eating disorders

Eating disorders are complex, psychological disorders which can concurrently affect your physical health. Eating disorders can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race or weight. 

An eating disorder is an unhealthy relationship with food. You may have abnormal and disturbed eating habits. Obsessions around your diet, weight, shape and size and you may have an extreme fear of weight gain and engage in preventative or weight loss measures. Some complications include muscle loss, low bone density, anaemia, fertility difficulties, organ failure and suicide..etc... 

Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders, surpassed only by opioid use disorder. 

With various treatment methods it is possible to overcome your eating disorder and in turn reverse some of the medical complications/damage done to your body.

There are no simple explanations as to why someone may develop an eating disorder. 

There can be many reasons, including any form of trauma, bereavement, bullying, any form of abuse, family or relationship break downs or difficulties,  there may even be a generic predisposition, there could be many reasons. Eating disorders usually pray on the vulnerable, many already having low self-esteem, poor confidence, who are also struggling with life and who are desperately searching for ways to cope and to keep their heads above water.

It isn't a crime to want to feel better about yourself, to want to create ways to cope and overcome the difficulties life brings. When we feel trapped or lost, we Instinctively look for ways out, to me an eating disorder is "a bad resolution to something that initially had good intentions."

Anorexia Nervosa 

May be characterised as rapid weight loss and having a low body weight (although you don't have to have a low body weight to have anorexia.) Sufferers have an obsession with calories and food and often place a high value on weight, shape and size by equating thinness with increased self-worth, confidence and achievement. Sufferers may use extreme measures to keep from gaining weight such as restricting caloric intake, cutting out fearful foods and food groups, excessive exercise, purging, misusing diet pills, laxatives, diuretics etc..

The disorder is accompanied with an intense fear of weight gain and distorted body perception. No matter how much weight is lost, it is never enough, you are never satisfied. 

Symptoms may include;

• Low body weight 
• Cold intolerance 
• Low heart rate and low blood pressure
• Low bone density
• Fine, downy hair on face and body
• For females your periods may stop 
• Constipation 
• Fatigue 
• Weakness
• Being obsessed with food, recipes, cooking shows, making elaborate meals for others and not eating them. 

Bulima Nervosa 

Characterised again as having a preoccupation with your weight, body shape and size and having body distortion and dissatisfaction. 

Sufferers may binge in secret, therefore eating large amounts of food quickly and in a short period of time. Then an intense feeling of guilt, disgust and shame will often follow the binge. So sufferers will use ways to try and rid themselves of the calories to prevent themselves from gaining weight. E.g. purging through self induced vomiting, fasting, restriction of calories, excessive exercise, the misuse of laxative, diuretics and diet pills..

Symptoms may include;

• Tooth sensitivity 
• Tooth and enamel decay 
• Electrolyte imbalance 
• Swollen glands
• Swollen eyes and cheeks 
• Dehydration
• Sore throat 
• Constipation 
• Calloused or grazed knuckles due to repeated self-induced vomiting. 

Binge eating disorder (BED)

Symptoms may include;

• Eating alone and fear of eating around others
• Eating quickly, maybe not tasting the food and eating large amounts in a short period of time.
• Eating past "fullness"
• Stockpiling food 
• Hiding the evidence of the binge eating episode e.g. the packets and wrappers
• Concerns about weight and body shape 
• Dieting /restrictive eating habits 
• You may eat to reduce feelings of anxiety, stress etc. Then after the binge  you may feel distressed, feeling extreme guilt, shame. 

Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) 

Just as serious as the other ED's, a diagnosis of OSFED is usually when you don't typically fit the diagnostic criteria for disorders such as, anorexia, bulimia, BED etc...

Symptoms of OFFED may include symptoms from a range of eating disorders, e.g symptoms from anorexia, bulimia, BED and the symptoms may be of low frequency and/or limited duration. Purging disorder and night eating syndrome are categorised under OSFED.