Russell Brand, Lily Collins, Hilary Duff, Zayn Malik, Shawn Johnson, Demi Lovato, Jane Fonda, Zoe Kravitz, Elton John, and Kesha are only a handful of the many stars who have opened up to the public about their very private struggle with bulimia or anorexia. These eating disorders are more and more connected with Hollywood, but the truth is that as many as 30 million regular people struggle with irregular eating habits while feeling severe anxiety about their body’s shape and weight.
Sometimes, people think of eating disorders as an angst-filled phase that teens go through and will grow out of, but this is a dangerous mischaracterizations of these life-threatening disorders. Without treatment, bulimia and anorexia may cause substantial health problems. Anorexia even has the highest death rate of all psychiatric disorders.
Sadly, effective treatments are available, but only about 10 percent of people receive the treatment they need. Psychological and medical interventions can be combined and tailored to each person’s needs, and successful treatment usually begins with acknowledging the problem and reaching out for help.
The therapists at Thriveworks Cumming know the physical and mental health challenges that anorexia and bulimia bring, and we are aim to provide holistic care to each client.
Diagnosing Anorexia and Bulimia
Most commonly known simply as anorexia and bulimia, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are two of the most widely known forms of eating disorders. They are separate diagnoses, but they share many characteristics. Psychological challenges often accompany them, such as depression and anxiety disorders. Bulimia and anorexia can also afflict men and women. They most often develop during a person’s teenage years or early adulthood, but they can form at any age.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) gives the following diagnostics for anorexia:
- Acute and ungrounded fear of gaining weight that manifests as interference with healthy weight maintenance and gain.
- Severely limiting food consumption in order to achieve substantially lower body weight in relationship to averages for one’s age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.
- Contempt for one’s body weight or shape; inability to see the low body weight.
The DSM-5 gives the following diagnostics for bulimia:
- Recurrent times of binge eating, including,
- Losing control during an eating binge.
- Eating, during a period of time, more food than most people would eat during the same period of time and under similar circumstances.
- Attempting to thwart weight gain through repeated behaviors such as the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications; fasting; self-induced vomiting; or excessive exercise.
- A self-concept that is dominated by body weight and shape.
Root Causes
The specific reasons bulimia and anorexia develop in an individual are person and varied. But speaking generally, therapists often categorize these causes into two distinct groups: biological causes and environmental causes.
- Nutritional deficiencies, genetics and irregular hormone functions would count as biological causes.
- Family or childhood trauma, living in a culture obsessed with body-type, and peer pressure to be thin would count as environmental causes.
Health Challenges
A culture obsession with thinness does not always lead to healthy bodies. Skinny and healthy are very different concepts, and bulimia and anorexia often increase a person’s risk for acute health challenges.
Low heart rate, abnormal heartbeat, low blood pressure, risk of heart failure and disease, infertility, disruptions in menstrual cycle, disruptions in the endocrine system, premature osteoporosis,low white blood cell counts, anemia, kidney damage, and premature death are possible health challenges that accompany anorexia.
Ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, tooth decay, gastric rupture, constipation, kidney damage, electrolyte imbalance, and heart failure are possible health challenges that accompany anorexia.
Treatment for Anorexia and Bulimia
Could you resonate with any of the causes or diagnoses of bulimia or anorexia? Does someone in your life show signs of these disorders? Help is available, and Thriveworks Cumming counselors know how to tailor a holistic treatment plan that meets each individual’s needs.
Acknowledging that something may be off and seeking help takes courage. We understand how difficult it can be to schedule treatment for bulimia or anorexia, so we aim to support our clients from the moment they first dial our office. A person answers our phone and helps our clients find an appointment that is convenient for them. We offer weekend and night sessions, and we work with most insurance companies.
Bulimia and anorexia have effective treatments. Call Thriveworks Cumming for help finding the treatment that works for you.
