We all at one point or another look in the mirror and fixate on something we’d like to change. If only we were taller, more attractive, or thinner… When these thoughts become obsessive and start taking over our lives, they can mutate in to a multitude of unhealthy patterns. For many, the thought of gaining weight is such a devastating prospect that they will literally do anything to keep it off, including making themselves sick. This is fertile grounds for eating disorders to develop, including anorexia. What Is Anorexia? Anorexia Nervosa is a complex eating disorder that has three signifying features: 1. An unwillingness to maintain a healthy body weight 2. A distorted body image 3. A heightened, intense fear of putting on weight Though it is more common …
recovery
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How Bullying Leads to Eating Disorders
The harmful effects of bullying are widely recognized. The victim often feels powerless, fearful, and can be led to believe something is wrong with them, even long after the harassment occurs. Another type of damage that is only just now coming to light is the potential for bullying to lead to eating disorders. According to UK charity, Beat, a recent study of 600 people in the UK showed that a staggering 90 percent of respondents were all bullied at some point in their lives. Further, more than 75 percent of individuals suffering from an eating disorder name bullying as one of the major causes. Susan Ringwood, chief executive for Beat, had this to say about the study: “Bullying undermines young peoples’ self-confidence and lowers their self-esteem, raising the …
recovery
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Eating Disorders – An Overview
; What exactly is an eating disorder? Simply put, these are very serious conditions where the sufferer is so preoccupied with food and weight that it takes over their lives. Someone with such a disorder is usually aware of what they are doing but feels powerless to stop themselves. The 3 most common types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders can have serious ramifications both physically and emotionally and for many, can potentially be deadly. Women tend to be at the highest risk but anyone can potentially develop these disorders. Statistics show that binge-eating seems to affect both men and women equally. There are many approaches to treating eating disorders, including therapy, nutritional education, psychotherapy, family counseling, medications and sometimes…
recovery
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Bulimia – An Overview
It’s a universal experience: we eat when we’re bored, or lonely, or excited… for a multitude of different reasons that sometimes do not include hunger. But our psychological reactions to this experience can vary greatly. For some, it becomes a cycle, a burden. Some will binge eat then panic when the sick feeling sets in, taking drastic measures to reverse the damage they have just inflicted on themselves. Bulimia is a very real and common problem, affecting (millions) of men, women and children of all ages. What Is Bulimia? Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by regular episodes of binge eating, followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining weight. Bulimia is a significant public-health problem, both because of the physical and mental health …
recovery
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What to Expect When Entering a Food Addiction Program
It’s not hard to see why someone might feel some sense of trepidation when committing to a food addiction treatment program. Any time we face the unknown or throw ourselves in to the deep end, it can seem very frightening, especially if we know that we will not come out of it the same. With this in mind, we want to shed a little light on the “mysteries” of a typical food addiction program in hopes to demystify the process just a little bit. ; We should establish upfront that food addiction programs follow a similar trajectory to most other addiction treatments. The idea is to help addicts get to the root cause of their disease. Through food addiction treatment help, a person comes to understand the role …