Understanding Symptoms and Therapy for Feeding and Eating Disorders

October 22 2024 TalktoAngel 0 comments 169 Views

Eating disorders are those behavioral conditions that are characterized by severe and persistent disturbances in eating behaviours and are associated with distressing thoughts and emotions. They may develop serious illnesses that impair social, psychological, and physical functioning.

Eating disorders are frequently linked to anxiety with eating too much food or the effects of consuming particular meals, as well as obsessions with food, weight, or attractiveness. The following behaviours are linked to eating disorders: binge eating, obsessive exercise, purging by vomiting or overusing laxatives, and restricted or avoided food consumption. These behaviors can appear similar to an addiction. The greatest psychologists offer online counselling to address the stress, low self-esteem, worry, despair, and rage difficulties that eating disorders frequently cause.

Types Of Eating Disorders

1. Anorexia nervosa: Anorexia nervosa is marked by severe self-imposed starvation and significant weight loss, leading to a body weight that is dangerously low for an individual's height and age.

There are two subtypes of anorexia nervosa:

Restricting kind, in which dieters, fasters, or over-exercisers are the main methods used to shed pounds.
Binge-eating/purging type in which participants occasionally engage in either binge-eating or purging.

Common symptoms :

stringent eating habits, including setting strict daily food quotas.
Fear of gaining weight
Distorted body image
Amenorrhea (loss of menstrual period)
Significant weight loss, depression, irritability, anxiety

2. Bulimia Nervosa: Bulimia sufferers frequently consume enormous quantities of food in little intervals. Bulimia patients often eat a large amount of food quickly.

Common symptoms :

Recurring episodes of binging and purging
Consuming a large amount of food quickly
Feeling a lack of control over eating
Purging through vomiting, laxatives, and diuretics
Use of enemas and other methods to purge

3. Binge Eating Disorder: People with binge eating disorder often find themselves in episodes characterized by the rapid consumption of large amounts of food, much like those affected by bulimia nervosa. In these instances, they commonly experience an overwhelming sense of losing control over their eating and may grapple with deep feelings of distress and guilt about their eating patterns.

Common symptoms:

Even when not hungry, swiftly gobble up a lot of food.
Lack of control over eating behaviour.
Embarrassment or distress following overindulgence in food.
Physical symptoms: weight gain, digestive issues, and related health problems.

4. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: ARFID is a recently defined eating disorder that involves a disturbance in eating resulting in persistent failure to meet nutritional needs and extreme picky eating.

Common symptoms:

Afraid of choking, sensitive senses, or not wanting to eat, people may not eat.
Weight loss or poor growth in children.
Nutritional deficiencies and dependency on supplements.

5. Pica: An individual with pica, an eating problem, will often consume non-food items that are devoid of nutrients. The behaviour has lasted for at least a month and is severe enough to need medical attention.

Common symptoms:

Potential health risks like poisoning, infections, or digestive issues.

6. Rumination Disorder: Rumination disorder involves the repeated regurgitation and re-chewing of food after eating whereby swallowed food is brought back up into the mouth voluntarily and is re-chewed and re-swallowed or spat out

Common symptoms:

Food is repeatedly regurgitated, chewed again, swallowed again, or spat out again.
Loss of weight or underdevelopment in youngsters.
Eating in public less often because of embarrassment.

Stress has the potential to exacerbate eating problems, which can lead to low motivation and unhealthy behaviour addiction. They significantly impact physical health, necessitating professional intervention for recovery and well-being.

Therapies for eating disorders

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps identify and change distorted thinking patterns and behaviours related to food, body image, and eating.Effective for anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.

2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Focuses on emotional regulation and coping mechanisms.Useful for individuals with bulimia and binge eating disorder.

3. Family-Based Therapy (FBT): Involves the family in the course of treatment, particularly in the case of anorexic teenagers.

4. Individual Counseling: One-on-one sessions with a professional are helpful if the client’s main concern is confidentiality.

5. Medication: Antidepressants (e.g., SSRIs) may be prescribed for bulimia and binge eating disorder—medications to manage anxiety, depression, or other co-occurring conditions.

6. Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores underlying psychological issues and unresolved emotional conflicts that contribute to disordered eating.Focuses on self-awareness and emotional growth.

7. Group Therapy: Provide a safe space for people to talk about their experiences and get advice from those going through comparable struggles. Create an environment where individuals can openly share their experiences and seek guidance from others facing similar challenges. This fosters a sense of community, promotes accountability, and helps alleviate feelings of loneliness.

8. Mindfulness-Based Therapies: Includes mindfulness meditation and techniques to increase awareness of hunger and fullness cues.Enhances emotional management and lessens instances of excessive eating.

Conclusion

Early intervention and a multidisciplinary approach are crucial for effective treatment and recovery from eating and feeding disorders. Getting expert assistance is crucial if you or anyone you know is experiencing these problems. For that concern, TalktoAngel is the best platform to seek help, where the client is heard and the best support and guidance is provided according to their unique needs. Utilizing online counselling can enhance accessibility to resources and professionals, allowing for tailored strategies focused on self-improvement and goal setting. Connecting with the best psychologist in India can lead to significant progress in addressing these challenges and fostering a healthier mindset.

Contributed by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist & Life Coach & Ms Riya Rathi, Counselling Psychologist.

References

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Eating disorders. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders
Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Eating disorders. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20353610
National Eating Disorders Association. (n.d.). Types of eating disorders. National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2015). Pica. Pediatrics, 136(4), e1004-e1006. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2904
Hsu, L. K. G. (2011). Rumination disorder: Clinical features and management. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 44(3), 257-261. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20833
National Eating Disorders Association. (n.d.). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for eating disorders. National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/what-therapy
Psychology Today. (n.d.). Dialectical behavior therapy. Psychology Today. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/dialectical-behavior-therapy
National Centre for Eating Disorders. (n.d.). Family-based therapy (FBT). National Centre for Eating Disorders. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.nationalcentreformedicalfamilytherapy.org/family-based-therapy