Eating Disorder Help

Poll

	|   |

Author:
S.A. Smith

An eating disorder is a life threatening condition that often requires professional assistance and support to overcome. If you think you have an eating disorder it is critical that you seek out the help and support you need to overcome your condition.

Beating an ea ting disorder can prove very rewarding and open new avenues of opportunity you never dreamed of. You will no longer be tied down by food and your emotional as well as physical health and well being will improve substantially.

HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE AN EATING DISORDER?

There are many signs and symptoms that are indicative of an eating disorder.

Consider asking yourself the following questions:

- Do you obsess about food and eating? - Do you deny yourself food at times even when you feel hungry? - Do you often withdraw from social activities involving eating? - Do you often feel fat even if you are not fat or overweight? - Do you exercise excessively after meals or to the point of pain or injury? - Do you purge (vomit) after eating? - Do you regularly use laxatives or diuretics to control your weight? - Do you often eat large volumes of food uncontrollably?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may have an eating disorder.

ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA

Anorexia is a type of eating disorder that is often characterized by starving oneself thin. People who are anorexic often do not allow themselves to eat more than 500 or less calories per day.

Bulimics tend to eat large quantities of food and then purge them, through vomiting or laxative use.

Both anorexics and bulimics may exercise excessively. There are other types of eating disorders as well including binge eating disorder where you consume large quantities of food over and over again but don't necessarily purge.

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP

If you feel you may have an eating disorder it is vital that you seek help. Recognizing that you may have a problem is actually the first step toward recovery.

The good news is you can eat a healthy and well balanced diet that doesn't require that you follow a strict or rigid routine. A flexible diet will help you remain fit and a normal weight. A nutritionist or dietician can help you develop a healthy and well balanced meal plan that is easy to follow and will help boost your spirits.

Eating disorders often result from distorted thinking about yourself, your body image and the way others perceive you. Part of recovering from an eating disorder requires that you recognize that your body isn't related to your identity and that the two are actually separate. You may need professional help distinguishing between the two and identifying the triggers that are causing you to engage in distorted eating patterns.

Many eating disorders are simply a way to mask your emotional pain. If you have an eating disorder, don't keep it a secret. Talk to friends or family members or seek assistance from your healthcare provider or an online support community. There are numerous groups online that can help you work through your emotional pain and start your journey toward healing.

[ -- You are only permitted to use this article on your website, RSS, and e-zine only if the article links are activated into working hyperlinks at all times. Sites found violating this reprint condition will be subject to legal action for copyright infringement. When using this article you may remove this legal notice -- ]

About the author:

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, correspondent, and contributing editor of the Anorexia Bulimia Help resource site.

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Eating Disorders... Drug Addiction or Eating Disorder: Which Came First? When a person enters drug rehab or an addiction treatment facility and is diagnosed with a drug addiction and eating disorder, the question arises which addiction developed first and how do you treat two addictions? First, let us define an eating disorder as the quality of one’s thinking as it relates to food and weight and not how much someone weighs. Then, we may take a look at various behaviors and address other criteria. In most cases, one’s thinking regarding food and weight became distorted way before they ever began using drugs or alcohol. It is not uncommon that after a period of time of trying to achieve certain self determined goals through binging, purging or restricting and not achieving those goals, that the person would turn to drugs as a means to accelerate the process or deal with the emotional whirlwind of depression, shame or self hatred. At this point we have an eating disorder and drug addiction going full throttle in an attempt to by the person to gain control. It rarely happens and is described as the “great illusion” by most treatment professionals. H ow To Treat Drug Addiction And Eating Disorders When entering a drug rehab or addiction treatment program with an accompanying eating disorder, the goal should always be patient safety. If the patient is not in a life threatening situation due to their disordered eating, then the individual usually enters detox for their drug addiction. After detox is completed, the person’s behavior as it relates to their eating disorder will be addressed. Whether it is binging, purging or restricting, the patient must be willing to address the behavior to achieve recovery. Realizing that abstaining from the eating disorder behavior will initiate cravings for drugs, the clinical staff at the addiction...