, some impressionable youngsters may respond by engaging in self-destructive experimentation, but for the most part, the responses of people like Katherine McPhee provide invaluable role modeling for fans.

Though statistics show that 1 percent of young females in this country suffer with bulimia, the numbers most likely do not reflect the enormity of the problem, as bulimia is among the most frequently missed diagnoses, and only a minority of people with eating disorders, especially with bulimia nervosa, are treated in mental healthcare. A problem cannot be solved until it is defined. In coming forward as she has, McPhee has displayed the courage and intention to achieve her dreams, to become proactive in making her life as healthy, gratified and fulfilled as it can be. Despite the widely held misconception that “once eating disordered, always eating disordered,” eating disorders are fully curable in 80 percent of cases where recognized early and treated effectively. In her forthright and courageous stand, this American Idol contestant has become a true American idol.

Uncovering the Secrets of Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa: The Most Lethal Mental Health Disorders

The most lethal of all the metal health disorders, bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are extremely hard to recognize. Highly secretive diseases, they rarely show up in doctors’ offices during physical or functional assessments; even laboratory tests do not show evidence of eating disorders until they are in their most advanced stages. By their nature counterintuitive, eating disorders typically give victims a pseudo-sense of power and control, creating the illusion of feeling and becoming “better than ever.” In actual fact, certain stages of recovery feel more precarious and painful than does the disease itself. Making matters even more confusing, many of the symptoms of these lethal disorders lay somewhere along the continuum of normal human behaviors. Who doesn’t overeat, under-eat or engage in emotional or social eating at times?

Eating disorders, which essentially represent an abuse of food in an effort to resolve emotional problems, transcend a dysfunctional relationship with food to represent the tip of a physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral and social iceberg, with early signs of clinical eating disorders typically evident in diverse life spheres.

8 signs that parents and families may see at home, around the dinner table, in the family bathroom, or the child’s bedroom:

• Erratic eating, eating too much or too little, too frequently or too seldom.

• Dieting and other restrictive eating behaviors (in some instances vegetarianism or skipping meals) that can result in extreme hunger and gorging, irregular menstrual periods.

• Fear of putting on weight, with an all-encompassing preoccupation with food and eating that can account for as much as 80 percent of an individual’s thoughts

• Hiding food, and feeling shame and guilt after eating it. The refusal to eat in the company of others.

• Depressive moods

• Various forms of purging, including self-induced vomiting, excessive exercising, laxative, diuretic, or Ipecac abuse

• Disappearances into the bathroom during or following meals

• Impulsive, immoderate and out of control behaviors beyond the realm of eating, that might include shop lifting, promiscuity, cutting, engaging in chaotic relationships, abuse of substances such as drugs, alcohol, nicotine, diet pills, etc.

There is nothing passive about eating disorders. Always on the move, they are either getting better or you can be certain they are getting worse. Eating disorder recovery can be a long-term process, requiring input from a diverse team of professionals including physicians, psychotherapists, family therapists, nutritionists, psycho pharmacologists and school counselors. The course of recovery will be as variable, must be as comprehensive, and in many ways will feel as convoluted as the course of disease, typically combining outpatient and inpatient treatment milieus and diverse treatment modes. Victims of eating disorders, as young as age 5 or as old as 60, male or female, individuals alone or living within the context of a supportive or not so supportive family system need help to recognize, accept and conquer these diseases…to become capable of reclaiming their lives, proactively, with steadfast commitment… to fight the good fight for life and life quality.

Binge Eating Disorder – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Binge eating involves more than just eating a lot. With binge eating, a person feels out of control and powerless to stop eating while he or she is doing it. That’s why binge eating is also called compulsive overeating.

People with a binge eating problem may overeat when they feel stressed, upset, hurt, or angry. Many find it comforting and soothing to eat, but after a binge they are likely to feel guilty and sad about the out-of-control eating. Binge eating is often a mixed-up way of dealing with or avoiding difficult emotions.

Food is important for growth and development, but we do not always eat to satisfy our hunger. Most of us overeat from time to time, and we may feel bloated or excessively full as a result. Occasional over-indulgence does not constitute an eating disorder, and binge eating has only recently been recognized as an eating disorder in its own right.

Causes of Binge Eating Disorder

• Depression. As many as half of all people with binge eating disorder are depressed or have been depressed in the past.

• Dieting. Some people binge after skipping meals, not eating enough food each day, or avoiding certain kinds of food.

• Coping skills. Studies suggest that people with binge eating may have trouble handling some of their emotions. Many people who are binge eaters say that being angry, sad, bored, worried, or stressed can cause them to binge eat.

Complications

People with binge eating disorder can get sick due to a lack of proper nutrition. Binging episodes usually include foods that are high in sugar and/or salt, but low in healthier nutrients.

People with binge eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge eating and may become very depressed.

People who are obese and also have binge eating disorder are at risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, gallbladder disease, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

On the other hand, people with binge-eating disorder often have numerous behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms. These include:

• Eating until the point of discomfort or pain

• Eating much more food during a binge episode than during a normal meal or snack

• Eating faster during binge episodes

• Feeling that their eating behavior is out of control

• Frequent dieting without weight loss

• Recurrent episodes of binge eating

• Frequently eating alone

Treatment

Cognitive behavior therapy – Focuses on the thoughts that envelop food and eating. One of the main goals is for you to become more self-aware of your relationship to food. Your therapist may ask you to keep a food diary or a journal of your thought processes about food.

Psychotherapy can involve a significant time and financial commitment. You are worth it! Particularly if you are struggling with other issues (sexual abuse, depression, substance use, relationship problems) psychotherapy can be very helpful in addressing not only your disordered eating, but also your overall emotional health and happiness.

Behavior therapy – Uses rewards and repercussions to change the behaviors of bingeing, compulsive overeating, and emotional eating. The behavior therapist teaches you to recognize triggers for bingeing and to interrupt emotional eating episodes by substituting relaxation and other coping strategies.