Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders
An eating disorder represents a psychological condition wherein an individual resorts to manipulating their food intake as a means of dealing with emotions and various circumstances.
Unfavourable eating habits may encompass consuming excessive or inadequate amounts of food, as well as becoming excessively preoccupied with body weight and shape.
If you or someone you know is suffering from Eating Disorders and you feel you need someone to talk to. Please contact our helpline on 0808 115 1505 for confidential support.
The most common eating disorders are:
- Anorexia nervosa – attempting to regulate one’s weight by restricting food intake or engaging in excessive exercise, or sometimes both.
- Bulimia – a loss of control over eating habits, followed by extreme measures to prevent weight gain.
- Binge eating disorder (BED) – consuming large quantities of food until feeling uncomfortably full.
Symptoms:
- Spending an excessive amount of time preoccupied with body weight and shape.
- Avoiding social gatherings when food is involved.
- Consuming very limited amounts of food.
- Indulging in harmful behaviours such as self-induced vomiting or using laxatives after meals.
- Engaging in excessive exercise.
- Following extremely rigid food-related habits or routines.
- Experiencing shifts in mood, including withdrawal, anxiety, or depression.
You may also observe physical indications, such as:
- Feeling unusually cold, fatigued, or dizzy.
- Experiencing pain, tingling, or numbness in your limbs (indicative of poor circulation).
- Experiencing a racing heart, fainting, or dizziness.
- Experiencing digestive issues like bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea.
- Noticing significant deviations in weight for your age and height, either too high or too low.
- Experiencing irregularities in menstruation or other delayed signs of puberty.
Treatment for anorexia
Typically, the approach to address anorexia encompasses a blend of conversational counseling and closely monitored efforts towards restoring a healthy weight. Commencing treatment at the earliest juncture holds utmost significance to minimize the likelihood of severe complications, especially when a substantial amount of weight has been lost.
Treatment for bulimia
It's likely that you'll receive an option for a supervised self-assistance plan as an initial approach to address your bulimia. This typically entails engaging with a self-guided book or an internet-based program alongside consultations with a healthcare expert, like a therapist. Should the self-help method prove inadequate or yield insufficient results after a month, alternative therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) or other therapeutic approaches, possibly accompanied by medication, may be proposed to you.
Treatment for binge eating
It's likely that you'll receive an option for a supervised self-assistance plan as an initial approach to address your binge eating. This typically entails engaging with a self-guided book or an internet-based program alongside consultations with a healthcare expert, like a therapist. Should the self-help method prove inadequate or yield insufficient results after a month, alternative therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) or other therapeutic approaches, possibly accompanied by medication, may be proposed to you.
