Eating Disorder Help For Sufferers

By Tanisha Berg


Food is not the real issue when it comes to eating disorders. The underlying cause is emotional distress and food is used as a way of dealing with this. Controlling the amount of food consumed helps the anorexic to feel in control. Bulimics have a compulsion to binge and then purge as a result of their self-loathing and helplessness. These disorders can continue for years and seriously affect both suffers and their loved ones. Eating disorder help has to be obtained as early as possible, giving the sufferer the best opportunity to recover.

It is not always easy to determine if an individual has a problem like this from their outward appearance, unless it has progressed beyond a certain stage. Sufferers make every attempt to conceal their behavior as they often feel ashamed of what they are doing. However, there are certain warning signs that one can look out for. Anorexics will make every excuse not to eat such as that they have already had a large meal or that they have a stomach ache. When they do eat, they usually consume very small portions.

A person who always goes straight to the bathroom after a meal may have a problem with bulimia. Other signs are indulging in frantic exercising or using laxatives or diuretics. Certain physical symptoms caused by constant throwing up may be observed such as problems with teeth from constant exposure to stomach acid.

Without the necessary treatment, these illnesses have little chance of improving. Research has showed that 20 percent of those who suffer from anorexia die before their time and bulimia can cause severe medical repercussions. This is why it is so important for the issue to be addressed as soon as possible.

It is not always easy to address and requires a calm, loving but firm approach. Sufferers may react defensively and deny they have a problem. It is important not to give up on them. Professional help is needed to obtain a diagnosis and to assess what medical condition the sufferer is in. Once a proper evaluation has been done, a sufferer will most likely be treated as an outpatient.

This means that they are able to stay at home and still attend school while getting the assistance they need. This assistance usually consists of a combination of nutritional support, individual therapy, group therapy as well as psychiatric care. The nutritional support usually consists of developing meal plans and setting goals for achieving a healthy body weight. The therapy is devoted to uncovering underlying emotional issues. A support group led by a peer offers a safe haven where experiences can be shared.

If the sufferer shows a lack of improvement in an outpatient setting, inpatient care may be required. If a person is severely under weight, many different medical problems can result and this usually requires hospitalization. Setbacks can occur and it may take some time before any results are seen.

Sufferers do not recover quickly from such disorders. Recovery requires far more than just achieving a healthy weight. New ways of thinking and patterns of behavior have to be established and this takes time. Loved ones have to realize this and rejoice with every small step taken to recovery rather than putting pressure on the sufferer.




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