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Minding Your Body: How to Treat Eating Disorders
It has become a popular joke. They say it's a model's sickness, eating then
throwing up in order to "stay in shape". Well, it's a lot more serious than
that, and it definitely won't keep you "in shape". It isn't cool at all because
if you've seen Lindsay Lohan or Nicole Richie's recent photos, you'd be afraid.
Very afraid.
But eating disorders can come in different sorts and varieties. There are some
that will desiccate you and leave you stick-thin. Others can inflate you to a
bloated mass. All just spells one word: Lethal. Eating disorders can kill, and
in a mean, torturous way. Eating disorders will wreak havoc on both body and
mind, both on the individual and his loved ones.
They joked about it in Zoolander. Some of the more famous eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia. There is also binge eating. The former two share a lot of signs and symptoms, the latter being almost the opposite. But an undeniable, common pattern emerges.
Anorexia in layman's terms would translate to "the relentless pursuit of being
thin" or "proper size". Some eating disorder signs include the person's
ultra-rigid diet regimen which entails eating meals with almost no nutritional
value, or skipping meals entirely just to lose weight. In women, menstrual
periods stop, young girls do not begin to menstruate at the appropriate age. In
men, levels of sex hormones fall. The person denies the dangers of low weight
and is terrified of becoming fat. He/she is also terrified of gaining weight
even though markedly underweight and interestingly enough, even reports feeling fat even when very thin.
Bulimia Nervosa is known as the "diet-binge-purge" eating disorder. It is a bit
different to Anorexia; the person binge eats and feels out of control while
doing it. Bulimics resort to vomiting, misuse of laxatives, exercises, or fasts
to get rid of the calories. Diets when not bingeing but when hunger comes,
binges again.
Binge eating is quite self-explanatory. The victim binge eats, period. Unlike
Anorexia or Bulimia, there is no release. The person binge eats frequently and
repeatedly and feels out of control and unable to stop. Intake continues rapidly
and secretly, like snacking and nibbling all day long. Usually the person
afflicted has a history of eating disorder and diet failures and tends to be
depressed and obese.
Changes like these can heavily impair the chemical balance of one's body. We all know that the body and mind should co-exist harmoniously, simply because the brain is a part of the body and is affected physically. In this case, it is an unhealthy mind which causes an unhealthy body which perpetuates an unhealthy mind (follow?).
Studies have shown that anorexics and bulimics usually equate
thinness to self-worth, and binge eaters eat to drown their emotional pains.
These people undergo traumatic experiences that affect their mental, emotional
and physical states that it should only be fitting to give each one proper
treatment.
Most people with eating disorders, especially in the beginning, will resist
treatment and behavior change. Just like drug addiction, it will be difficult
process of rehabilitation. After a while, however, they begin to understand that
the supposed benefits of thinness or overeating are only an illusion that will
never bring them happiness. Starving, stuffing, purging, and other
self-destructive behaviors will never lead to peace and a meaningful life. When
people get to this point, and when they begin to look for better ways to build
meaningful lives, recovery from eating disorders becomes a real possibility.
Eating disorders are certainly treatable, and lots of people recover from them.
But recovery is a difficult process that can take seven to ten years or even
longer. Some people do better than others and make faster progress. The folks
who do best, work with physicians and counselors who help them resolve both the medical and psychological issues that contribute to, or result from, disordered
eating. About 80 percent of people with eating disorders who seek treatment
either recover completely or make significant progress. Sadly, the rest remain
chronic sufferers or die.
Because many factors contribute to the development of an eating disorder, and
since every person's situation is different, the "best treatment" should be
custom tailored for each individual. The process begins with an evaluation by a
physician or counselor.
A lot of studies agree upon several things. Of course, attention to the
patient's physical is prioritized to alleviate the situation. Hospitalization is
required to prevent death, suicide, and medical crisis. A weight restoration
program for eating disorder patients is carried out to improve health, mood, and
cognitive functioning. Medication is also given to relieve depression and
anxiety.
Individual counseling is also needed to develop healthy ways of taking control
of one's life. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has proved effective in
treating bulimia and binge eating disorder. Counseling of choice for anorexia is
determined by individual and family circumstances. Some specifics steps include
group counseling, family counseling, nutrition counseling and support groups.
Still, everything relies on the effort and persistence of the patient. If his
mind and body is dedicated to pursue the road to recovery from eating disorders, then already half the battle is won.
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