Do you Feel at War with your Own Body?
Therapy is an effective and long-lasting treatment for eating disorders. Therapy can prevent an eating disorder from becoming more severe. Not treating eating disorders can lead to physical problems like cardiovascular disease and mental health issues like anxiety, depression,
and suicide.
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Do you feel uncomfortable in your skin?
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Do you yo-yo diet?
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Do you obsess over food?
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Is your relationship with food unhealthy?
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Does food seem to run your life?
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Do you feel you’re too controlling when it comes to eating?
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Are you rigid with your eating?
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Are you stuck in a binge-purge cycle?
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Do you use food for comfort?
Binge eating disorders can be indicative of underlying psychological problems. Possible psychological problems include:
- Depression – It is unclear whether depression is a cause of binge eating disorder or if it is an effect caused by the act of binge eating. Results show that 50% of people who binge eat have suffered from depression at some point in their lives.
- Stress and anxiety – Stressful events such as moving house, changing jobs, illness, relationship troubles, or the death of a loved one are thought to trigger binge eating disorders. People under stress can feel a compulsion to eat a vast amount of food with the idea that it might make them feel better or that they simply no longer care. This lack of control concerning food can often reflect the lack of control in the rest of the sufferer’s life.
Research suggests that other factors could cause a person to binge to eat regularly. These include:
- Anger – One study shows a correlation between anger suppression and binge eating in women.
- Sadness – Some binge eaters may find that eating helps to distract from feelings of sadness. Thinking of appealing foods to buy and eat can sometimes offer a respite from feelings of grief or loss.
- Low self-esteem – Many people feel unhappy about how they look or what others think about them. This lack of confidence can often lead to a feeling of resignation – if you feel worthless, you are probably more likely to ignore guilt pangs and overload bad foods for comfort.
- Worry – People who feel nervous may find the act of eating soothing or distracting.
- Boredom – Occasionally, people eat a large amount of food when they have nothing else to do or feel lonely.
People who have eating disorders have been found to display other specific behaviors. If you think you have an eating disorder, you can ask yourself whether you recognize any of the following behaviors:
- Do you binge drink? The inability to control food consumption can extend to other areas of life- especially when drinking alcohol excessively.
- Are you impulsive? Binge eaters tend to act brashly before considering the possible consequences of their actions. This impulsive nature is reflected in their lack of willpower.
- Do you find it challenging to express emotions? People with binge eating disorders sometimes find it difficult to talk about their feelings and emotions, preferring to bottle them up inside instead.
- Do you feel like you don’t hold responsibility for your actions? Binge eaters tend not to feel responsible for themselves or their actions. This allows them to justify their eating habits and reduce feelings of guilt.
It is thought that one possible reason why people binge eat is, paradoxically, because they are trying to lose weight. There is a lot of social pressure to look a certain way and be a certain weight. This pressure can make some people feel inadequate or guilty about their appearance. If you are trying to lose weight, you are more likely to skip meals, not consume enough food each day and avoid certain foods. By cutting out things you enjoy, you develop cravings and temptations that can result in a binge.
TOGETHER, LET’S TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR NUTRITION.
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