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Eating Disorders
An eating disorder is a condition that occurs due to abnormal eating behaviors.
These conditions usually cause eating habits to be inadequate or excessive. For example, there are eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorder.
These conditions can have serious physical and psychological consequences. If you realize that you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you should seek the support of a psychologist without delay. No diagnosis or treatment can be made based on this article. It is for informational purposes only.
Before touching on the subject of Eating Disorders, I should state that I have observed emotional eating in many of these eating disorders. Of course, we cannot say that this is the cause of all of them, but it is important not to overlook that it is also a factor.
Food and Meaning
Our first feeding moments in infancy eliminate not only physical tension but also emotional tension. In other words, the first relief we feel is actually at the moment of breastfeeding.
Feeling hungry makes us cry and being full relaxes. In addition, eating is a source of pleasure in itself. And it is one of the most accepted sources of pleasure.
A full stomach is very relaxing for us. It provides rooting in moments of stress.
We feel safe after eating.
Therefore, looking at the refrigerator when we feel restless, even looking at it empty-handedly even though we know we won’t find anything in it, becomes a relaxing cycle for us.
When things turn around
Many people respond to psychological disorders such as stress, anxiety, or depression by experiencing disruptions in their appetite.
**Mental health and eating habits** significantly influence each other.
**So, how can you tell if you are experiencing an eating disorder?**
- Being underweight/overweight for your height and age or refusing to maintain a healthy body weight
- Having an intense fear of becoming obese or gaining weight, even if you are underweight
- Constantly obsessing over thoughts of being overweight
- Placing excessive importance on body shape or weight in defining yourself
- Hearing comments from others like, “Have you lost a lot of weight?” or “You look thinner,” and denying them
- Experiencing amenorrhea in women (e.g., missing at least three consecutive menstrual cycles)
- Engaging in inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as intentional vomiting, or the use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications
- Excessive dieting and overexercising
- Having recurring episodes of binge eating (eating a large amount of food in a short period and feeling a loss of control over eating)
- Eating much faster and more than normal
- Eating excessively even when you’re not hungry
- Eating alone out of embarrassment or fear of being judged for how you eat
Types of Eating Disorders
Anorexia
Anorexia is when the food you consume does not provide the energy you need to stay healthy.
According to experts, it is the most deadly of the 12 types of eating disorders. In addition to causing serious health problems such as amenorrhea and heart damage, it is also diagnosed with diseases such as substance use, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), various personality disorders and especially major depression.
Although most people think anorexia is related to weight loss and dieting, it is much more complex. It is a psychological disorder in which low self-perception, negative self-image and intense feelings of distress are frequently encountered.
Bulimia
In our lives, we resort to many solutions when struggling with emotions and problems. Feeling safe after eating and not being able to prevent the effort to continue this feeling can make things inextricable.
The most important point in diagnosing bulimia nervosa is the recurring binge eating attacks accompanied by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting and preventing weight gain. The person feels ashamed and guilty about eating too much and then forces themselves to vomit.
Binge Eating Disorder
It is an eating disorder that is rapid and independent of physical hunger, in which more than one person may consume at least once a week and for more than three months. It is also accompanied by extreme feelings of guilt afterwards. Unlike bulimia, there is no need to vomit after eating.
Pika
It is a desire to eat non-food items (soil, scissors, chalk, paper) that lasts longer than a month. It is a disease that is commonly seen in children and is known as soil eating disease among the public. In order to be diagnosed, the child must be at least 2 years old.
Rumination Disorder
Although the main symptom is vomiting without nausea, swallowed food is regurgitated from the stomach and chewed and swallowed again. Depending on the person, the size and amount of food, the regurgitation time can range from 10-15 minutes to 1-2 hours.
Psychologist support in Eating Disorders
One of the most challenging psychological disorders to take the **first step** toward addressing is eating disorders. The steps we take in this process are entirely tailored to the type and nature of the eating disorder the individual is experiencing.
With my clients who have shown positive progress, we focus on the following:
- Developing coping skills (e.g., identifying emotions, problem-solving, assertiveness).
- Creating cognitive and healthy behavioral patterns related to self, promoting a positive identity, and preventing the recurrence of eating disorders.
- Restoring eating habits back to normal.
- Observing and eliminating binge eating patterns, ensuring the consumption of healthy foods in appropriate amounts.
- Implementing lifestyle changes to stop overeating or undereating, achieve weight loss, and improve overall health.
You can take the first step towards eating disorder treatment in Cihangir and anywhere there is internet, and you can call my office 24/7 for more information and to make an appointment.