Compulsive Eating Disorder Causes, Treatment and Prevention
Bulimia also called bulimia nervosa. Bulimia is a very dangerous weight loss strategy. Anorexia nervosa is one type of eating disorder. It is also a psychological disorder. Bulimia is characterized by episodes of secretive excessive eating (bingeing) followed by inappropriate methods of weight control, such as self-induced vomiting (purging), abuse of laxatives and diuretics, or excessive exercise. Anorexia is a condition that goes beyond out-of-control dieting. A person with anorexia initially begins dieting to lose weight. Over time, the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control. Bulimia is estimated to affect between 3% of all women in the U.S. at some point in their lifetime. About 6% of teen girls and 5% of college-aged females are believed to suffer from bulimia.
Most bulimics know that their eating patterns are not normal, but they feel unable to change their behavior. Approximately 10% of identified bulimic patients are men. Bulimics are also susceptible to other compulsions, affective disorders, or addictions. Some people use food as a way to cope with emotional ups and downs or low self esteem. People with bulimia can look perfectly normal. Most of them are of normal weight, and some may be overweight. Women with bulimia tend to be high achievers. Many experts consider people for whom thinness is especially desirable, or a professional requirement (such as athletes, models, dancers, and actors) to be at risk for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. Vomiting is a common source of problems. When a person vomits, he or she brings up partially digested food and stomach acid.
People with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. Bingers eat when they are not hungry. They eat quickly. Binge eaters eat when they feel anxious, lonely and/or depressed. Anorexia eating disorders symptoms include thinning hair, dry, flaky skin and cracked or broken nails. Woman with anorexia eating disorders symptoms often stop menstruating. Another sign of anorexia eating disorder symptoms is the tendency to exercise obsessively – well beyond what is needed to maintain good health. Individuals with anorexia eating disorder also weigh themselves frequently. They often restrict not only food, also relationships, social activities and pleasure.
Causes of Compulsive Eating Disorder
1.Neurological or medical conditions.
2.Rigors of dieting.
3.Biological and genetic factors.( neurotransmitter serotonin ).
4.Poor body image.
5.Psychological factors (depression and anxiety ).
Symptoms of Compulsive Eating Disorder
1.Weakness
2.Vomiting blood
3.Fatigue.
4.Exhaustion
5.Heart burn.
Treatment of Compulsive Eating Disorder
Different kinds of psychological therapy have been employed to treat people with anorexia. Cognitive behavior therapy, group therapy, and family therapy have all been successful in treatment of anorexia. Bulimia can sometimes be treated with a self-help manual with occasional guidance from a therapist. Antidepressant medications (citalopram,escitalopram oxalate ,fluvoxamine maleate (Luvox) ,paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Aropax), fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline )have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of bulimia. Marital therapy, or couples therapy, helps to strengthen the relationship between life partners and helps to resolve communication problems. Support groups are led by trained volunteers or health professionals. To decide if a self-help support group will be effective in your binge eating treatment plan.
Juliet Cohen writes articles for medical diseases. She also writes articles for depression treatment and cancer treatment.
Essential Overview on Bipolar Depression Characteristics
Bipolar disorder in psychiatry is a medical diagnosis which refers to mania (mixed states or hypomania) alternated with euthymic or depressed mood (clinical depression) within a specific duration of time. Compared to ups and downs experienced by normal people, a person affected by a bipolar disorder can have extreme swings of moods which can last for a few minutes or even months. Changes in moods are often associated with disruption and distress with high suicidal tendencies. There are also instances linking bipolar disorder to extreme functioning. Most creative talents are attributing bipolar disorder on their creativity.
A bipolar disorder is categorized either as Type I or Type II. In Type I, a person may experience a full-blown mania. In Type II, the “highs” of a person never exceed the hypomania stage unless it was triggered by the mania medications. During manic periods, psychosis may occur. Rapid cycling is also possible. When talking about bipolar disorder, severity and problems connected with moods have its own variations. Thus, a bipolar spectrum disorder concept is employed more often which includes cyclothymia.
A bipolar disorder is involving periods of abnormally agitated moods which adds to the depressed mood condition. The intensity and duration of mood condition widely varies among people diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. Moods can fluctuate from one state to another causing improved functioning or impairment depending on the highs and lows of moods and its severity. The energy level, social rhythms, cognitive functioning, activity level, and sleep pattern is also altered affecting the normal routine of a person.
The depression experienced by people having a bipolar disorder is similar to a clinical depression. The symptoms include persistent feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt, hopelessness, and isolation, appetite and sleep disturbances, fatigue, escapism, lack of interest on things once enjoyed, problems concentrating, indifference or apathy, self-loathing, social anxiety or shyness, chronic pain, irritability, and suicidal tendencies.
When talking about disability, loss of productive years, potential suicidal tendency and duration, the periods of depression in a bipolar disorder are widely recognized today as the most severe problem of an individual. Sometimes, the mania periods are more disruptive and noticeable to other people.
Some types of serious depression are also accompanied by psychosis symptoms. It includes hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or sensing stimuli perceive to be there although it is not), delusions (false beliefs of a person that aren’t subject to contradictory evidence or reason and aren’t explained by a cultural concept), and escapism (creating diversions mentally to escape from unpleasant and perceived phases of stress).
These people may be also affected with paranoid thoughts that a powerful entity is monitoring or persecuting them. Some may think that those people who are close to them are conspiring and bullying against them. Greater levels of anxiety are felt without a cause. They felt that their family or friends are giving them up or leaving them. Unusual and intense religious beliefs is also present, thus some people strongly insists that historic and great missions are given to them to be accomplished believing that they have supernatural powers. Delusions can be more distressing in depressions. It is manifested in the form of a strong guilt for things that are supposedly done wrong inflicting the lives of other people. Numerous conflicting theories are created considering different causes associated with bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, nothing is accepted widely as correct.
The primary nature of a bipolar disorder is flux. It is the state of mental operation wherein a person is immersed fully on what she or he is doing, accompanied with a feeling of full involvement, energized focus, and success during the activity process. The biological markers of a bipolar disorder include mood, energy, sleep, activity, and thought. The bipolar disorder’s diagnostic subtypes are sometimes static snapshots of the descriptions of the continual changes of an illness.
According to the US NIMH (United States National Institute of Mental Health), there is no predetermined cause of a bipolar disorder. However, lots of factors are acting together to create the illness. This disorder also runs in families, thus most researchers are searching for a specific gene which increases the possibility of developing the disease. Most findings suggest that the disorder is caused by multiple genes similar to other mental diseases.
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What You Should Know About Bipolar Disorder Illness
It is important for people to function daily in the society in order to work, and whatever their daily activities are. In order to function properly, your health should also be in good condition especially your brain. You have to consider that your brain is what controls most part of your body and as well as your decision and other psychological factors. Emotions and your mood is also controlled by a certain part of the brain.
However, what if you have or someone you know has brain disorder? With a brain disorder, you have to consider that it can definitely affect your daily task. Even controlling your emotions and your mood can be difficult. One kind of disorder of the brain is called bipolar disorder. This kind of disorder can affect ones ability to function properly in their daily lives. It can affect several aspects, such as the emotion, mood, and also your body’s energy.
Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive illness. This particular illness causes unusual shifts in the person’s brain. Normally, people experience ups and downs in life. However, with a bipolar disorder, the person affected will experience severe mood change. As you can see, bipolar disorder can affect everything about a person’s lives. With this disorder, it can result in relationship problems, poor job and school performance, and in some cases, it can even lead to suicide.
However, if you know someone affected with this kind of disorder, it doesn’t mean that you should lose hope in getting their lives back on track. Bipolar disorder can be treated. It is a known fact that people who went through treatment for bipolar disorder have been able to get their lives back on track and lead a normal and productive life.
Bipolar disorder usually develops during the late adolescent years or early adulthood. However, there are some people who show early symptoms of bipolar disorder during childhood. There are also some people who develop this disorder later in life. Bipolar disorder is commonly not recognized as an illness, and it is a fact that people may suffer from bipolar disorder until it becomes severe and diagnosed properly. You have to consider that bipolar disorder is a long term illness which also requires long term treatment. This particular brain disorder should be carefully managed throughout their life.
There are some signs and symptoms that you may notice associated with bipolar disorder. It will include dramatic mood swings from being excessively happy to being irritable to being hopeless or sad. This happens in intervals and mood changes are quite noticeable. Here are some specific signs and symptoms that a person with bipolar disorder shows:
• Excessively happy or euphoric mood
• Increased energy, and restlessness
• Quickly distracted
• Racing thoughts, talks unusually fast, and jumps from one idea to another
• Little sleep needed
• Spending sprees
• Poor judgment
• Unrealistic beliefs in their abilities
• Increased sexual drive
• Drug abuse, such as cocaine, sleeping medications, and alcohol abuse
• Aggressive behaviour
• Denial that anything is wrong
In severe cases, a person who has bipolar disorder thinks and attempts suicide. People who have this brain disorder feel that they are useless and it’s better to end their lives.
As you can see, bipolar disorder is a very serious illness that you should be aware of. It is important that if you see any irregularities in a person’s behaviour, they should get treated immediately and not wait for it to become any worse.
It is important if the person is feeling suicidal you should immediately call a doctor and seek emergency assistance immediately. It is also important that the person should not be allowed, and make sure that they don’t have any access to large amount of medication where they can overdose on it, weapons such as knife and gun, and other items that they can use to inflict harm to themselves.
Bipolar can be treated with medication and psychiatric therapy. With patience, the person with this disorder can lead a normal and productive life.
You have to consider that this particular disorder has no cure and requires a lifetime of medication and psychotherapy. So, if you suspect that a member of your family or one of your friends has this disorder, you can help them by taking them to a psychiatrist where they can be treated.
