Posts Tagged ‘disorders’

Eating disorders and treatment

Eating disorders can express themselves in many, sometimes apparently opposite, ways. This is because eating disorders, like other addictions and compulsive behaviours, are caused by underlying emotional problems, rather than by the food itself.

That is why it is not surprising that some people develop disorders such as anorexia while others struggle with binge eating. Either disorder needs to be treated for the direct harm that misusing food can cause; but effective, lasting treatment requires recognition of the root causes of the behaviours and treatments designed to help overcome these problems.

Anorexia

Most addictive behaviours involve habitual overindulgence in a particular activity. Anorexia nervosa manifests itself in obsessive avoidance of food. Anorexics have an obsession with avoiding weight gain, owing to an unhealthy self-image.  Such extreme self-deprivation is itself dangerous, but anorexia is also symptomatic of a very unhealthy state of mind.

Families of people suffering from anorexia are often alarmed by the obvious damage done to the sufferer’s body. Proper treatment will address physical concerns as an urgent priority while paying no less attention to the mental anxieties that cause the damaging behaviour.

Binge eating

Some people suffer from an addiction to unhealthy eating behaviours, like compulsive overeating disorder. Binge eating often, although not always, leads to unhealthy weight gain.

Food addiction and other compulsive eating disorders are characteristic of an emotional need or some other underlying psychological difficulty. This can in turn be exacerbated by the feeling of shame felt after overeating.

Food addicts sometimes need education about healthy eating plans and balanced nutrition. But ultimately empowering addicts to control their eating behaviour will need treatment.

Treatment for eating disorders

Eating disorders, whether anorexia, overeating disorder or other common eating disorders like bulimia, need to be treated by professionals.The first challenge is often to persuade the sufferer that he or she has a problem. Anorexics, for example, may believe they are simply taking the necessary steps to combat perceived deficiencies in their body image. It is precisely this kind of obsessive thinking that needs to be treated in order to help anorexics in the long term.

People suffering from food disorders will benefit from one-on-one counselling and group therapy. A qualified therapist can help the patient to work through obsessions and compulsions and to directly address the psychological problems underlying these behaviours.

As with other addictions, a 12 Step recovery programme may be incorporated into the treatment regimen. This can be especially helpful with the self-esteem issues that are at the core of many eating disorders.

Healthy living

A diet plan may also be an important part of recovery and a useful way of maintaining balanced eating behaviours. A good diet is also a necessary part of physical recovery for the undernourishment or malnutrition that sometimes accompanies eating disorders.

Physical exercise and a balanced, healthy lifestyle can also contribute to recovery and help sufferers find the confidence and self-esteem to return to their normal lives as productive members of society.

Eating disorders indicate serious psychological problems and can have grave physical health consequences. They may require extended, intensive treatment, and for this reason a period of inpatient treatment is sometimes recommended.

Effective Treatment For Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are some of the commonly occurring disorders these days. There are several factors contributing to eating disorders. People affected with this disorder exhibit psychological illness such as obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and anxiety. People even fall prey to multiple personality disorder under extreme conditions. An effective eating disorder program will identify the root causes of the problems and lower the effects of illness. It prevents further physical problems such as malnutrition, dehydration, kidney and liver damage. Over eating of any food items without any control may lead to disgust after eating. It causes undue stress on their health and mind state. This type of disorder is called binge eating disorder.

Pro-eating disorder idea might help the people to embrace the disorder and suggest them with healthier tips. A good treatment center will have trained and skilled professionals who can work round the clock to solve the issues of the patients. These kinds of disorders must be treated at its early stages. Family members might find it very difficult to envisage the difficulties faced by their beloved ones. Eating disorder programs are specially designed to cater the needs of the individual. The reasons and the root cause must be correctly identified by the therapist. Professional assistance is always preferred. This program includes a list of healthy diet to be supplemented for the patients. A healthy body can overcome any difficulties easily.

Eating Disorder Program can rightly identify the causes which may be due to

# Neurological or medical conditions
# Impact of Rigors of dieting
# Biological and genetic factors.( neurotransmitter serotonin ).
# Depression and anxiety

The symptoms might include:

# Weakness, vomiting blood
# Fatigue and exhaustion

Different kinds of psychological therapy are employed in curing the patients. The success rate is high in group therapy and family therapy. Eating disorder programs and the treatment centers must offer greater assistance to the patients and assist them in every process of recovery. Better rehabilitation is needed to cope up with the aftermath of the disorder. The recovery period can take few months for a complete cure.

The treatment options vary according the severity of disorder. The first step is to enroll in any treatment center. Some prefer Inpatient treatment and some residential treatment. Inpatient eating disorders treatment programs can be the right kind for the ones affected and are still in the early stage of disorder. They can overcome the difficulty easily when compared to others. Skilled professionals can offer great counseling which will enable the patients to speak out frankly regarding their problems. When patients speak their mind, there are more chances for them to be relieved. This builds great amount of self confidence in them. A better understanding of their problem and the impact of illness will help them in speedy recovery. The patients offer better co-operation with the doctors which are some positive signs of recovery.

Eating Disorders: A MAN’S Problem?

Eating disorders can be one of the most harmful and troubling things that occur in a person’s lifetime. The combination of the stress that they feel and oftentimes depression that leads to them, coupled with the harmful effects that eating disorders create in a person’s physical life, make him a true nightmare indeed. For most of the time that eating disorders have been a condition that people have been aware of, it has been associated almost primarily with women.

In their search for beauty and attractiveness, eating disorders are a somewhat common experience in many women’s lives. The media’s constant portrayal of “skinny is beautiful” leads many women to starve themselves in the hopes that they will be thought of in this way as well. As of late, however, the increasing trend of men becoming victims of eating disorders has been recognized as well.

In this age of beauty and fitness based on the eyes of movies, TV, and magazines, men are becoming increasingly stricken with the pressures and stress of being thin and in shape. It is becoming more and more common for men to suffer with eating disorders and because of it still being a relative rarity, many people never take notice that someone they know is actually suffering.

Once eating disorders get to later stages, it can be incredibly hard to treat the patient. Their psyche becomes completely consumed by the eating disorder and the types of activities involved including intense exercise and dieting and they can see their weight plummet to dangerously low levels. Because men are so rarely stricken with the disorder, those around them tend to ignore the symptoms until often it is too late. It might be that someone that they know begins exercising much more than usual or even skipping meals in an effort to lose weight and get in shape. Even if this person begins to take on the appearance of someone who was too thin, it is not unusual for those around him to either not notice or simply disregard the possibility that an eating disorder exists. This is making it extremely difficult to treat the ever increasing number of men who are suffering from harmful eating disorders.

It is vitally important that if you ever suspect someone that you know might have an eating disorder, whether or not they are man or woman, you should seek the advice of a health professional immediately. It is oftentimes a mistake to confront the person personally because they themselves may not think they have a problem or if they do, they may be extremely negative toward you because of your accusations. Once someone pushes away from you, it can be extremely hard to regain their trust in order to help them to the best of your ability. Eating disorders are incredibly harmful and can often lead to death in the worse case scenarios. Don’t assume that just because someone is a man that they are immune from these life threatening, horrifying conditions.