eating disorders
What is an Eating Disorder ?
An eating disorder is an illness which manifests itself in a variety of unhealthy eating and weight control behaviours that become obsessive, compulsive, and/or impulsive in nature. Eating Disorders almost always start out as diets, but these disorders are not about food and weight.
The food serves as a
stress reliever and in many cases initially the
person is not aware of what they are doing. In this day and age of
dieting, health and fitness, it is difficult to sometimes be sure of
the difference between
someone who has an eating disorder and a person who is simply weight
conscious.
The
main ingredient present in a person suffering from an eating disorder
is the
use or abuse of food to cope with, distract from, numb or control
negative feelings; whereas a weight conscious person may
simply want to lose weight for a wedding, Christmas, a holiday, to
fit into an outfit, or just to look and feel better. It is the
psychological and emotional implications that separate the weight
conscious person from the person with an eating disorder. Unfortunately
some embarking on the weight loss trail start out innocently to lose a
few pounds, however over a period of time a persons brain and body
chemistry can be affected by the diet they have chosen and the result
is that logical thinking becomes impaired, as far as food is concerned.
First...consult your doctor!
Eating disorders can be life-threatening and the most important thing to do is to ensure that a medical opinion is sought before embarking on any kind of diet or any kind of therapy. Your family doctor is the best person to advise you about the health of your body.
anorexia
Anorexia Nervosa
means "loss of
appetite for
nervous reasons".
The
earliest case of anorexia was a 20 year old girl treated in 1686 by
Richard Morton and
the first paper written on anorexia was by Sir William Gull in 1874.
Anorexia is the relentless pursuit of low body weight either by
curtailing food intake or restricting particular foods thought to be
fattening. This can result in emaciation and the risk of collapse or
death.
Some
anorexics also exercise compulsively to burn off the perceived excess
of calories from the small amount they do manage to eat. The focus
placed on food is an attempt to control, and get a sense of
power in the person's life. It is not about simply wishing to be slim
like fashion models. As the disorder takes control,
brain chemistry alters, resulting in further
distortions in thinking and emotional reasoning. The anorexic begins to
get a "buzz" out of hunger. As the illness takes
more of a hold, the sufferer becomes exhausted as their energy
levels are compromised due to lack of food. Indeed this may account for
the heaviness they may feel. In
all cases this heaviness is mistaken for fatness, and so they engage in
a constant struggle to keep losing weight, a war on food that must be
maintained despite the already severe weight loss that the person has
incurred. Anorexia affects the body and mind in several different ways.
Anorexia symptoms
- Weight loss in a short space of time, becoming very thin, frail, or emaciated.
- Obsessed with eating, food, and weight control.
- Intense fear of gaining weight.
- Severe restriction of food.
- Buzz from starving - sense of power and worth.
- Distorted perception of body shape, weight, personality, and amount of food eaten.
- Rigid and obsessive behaviour with food, people, self. Perfectionistic attitude.
- Loss of periods.
- Feels cold.
- Dizziness.
- Dry, rough pale discoloured skin.
- Food rituals such as playing with food on plate, chopping into small pieces counting bits of food, preparing food but not eating, cooking for others.
- Only eats certain foods, avoiding foods like dairy, meat, wheat, etc.
- Bloated stomach (which is mistaken for fat).
- Mood swings.
- Feels insecure.
- Self-worth becomes based on what is eaten or not eaten.
- Withdraws from social activities, especially meals and celebrations involving food.
- Convinced that he/she is OK despite the concerns of others.
- Weighs herself or himself repeatedly.
- Exercises excessively.
- May be depressed, lethargic.
Anorexia has far reaching effects on health and well being, and if left untreated can be fatal. The long term effects for women can lead to the development of infertility or a difficulty in becoming pregnant. However once the body receives proper nutrition these effects can be reduced. For both men and women there is a high risk of developing osteoporosis.
When starving the anorexic feels safe, in control, they can cope and they feel better about themselves. They are afraid of food and afraid of themselves and terrified of losing the control.
Bulimia
It was only in 1979 that bulimia nervosa was first recognised as an eating disorder. The name literally means "Nervous, ox-like hunger". This hunger is driven by an emotional need that food cannot alone fill. The sufferer feels a void or emptiness and they seek to use food to fill it. Unfortunately, as many find out, this emptiness cannot be filled by food, as it is emotional or spiritual emptiness.
Sufferers characteristically binge eat or over eat; end up feeling bloated and too full after their eating episode and then induce vomiting and/or take laxatives in a bid to prevent themselves from gaining weight. Others over-exercise in an attempt to burn unwanted calories.
As with anorexia, control and the abuse of food as a coping mechanism are also present. Bulimia usually follows dieting, and starts later in life than anorexia, in late adolescence. It may follow anorexia although most bulimics have not been anorexic. It can continue for many years if left untreated, thus many older women have the illness. The period after childbirth is another time when women are at risk.
People become bulimic because they believe that purging will help them get rid of unwanted calories before they are absorbed and stop them from gaining weight, as other weight loss attempts have resulted in failure. Bulimia is also associated with low self esteem, lack of confidence, an over-evaluation of shape and weight, and a need to control weight.
Bulimic behaviour is very
addictive as, while
vomiting or exercising the brain releases endorphins, chemicals which
are the body's natural pain killers. The ritual confers a sense of
emotional release, so what starts off as a way of controlling calories,
becomes a way of getting this emotional release, and will be repeated
whenever a person feels emotional stress.
Bulimia Symptoms
- Frequent Weight Changes
- Sore Throat, swollen glands, tooth decay, bad breath
- Intensely unhappy with body size, shape, and weight
- Vomiting
- Laxative abuse
- Rigid and harsh exercise regimes
- Fear of putting on weight
- Depression, mood swings
- Poor skin conditions and hair loss
- Lethargy and tiredness
- Palpitations
- Uncontrollable urges to eat vast amounts of food
- Anxiety, guilt, shame attached to self and behaviour
- Isolation, withdraws from social activities, especially meals and celebrations involving food
- In some cases, shoplifting
- Buzz from vomiting, sense of release/relief.
- Buzz from perceived weight loss
- Easy weight gain
- Makes excuses to go to the bathroom immediately after meals
- May only eat diet or low-fat foods (except during binges)
As with anorexia, these symptoms can and do have a far reaching effect on mental, emotional and physical well being. In extreme cases, bulimia can cause heart failure as excessive vomiting causes potassium loss from the body. Potassium is essential to regulate the adrenal glands, the nervous system, the blood pressure and energy levels in the body. Of course the adrenal glands, the producers of adrenaline, have an important function in handling stress effectively. Other dangers include rupture of the stomach, choking, tooth enamel erosion, swollen glands and the drying up of salivary glands.
How can hypnotherapy help?
Hypnotherapy can help by tackling the underlying emotions and self-esteem issues, changing self-image, building self-confidence and a sense of real control around food and eating. The usual approach would be analytical therapy, with some cognitive behavioural therapy and NLP in addition.
