Eating Disorders

Characteristics - why does it happen?

The causes of anorexia are a matter of debate in medical circles and society in general. General perspectives fit between the poles of it being physiological or psychological (with the potential for sociological and cultural influences being a cause to various degrees) in origin. Some now take the opinion that it is a mix of both, in that it is a psychological condition which is often (though not inherently) borne of certain conducive neurophysiologic conditions. My own personal perspective on it is that it is a purely psychological problem, based initally on poor self image and low self esteem which can be due to many different things. It can be due to trauma, a change in the body and feeling "heavy", a sudden shift in the perception of oneself from influence in a peer group or maybe just a feeling of not being attractive.

How does it affect someone?

It can affect a sufferer's self confidence and then the self perception in the mirror begins to

change. A feeling of self loathing and dissatisfaction in appearance begins to creep in and

 then as they diet and change, their self image either becomes worse or stays the same

so they never actually see the real image of themselves.

This is a complicated and potentially fatal disorder which is difficult for most people to

understand or to relate to. Even though the medcial community is extremely well

qualified to deal with severe cases and can save the lives of very extreme cases,

the rehabilitation and recovery can be hard and very long.

I have been fortunate and privileged to work with anorexic clients whilst under the

care of Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Dietitians in a complimentary capacity

and the combination certainly appears to work well. I have also worked with

clients who had managed to get their weight stable and live with it but were

still having severe self perception problems which is the main reason for the

situation starting in the first place.

This then spirals into a pattern, where, for them to feel good they must keep losing weight to reach the vision they have in their mind but never see in the mirror. When they eat, the feeling of self disgust and self loathing is so intense it is beyond description and impossible for anyone else to comprehend. This makes it even more difficult for the Anorexic person to communicate exactly what is going on, leaving family members and loved ones desperate to help and putting more pressure on that person to eat. When this happens quite often then that person will begin to withdraw and any reference to food or eating, to be seen eating by others, or, heaven forbid someone commenting on what they eating will constitute itself as being judged and again that intense feeling appears and they won't be able to eat.

Anorexia nervosa has a negative impact on the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). It is also thought to be linked to serotonin and dopamine abnormalities.

Many anorextics are diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive behaviour at some point in their lives. This generally comes from the learned behaviour associated with Anorexia and the obsession with food, its content, affect on the body and in general it takes over their life so that it is a complete pre-occupation on a daily basis. I can't emphasise enough how important it is to that person to have their food for the day planned based on its content, what physical activity they will have that day and the absolute rule that they will burn off more than they put in.

This is all great information about the disorder, but if you suffer from it, trying to tell someone exactly how you feel just after you have eaten is almost impossible.

How do you deal with it?

By working with self esteem and the pattern of behaviour and treatment of the feelings of total self repulsion associated with the condition we can often alleviate the triggers that start the vicious circle. Also, working on the self image and getting a better and more "real" image of yourself along with beginning to feel more comfortable with yourself is really important. This doesn't mean that you will end up fat! It just means that you can see yourself for how you really are, and make decisions about your body realistically and finally be able to have a life outside of your food intake every day.

This is all about gradually reducing the self repulsion and slowly and gently easing the client towards self acceptance and allowing them to gently feel able to increase the food intake. From experience with many clients with anorexia and personal vast diet experience through competing, the diet additions we ask for are always low fat and work with the client so that goals are achievable and feel acceptable without instigating a knee jerk reaction sending the client 10 steps back. It's all about you, working with you in a way that works for you. There are no judgements here, all I ask is that you are honest with me so that we can find what works and doesn't work to give you the freedom to live your life.

If you, or someone you know has this condition, then contact me today to really make a difference from someone who really understands.

Activity anorexia is a problematic behaviour pattern in which a drastic decrease in eating causes progressively more exercise, which further reduces eating, in a vicious cycle. It can also be a way to disguise the Anorexia, a way to appear to eat very lightly but within "normal" limits and then burn it off, and more, from excercise. Some Anorexics will do this to fool people into thinking they are getting better. It is also a good self esteem builder for many people who have an eating disorder as this is a way to give them a feeling of self worth.

When a person has activity anorexia, they value exercise more than they value food. When food intake declines, the person increases their physical activity. Activity anorexia is estimated to occur in 75% of all individuals who have anorexia nervosa.

Many athletes have performed successfully while they had activity anorexia. Seeking a diagnosis and getting treatment should never be based solely on a decrease in performance. Treatment is necessary to combat the complications of activity anorexia.

Symptoms of Activity Anorexia?

Some of the most common symptoms of activity anorexia are:

 Being compulsive about weight and diet. Stealing time to exercise from work, school, and relationships. Chronic gastrointestinal problems. Gastrointestinal problems that interfere with pre-exercise eating. Unbalanced vegetarian eating styles. Defining self-worth in terms of physical performance. Secretive eating. Obsessive calorie counting. Avoiding food-related social situations. Being rarely or never satisfied with athletic achievements. Justifying excessive behaviour by defining self as a "special" elite athlete. Using athletics as an excuse not to eat. Strong desire to exercise despite medical restrictions.

Bulimia, also called bulimia nervosa, is a psychological eating disorder. Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge-eating followed by inappropriate methods of weight control (purging). Inappropriate methods of weight control include vomitting, fasting, enemas, excessive use of laxatives and diuretics, or compulsive exercising. Excessive shape and weight concerns are also characteristics of bulimia. A binge is an episode where an individual eats a much larger amount of food than most people would in a similar situation. Binge eating is not a response to intense hunger. It is usually a response to depression, stress, or self esteem issues. During the binge episode, the individual experiences a loss of control or may also experience a real "rush".

However, the sense of loss of control is also followed by a short-lived calmness. The calmness is often followed by self-loathing and guilt and then a feeling of relief when they purge - also a feeling of being lighter.

The cycle of overeating and purging usually becomes an obsession and is repeated often.

People with bulimia can look perfectly normal. Most of them are of normal weight, and some may be overweight. Women with bulimia tend to be high achievers.

It is often difficult to determine whether a person is suffering from Bulimia. This occurs because bingeing and purging is often done in secret. Also, individuals suffering from Bulimia often hide their condition by bingeing at fast food outlets and then going somewhere quiet to eat where no one can see them.

Sufferers consume huge quantities of food, sometimes up to 20,000 calories at a time. The foods on which they binge tend to be foods labelled as "comfort foods" -- sweet foods, high in calories, or smooth, soft foods like ice cream, cake, and pastry. An individual may binge anywhere from twice a day to several times daily.

Treatment of this condition is frequently done initially with a medical team and with supervision of a psychiatric consultant or team. Your GP is often used as a contact once initial treatment has ended and then some issues remain that were also present when the Bulimia was there. If there is no current treatment in place I still need a referral from your GP and if you are currently undergoing treatment and wish to use therapy to compliment this then I need direct referral from your consultant.

NLP and Hypnotherapy are used to work on your self esteem and your own image of yourself and how you feel after you have eaten and before the binge. Your body image changes in those moments and so do feelings towards yourself so we have to work on and change those triggers to end this cycle. Time Line Therapy has also been amazingly effective, with some clients receiving this and not needing any other treatment!

Contact me for an informal discussion using the contact

form to enquire.