Eating disorders – what is it?

Eating disorders – what is it?

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are all insidious, incapacitating, and pervasive. These are diseases in which one suffers from severe disorders of eating behavior and the associated thoughts and emotions. It permeates all aspects of the life of every sufferer and has a profound impact on the sufferer and their loved ones. Once “it” has a hold on you or someone you love, the sun stops shining and the flowers stop seeming to bloom. Having this eating disorder becomes the only thing that matters. It's a diet that never ends. But while it may start with a preoccupation with food, shape and weight, it's about much more than just food. Sufferers most often use food and control over eating to compensate for feelings and emotions that might otherwise seem too overwhelming.

Eating disorders involve an intense preoccupation with behaviors and rituals surrounding food – obsessively counting calories, secretly bingeing on food, vomiting after eating, following strict diets, but these disorders go far deeper than just food. The constant intrusive thoughts surrounding body, weight and diet issues can inevitably lead to isolation, secrecy, depression, self-mutilation, drug and alcohol abuse and even social phobia. But don't get me wrong, depression, anxiety, loneliness, trauma, difficulty expressing feelings, genetics, media and cultural pressure, dysfunctional family and personal relationships, fear and refusal to grow up, drug and alcohol abuse are also vulnerability factors that may contribute to the development of an eating disorder. There is no single cause and they impact on physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual levels. Since one may seek control through food, the truth is that food actually controls them and therefore they lose control.

Eating disorders have no discrimination; They can be found in every culture, religion, ethnicity and socioeconomic group. In most cases, eating disorders occur together with other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcohol and drug abuse. Although symptoms of these disorders usually begin in adolescence, there are many signs that are present long before that. But unfortunately, how are you supposed to know if you don't even know what you're looking for? But it's NEVER TOO LATE to get help. Eating disorders are a serious illness that can have life-threatening consequences. BUT YOU CAN GET THE HELP YOU NEED…

Inspired by Erica Ives