Eating Disorders

What are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are mental health illnesses that manifest as distorted eating habits. Eating disorders often co-occur with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance abuse. Anyone can develop an eating disorder, although adolescent and young women are the most likely group to experience one.

What are the different types of eating disorders?

There are several types of eating disorders, with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder the most prevalent. 

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by severely limited food intake, obsessive fear of being fat, and distorted body image. If you have anorexia, you may exercise obsessively, refuse to eat enough, or abuse laxatives to lose weight. Some of the complications of anorexia include:

• Amenorrhea (stopped menstrual periods)
• Brittle hair and nails
• Dry, yellow skin
• Constipation
• Anemia
• Low internal body temperature
• Osteoporosis
• Depression and lethargy

Anorexia causes preoccupation with food, trouble eating in public, and a strong desire to control other aspects of your life or environment. The condition is diagnosed when you weigh at least 15% less than the normal healthy body weight for your height.

Bulimia nervosa

The hallmark behaviors of bulimia nervosa include binge eating followed by purging. During a binge, you consume food rapidly and without control. You may gulp down foods that you’ve identified as bad as quickly as possible without even tasting them. During your binge, you feel out of control, but when your binge ends, you purge your body by forcing yourself to vomit or abusing laxatives. You may repeat this cycle several times a week. 

Bulimia can cause complications such as chronic sore throat, tooth damage, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and severe dehydration.

Binge eating disorder

Binge eating disorder is similar to bulimia, but you don’t purge after your binge. If you have binge eating disorder, you experience out-of-control eating at least once a week and suffer from feelings of shame, guilt, or depression afterward.

How are eating disorders treated?

Revived Soul Medical P.C. provides treatments to address the negative thoughts and emotions that lead to your disordered eating. They may combine individual and group therapy with medication. They help you learn to cope with your feelings in a less destructive way than disordered eating and restore your relationship with food so you no longer see it as the enemy or a coping mechanism. 

If you have an eating disorder, call Revived Soul Medical P.C. or make an appointment online today.