Eating disorders
A person with an eating disorder may also have depression, anxiety, or some other problem. This means that a rehab program must include a careful psychiatric assessment of the patients mental health. Since mood can affect appetite it is also important to be aware of this variable in a treatment program. Anorexia Nervosa means 'loss of appetite because of mental reasons (and not physical)'. Anorexics lose a lot of weight by reducing their calorie intake. They accomplish this by starving themselves, excessive exercising, using diet pills, or abusing laxatives (although some of these symptoms may indicate the presence of a different form of eating disorder. Anorexics will feel that they are fat even when they are so underweight they require hospital care. A central theme in an anorexics food restriction is the sense of control they feel from refusing food. There are specialist eating disorder units that offer rehab tailored especially to people with an eating disorder. The rehab aims to firstly stabilize the eating disorders weight. Once the patient is no longer in medical danger treatment can begin. Eating disorder rehab will help a patient with self-growth and help them to feel comfortable with themselves. Learning self-acceptance in rehab is essential to maintaining recovery from an eating disorder.
Anorexia
Most people know Anorexia nervosa by its abbreviated name: "anorexia". This illness can have severe permanent consequences for people suffering from it and can be fatal if left untreated. It is characterised by a loss of appetite which leads to losing weight.
The disorder usually manifests in teenagers around the onset of puberty. It leads to dramatic weight loss, but no matter how skinny an anorexis may be they are convinced that they are overweight. If left untreated the individual may end up starving to death. Anorexia is usually caused by underlying emotional concerns.
People with anorexia will often deprive themselves of any pleasure and eschew relationships, sex, and other forms of enjoyment. Most sufferers of anorexia nervosa are adolescent girls but recently there have been more males being diagnosed with the disorder. There is evidence that Anorexia may run in families, but this has not been proven to be a genetic predisposition.
Bulimia
Bulimia Nervosa is usually abbreviated to "Bulimia". It is a disorder characterised by uncontrolled episodes of binge eating (eating large quantities). A binge episode is followed by purging to prevent weight gain. Purging can be in the form of taking laxatives, vomiting, starving, exercising, or using diet pills.
Individuals with bulimia may have frequent weight changes as purging is not always an effective method to lose weight. A strong sense of shame, guild and failure accompanies bulimics as they cycle between dieting, bingeing, and purging.
There are many people suffering from bulimia and in America it affects up to 10% of women in their late teens and early twenties. Only ten percent of bulimics are male. Men have a later onset for the disorder and it manifests later. Bulimia can cause death through myocardial infarction, suicide, or starvation.
White flour is a popular "binge food" for bulimics. There have been links found between the levels of serotonin in the brain (which is responsible inter alia for mood) and consuming carbohydrates. Eating carbs elevates serotonin levels which results in a lift of mood.
Do you need help?
Eating disorders can be treated. There are specialist eating disorder rehabs in South Africa that we will be able to refer you to.