A Comprehensive Guide for Understanding and Managing Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are the maladaptive psychological behaviors and cognitive patterns that affect a person’s eating habits. We at Positive Reset Mental Health Clinic have seen it often: a large number of our population suffers from eating disorders. The majority are teenagers, especially females. According to an estimate, almost 28 million Americans have suffered from an eating disorder at some point in their life.
A brief introduction to eating disorders
Eating disorders are a group of psychological conditions that lead to the development of unhealthy eating habits. They may start with an obsession with food, weight, or body figure.
In severe cases, eating disorders cause serious health consequences and even death if left untreated. Eating disorders are one of the serious mental illnesses. People suffering from eating disorders can have a variety of symptoms. Common symptoms include;
Severe food restriction
Overeating
Voiding
Vomiting
Excessive exercise
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is probably the best-known eating disorder.
It usually develops during adolescence or early adulthood and affects women more often than men (10). People with anorexia often believe they are overweight when they are dangerously underweight. They tend to constantly monitor their weight, avoid certain types of food and strictly limit their calorie intake. The most common symptoms of anorexia nervosa are;
Very restricted eating habits
Intense fear of gaining weight
Significant influence of weight or shape on self-esteem
Distorted body image, including denial of being severely underweight
Constant desire to be thin and unwilling to maintain a healthy weight
However, it is essential to note that body weight should not be the main focus when diagnosing anorexia.
Identifying the causes of eating disorders
Identifying the cause of eating disorders could be tricky for a therapist. Sometimes multiple factors play the cause of an eating disorder. Additionally, several external factors, such as social or cultural trends, affect teens drastically.
Therapists use therapeutic techniques which allow them to assess the cognitive pattern of the patient. Moreover, they can use assessment tools that reveal the person’s unconscious beliefs and personality traits.
Psychotherapy is an effective tool that allows patients to gain more insight into their faulty beliefs and thought processes.
Here is a brief discussion of the common causes of eating disorders that therapists diagnose:
Mental health
Risk factors for mental health can include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and childhood trauma.
Social stressors such as bullying and peer pressure.
Body image
Risk factors related to eating behavior and body image may also be associated with developing eating disorders. These may include:
Body dissatisfaction
Feeding, eating, or gastrointestinal problems in young children
Permanent weight loss
Weight-related jokes and comments criticizing weight
Family dysfunction
It has been recognized as a cause of eating disorders for a long time. However, families do not simply cause eating disorders. They could install faulty disbeliefs that, in turn, may serve as a basis for the onset of an eating disorder.
Common causes of significant eating disorders
Anorexia
People with anorexia nervosa restrict their food intake, fear gaining weight, and have a distorted view of their weight and health. A low body mass index (BMI) – essentially being underweight – has been identified as a risk factor.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurring episodes of binge eating and binge eating, has several established risk factors. These include:
The belief that thinness equals attractiveness (ideally thin internalized)
Negative body image (body dissatisfaction)
Feeling pressured to lose weight
Do a cosmetic treatment
Binge eating disorder
Binge eating is similar to bulimia nervosa but without the purging aspect.
One study noted that the following factors were associated with binge eating in adulthood among girls:
Youth body dissatisfaction
Symptoms of depression
Self-degradation
Hospitalization for treating eating disorders
Medical management at the inpatient level is critical. Many patients require monitoring of vital signs, intravenous fluids, tube feedings, medications, and laboratory tests.
Because hospitalization is costly, it is usually short-term. Many patients remain hospitalized until their condition is stable enough to continue at a lower level of care.
If necessary, it can also include other specialists, including those offering individual therapy sessions. Station units are usually associated with a complete hospital or related. The hospital can provide access to various medical experts such as heart disease experts, neurologists, stomach-narrow diseases, and other medical experts.
Nutrition and medical feeding
Hospital staff will also provide basic nutritional information and consultations, and nutritionists will develop a meal plan. Suppose a person is not eating enough to gain or maintain weight. In that case, doctors and other treatment team members may recommend medical feeding, which involves inserting a tube through the person’s nose into the stomach.
Tube feeding
The tube can then deliver nutrients directly into the stomach. Medical catering is one of the unique services that hospital care can provide.
Assisted feeding
Another type of support that hospitalization can provide is meal support. Staff will usually monitor all patient meals to offer support and monitor intake.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best way to determine whether a person needs inpatient eating disorder treatment or hospitalization is to be evaluated by a mental health specialist. Eating disorder specialists will be able to assess the situation;
Medically
Psychologically
Historical information
Hence, if you or your loved one suffers from an eating disorder, do not hesitate to professional seek help. Eating disorders are treatable with proper care and attention. Contact us today.