Do you think a loved one might have an eating disorder? Learn more here.
It may seem like a strange paradox for a society with access to so many different kinds of food that there are also millions of people who suffer from disorders that ruin their relationship with that resource. However, the reality is that eating disorders are not only about the food itself but involve complex psychological issues that cause a person to struggle immensely with the seemingly simple parts of everyday life.
Depending on the type of eating disorder, this struggle can manifest in different ways. Keep reading to find out more about three of the main types of eating disorders from a reputable eating disorder therapist on the Mainline PA.
Important Info From an Eating Disorder Therapist on the Mainline PA
Getting acquainted with the different kinds of eating disorders can give one a better idea of how to identify whether or not a loved one might be suffering from one. Knowledge of these things should cultivate more compassion and less judgment of those suffering.
Learning about eating disorders can also help bring a sufferer closer to the help they need from therapy for eating disorders. Often those who suffer from an eating disorder either do not understand that that is what is happening to them, or they feel a deep sense of shame about what they are doing.
As with many disorders and illnesses, having a diagnosis, a term with which to label an experience, it can give a sufferer something to hold onto in the midst of their chaotic feelings. Below are the most common eating disorders that a person might be dealing with. If any of these disorders sounds familiar to you, it would be wise to consult an eating disorder therapist on the Mainline PA.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is the eating disorder that the general public is most familiar with because of its increased depictions in TV and films over the last 5 years or so. This eating disorder presents with dramatic weight loss which is usually accompanied by a distortion in the sufferer’s view of their own body. A person with anorexia tends to have a consuming fear of gaining weight, which they combat with counting calories, excessive exercise, and/or purging with vomiting or laxatives. Controlling their intake of food is usually used to cope with some other psychological or emotional issue that they feel they cannot deal with.
Other symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa include:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Dizziness
- Dehydration
- Absence of menstruation in females
- Soft hairs the start to cover the whole body
- Irritability
- Denial about hunger
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Developing rituals around food
- Social withdrawal
- Wearing baggy clothing to cover up weight loss
Bulimia Nervosa
One of the defining factors of Bulimia is the secretive binge eating and then subsequential purging through vomiting. A person with Bulimia tends to feel like they cannot control the urge to keep eating and they will eat until they are actually in pain. Bulimia is similar to Anorexia in that the person suffering from it is also obsessed with their weight and has a poor view of their own body. A Bulimia sufferer will also be terrified of gaining weight and exhibit similar ways of dealing with that fear to a person suffering from Anorexia. However, a Bulimia sufferer can often maintain a healthy weight for their age, despite all of the other unhealthy habits they form.
Other symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa include:
- Sore throat (from vomiting)
- Acid reflux
- Tooth decay (from the stomach acid passing through the mouth)
- Dehydration
- Mood swings
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Trips to the bathroom after every meal
- Self-loathing
Binge-Eating Disorder
Binge-eating disorder has some symptoms akin to Bulimia such as compulsive overeating. However, in the case of binge-eating, a person does not purge through vomiting after they’ve eaten. A person suffering from Binge-Eating disorder will also try to control their weight with dieting or exercise, but find that they cannot stop themselves when the compulsion to overeat hits. After rapidly eating large quantities of food, the person then feels overcome with guilt, shame, and many times, depression.
Other symptoms of Binge-Eating Disorder include:
- Eating alone or in secret
- Anxious or distressed when binge-eating happens
- Weight gain
- Irregular menstrual cycle in women
- Diabetes
- Kidney Problems
- Suicidal thoughts and/or acts of self-harm
- Extremely sensitive about weight & comments involving weight
- Social avoidance, especially in situations that will involve food
Help With Finding Eating Disorder Help Near Me
Finding an eating disorder therapist on the Mainline PA that you can trust is so important for starting on the road to recovery. At Live Well Therapy Associates, LLC. we offer our clients evidence-based therapy techniques for eating disorders, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We also provide prospective clients with a free 15-minute phone consultation. Give us a call at 267-908-0974 or email us at info@livewellassociates to find out what our therapists can offer you.