The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.
In a world where diet culture is everywhere you look it’s hard not to become focused on your own, eating and exercise habits, While it’s important to stay healthy and fit some people find that their efforts to maintain their well being go too far leading them down a harmful path to an eating disorder .
Having an eating disorder is not a choice and it’s not all about food . Instead eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that need intervention and treatment . Here, we will discuss three of the most common eating disorders their symptoms and how to find treatment for them .
What Are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders that cause people to form an unhealthy complex relationship with food and, in some cases exercise . Individuals with these disorders are often at a higher risk of developing mental health conditions physical diseases and illnesses and other concerns .
While there is not a singular cause of eating disorders researchers generally agree that they are caused by a multitude of biological social and environmental factors . These might include a poor body image trauma having a family history of eating disorders other mental health disorders engaging in constant dieting having low self-esteem and more .
3 Most Common Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are defined by both physical and mental health symptoms . Three of the most common types include :
- Anorexia Nervosa
People with anorexia nervosa are concerned with keeping a very low body-weight. which they aim for through methods like restrictive eating excessive exercise and purging. These individuals tend to have a skewed perception of their bodies believing they are much bigger than they really are . Often their life slowly begins to revolve around how much they eat and weigh and how they look . As a result they start to eat very little to nothing and exercise themselves to exhaustion yet none of these efforts ever feel like enough . Anorexia can lead to detrimental health concerns and even death when left untreated .
- Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a characterized by bouts of overeating followed by purging fasting exercising excessively or using laxatives, People with bulimia often feel guilty after binge eating- so they throw the food up or use laxatives to try to the get rid of it and avoid weight gain . In between binges individuals may fast or severely limit their calories . Bulimia affects how people see themselves often leading to low levels of self-esteem and a poor body image .
- Binge Eating Disorder
Individuals living with binge eating disorder consume a large amounts of food all at once and feel unable to stop eating even when they are overly full . Usually they experience guilt and shame following episodes of binging causing a cycle of overeating that becomes more and more compulsive and uncontrollable . People with this type of eating disorder often eat in private to hide their behaviors from others and may even stash food somewhere where it can not be found in order to consume it later .
Treatment For Eating Disorders
Wondering how to treat eating disorders? The simple answer is that everyone’s journey to recovery looks different . However there are some common methods utilized to bring healing to those facing these disorders including nutritional counseling medication various types of therapy lifestyle changes medical care and more . Often a mixture of these approaches is used to promote the highest level of improvement . In some cases an individual may need to go to an inpatient treatment facility or a hospital to get the personalized support they require .
Conclusion
Eating disorders can pose serious consequences to the individuals affected by them particularly when they are not treated appropriately . The longer they go unaddressed the worse their symptoms can become . Reaching out for help can mark a significant turning point on an individual’s journey to recovery allowing them to get the guidance resources and tools they need . Although eating disorders can permeate every aspect of a person’s life no one has to face them alone . With perseverance time and a positive mindset it is possible to move forward and create a healthier happier life .
