Eating disorders are NOT about food and weight. They are symptoms caused by a number of emotional stressors and influences. An eating disorder is an illness that has overwhelming consequences on all aspects of the sufferer’s life and on their loved ones. The most common element surrounding all eating disorders is the inherent presence of a low self-esteem.
People suffering an eating disorder are at risk of experiencing a number of related health risks, such as heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and cholesterol, kidney disease and/or failure, arthritis, bone deterioration, dental erosion and decay. They may also develop other self-destructive or negative behaviours in combination with the eating disorder, such a ‘cutting’ themselves, and withdrawing from friends, family and other activities they had previously enjoyed.
All eating disorders are complex emotional issues. Although sometimes incorrectly considered, as mere vanity or a dangerously obsessive but superficial weight concern, those suffering have deep emotional conflicts that need to be resolved. These require gentle, professional understanding and guidance.
Somatic Psychotherapy, with its dimensional and holistic approach to the whole person’s being, supports, facilitates and guides people struggling with eating disorders to gain some constructive and sustainable control over these issues.
Anorexia Nervosa Those who are suffering with this illness experience low self-esteem and are often compelled to control their surroundings and emotions. Anorexia is a unique reaction to a variety of external and internal conflicts, such as stress, anxiety, unhappiness and feeling like life is out of control.
Many sufferers feel they do not deserve pleasure in life, and deprive themselves of such experiences, including eating. Ironically, by restricting food intake, there is often a powerful sense of control and pleasure. In this way not eating can become a habit.
The person suffering with Anorexia may be abnormally sensitive about being seen as fat, or have an obsessive fear of becoming fat.
Some of the behavioural signs can be:
obsessive exercise
calorie and fat gram counting
starvation and restriction of food
self-induced vomiting
the use of diet pills, laxatives or diuretics in an attempt to control weight
constant concern with body image
Binge Eating People living with Binge Eating Disorder suffer a combination of symptoms similar to those of Compulsive Overeaters and Bulimia. The sufferer periodically goes on large binges, consuming an unusually large quantity of food in a short period of time, uncontrollably eating until they are uncomfortably full.
The weight of each individual is usually characterised as above average or overweight, and sufferers tend to have a more difficult time losing weight and maintaining average healthy weights. Unlike Bulimia, they do not purge following a Binge episode.
Reasons for Binge Eating can be similar to those of Compulsive Overeating. The Bingeing is used as a way to hide from their emotions, to fill a void they feel inside, and to cope with daily stresses and problems in their lives. Bingeing can be used as a way to keep people away by subconsciously maintaining an overweight appearance and confirming the sufferer’s feelings of not deserving love. As with Bulimia, Bingeing can also be used as self-punishment for doing bad things, or having bad feelings.
Both Anorexia and Bulimia It is not uncommon for people suffering with Anorexia to waver through periods of Bulimia (bingeing and purging) as well.
There are many similarities in both illnesses, the most common being the underlying cause. Research is indicating a common occurrence of sexual and/or physical and emotional abuse being in direct relation to eating disorders (though not all people living with Eating Disorders are survivors of abuse). There also seems to be a direct connection in some people to Depression. The eating disorder sometimes causes the depression or the depression can lead to the eating disorder.
Bulimia Nervosa Those suffering with Bulimia eat a large quantity of food in a short period of time followed by enormous guilt and then purge inducing vomiting, using laxatives, diuretics, and/or diet pills or over exercise. Utilising this process they attempt to remove feelings of anger, depression, stress or anxiety. This will often be about how they feel about themselves emotionally, or how they perceive a particular event or series of events in their lives, underpinned by a distorted and unrelenting obsession with their body image. It is not uncommon for people suffering with Anorexia to waver through periods of Bulimia (binging and purging) as well.
There are many similarities in both illnesses, the most common being the underlying cause. Research is indicating a common occurrence of sexual and/or physical and emotional abuse being in direct relation to eating disorders (though not all people living with Eating Disorders are survivors of abuse). There also seems to be a direct connection in some people to Depression. The eating disorder sometimes causes the depression or the depression can lead to the eating disorder.
Compulsive Overeating People suffering with Compulsive Overeating have what is described as an "addiction" to food. Large quantities of high calorie foods can for a time, allow a sufferer to hide from their emotions, fill a void within them, or to cope with daily stresses and problems.
People suffering with this Eating Disorder tend to be overweight. Obese or not, those who binge eat, are often conscious of their inappropriate eating patterns, feel ashamed and try to hide these behaviours. Interestingly, even those who are unaware of their eating problem still feel ashamed. However, all become efficient at hiding it, so that even close friends and family members are unaware that they binge eat.
Unthinking comments such as, "just go on a diet" are as emotionally devastating to a person suffering Compulsive Overeating as "just eat" can be to a person suffering Anorexia.
Not only does food become an anaesthetic, but some Compulsive Overeaters will ‘hide’ behind their overweight, using it as defence against society (common in survivors of sexual abuse).
In a combined interlocking of defences, they feel shame for being overweight, guilty for not being good enough resulting in very low self-esteem. They then find themselves in a cycle of using food to cope with these feelings, making them feel even worse and trying to find a way to cope again, usually by eating.
Thus alienated, suffering low self-esteem, deprived of love and validation, he/she will turn to obsessive episodes of food as a way to forget the pain and the desire for affection.