Eating Disorder
Eating disorders are a form of addiction that most of us do not realize. They have the same emotional and physical holds on a person as substances do and often an individual will partake in the same reckless behavior while under the spell of an eating disorder just as they would while abusing alcohol. If you suspect your loved one of an eating disorder, you need to get them to help right away. Eating disorders can severely impact your loved one’s health in the future and without treatment, your loved one can self-destruct.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders involve anorexia (refusal to eat), bulimia (eating and purging after), and over-eating. All three eating disorders are typically used as a way to cope with anxiety, depression, or other underlying conditions that the individual is unaware of. Most will use an eating disorder to cope with daily life and even severe stress. After a while, the individual becomes emotionally and physically dependent on that disorder in order to function. Eating disorders are not just found in women. In fact, more men suffer from over-eating and anorexia today than most professionals give credit for. Therefore, never discount a person’s eating disorder because of their gender.
Eating Disorder Signs and Symptoms
Though each type of eating disorder has its own specific set of symptoms, you will notice a trend in all three disorders with symptoms that include:
- Anxiety or depression
- An obsession with food – whether it be when they can eat next or how much they have eaten
- Lack of energy
- Excessive weight gain or loss
- Mood swings
- Excessive sleeping
Eating Disorder Intervention
Identifying and correcting an eating disorder early on is imperative for your loved one’s future health. Eating disorders can impact your loved one’s body by not only creating a severe case of malnutrition but causing infertility issues and even internal damage if the disorder has gone on for a significant amount of time before it is noticed. By sitting down with your loved ones and letting them know they are supported and cared for, they can learn to cope with stress and emotions without the use of food.
Eating Disorder Treatment
Eating disorders require severe psychological remapping and emotional treatment. Since your loved one has compensated for their feelings and stresses with food, they have to reprogram their minds to cope with stress, depression, and even daily life without food as a cure. Since food is still an essential part of your loved one’s life, they will constantly have to face their own weakness, which is why eating disorders have a high reoccurrence rate in comparison to other addictions. That being said, with the right combination of therapy, support groups, and medication, your loved one can cope with their illness and get back on to a healthier, happier path for the rest of their lives.
Contact the eating disorder specialists at LifeLine Intervention today by calling 866-384-8411 and learn the importance of an intervention and how getting your loved one treatment early can prevent them from causing long-term, irreversible damage psychologically and physically.
