What is an Eating Disorder?

      Not all eating disorders are the same. But generally, it is known that to have an eating disorder, is to have some type of pattern of extreme disordered eating. Eating disorders are serious psychiatric and physical illnesses. Mayo Clinic suggests that eating disorders "lead to complications including, significant medical problems, depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts and behavior, problems with growth and development, social and relationship problems, substance use disorders, school and work problems and death." Eating habits may be extreme and dangerous. People with these disorders may have specific and strict rules related to the food they eat. Most of time these habits are hard to break and interferes with the persons life in a negative way.

     To have an eating disorder means a lot more than eating unhealthy or dieting. Tendencies of those suffering from eating disorders are severe. The person may refuse to eat, self induce vomit after eating or uncontrollably eat to the point of discomfort. A person might also eat non-food items that are damaging to ingest, or strictly only eat one type of food. Strict rules related to what they eat and how they manage weight may also be present. Refusing to allow yourself to eat during certain hours of the day, compulsively weighing yourself and scaling food, exercising off all calories consumed, are all examples of behavior that someone with an eating disorder may engage in. Punishing oneself for breaking food and diet rules through self harm or experiencing intense guilt may also come along with the symptoms of an eating disorder.

          When someone is experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, they are being negatively affected mentally and emotionally. In the past, when diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia, I had already been struggling for a while beforehand. Emotionally unable to place any importance on anything else but my eating disorder, the only things that mattered to me was the weight on the scale every morning when I woke up, or if I would be able to cut my calories more than then the day before. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eating disorders "are associated with a wide range of adverse psychological, physical, and social consequences." This was absolutely true in my situation. My eating disorder made me stray away from things I would normally be passionate about like school and my friends. Physically drained, I frequently got dizzy and suffered from heart palpitations. Stomach and throat pain where to be expected after a binging and purging cycle. Until I overcame my disorder, I managed to remain loyal to the commands my disorder pushed upon me. My symptoms were unique, Each type of eating disorder has there own physical and mental side affects that vary from person and diagnosis.

NEDA referral helpline 1-800-931-2237

Citations:

"Eating Disorders: About More Than Food." National Institute of Mental Health. NIH Publication No. (TR 14-4901), 2014.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders-new-trifold/index.shtml.Accessed 26 Sept.2016.

Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Symtoms and Causes." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Accessed 26 Sept. 2016.
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/symptoms-causes/dxc-20182875.