How do you deal with your emotions?
24 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide suffer from an eating disorder.
Do you..
Do you overeat, count your calories, drink lots of water or maybe eat when no one is watching?
A eating disorder is a medical illness that disturbs one’s behavior in eating. It can disturb you during the holidays, gatherings or even going out to dinner.
What happens..
What happens when that behavior starts becoming obsessive and affecting your everyday life?
Did you know?
20-30% of adults that have a clinical diagnosis of disordered eating have a mental disability, fall under the spectrum of Autism or have mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
When you notice
I watched her eat small amounts at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Maybe she was just determined to not gain weight.
She had great confidence in herself, took pride in her appearance and could wear just about anything.
There was more to her story as I started noticing deeper daily emotions. After every meal she would go to the bathroom.
I started noticing it.
She hardly ate, drank lots of water to feel full, sometimes over-eating and ate oh so fast.
She became weak, mood was affected and the obsession soon became an illness that needed fast attention.
More common and not limited are the following that are spoke about more often;
Anorexia- “An eating disorder characterized by a relentless drive for thinness with a fear of gaining body weight associated with self induced behaviors towards thinness.”
Bulimia-” Eating disorder characterized by binge eating, followed by methods to avoid weight gain.”
Easier said than done
Don’t compare yourself to others’ appearance. It is so important to remain healthy and maintain your weight but it is not healthy to do it at a rate that will harm
you or your health.
I have volunteered with individuals in the past that had disordered eating with 1 out of 3 of them telling me they found themselves in the line of this illness due to past abuse.
Abuse from a person telling them they were “FAT”.
It’s hard to have that roll of your shoulders when it’s coming from someone we love and care about. We take their opinions to heart and we want them to look at us in the best way possible.
What is Disordered Eating ?
Binging is not always related to an underlying condition. It may be caused by:
● Overindulging during festivities or celebrations
● Eating a lot after fasting
● Trying out all local delicacies while on a holiday
● Stress
Need Help?
● Get help from licensed Psychiatrist and counselors.
● Nutritionists can help you navigate your nutritional needs and help maintain a healthy menu for you to move forward
● Diary your food, make a journal of your emotions and what you ate (ex; how that food you eat made you feel.)
I remember having a hard time asking her if she felt she had an eating disorder? I felt it was maybe not my business and maybe she would feel I was offending her.
I am sure glad I did, because today she is perfect the way she is.
Today
Today she helps young girls to fall in love with themselves, having the confidence to walk into a new day the way they are and to forget the past.
This illness is curable when diagnosed and treated by a medical professional.
Don’t be afraid if you or someone you may know is suffering there are so many outlets to help overcome disordered eating.
We all come in different shapes and sizes and that is a beautiful thing.
This post was written by Lauren K., and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
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