Eating disorders are severe disorders that relate to abnormal or disturbed eating habits; they are medical illness that causes physical health complications and psychological problems. The most well-known eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Even though they have some characteristics in common recognizing the critical differences between these two disorders is crucial in order to help those suffering from them.
What Are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are clinical illnesses defined by abnormal eating behaviors, extreme preoccupation with foods, shape or weight, and disturbed perception of body shape. These disorders in most cases warrant severe physical and emotive health implications. Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from eating disorders regardless their gender, age or ethnic background.
Anorexia Nervosa
The main sign of anorexia nervosa is a severe refusal to gain weight. This leads to the starvation thinness that is characteristic of this disease The disease progresses and leads to the death of the patient. This disorder may also be connected with BDD and a morbid preoccupation with weight loss.
Restrictive Eating:
Instead of avoiding foods, anorexics avoid certain types of foods, that is, they make one or more classes of foods off limits in their diets or reduce them to negligible portions.
Fear of Weight Gain:
It is important to note that where there is harm of the catching kind that will come upon them, they also feel if they gain weight.
Distorted Body Image:
She considers the process of weighing herself as fatty even though he may be slim and considering him as underweight.
Impact on the Body
It may become a clinical manifestation with no deep energy leading to abnormal periods, osteoporosis, and damage to the heart.
What is Bulimia Nervosa?
Bulimia nervosa is a dietary disorder that involves regular periods of compulsive eating and then making up for it in one way or the other, usually with vomiting. These are usually practices secretly because if one gets rewarded with what comes with being fat—then they will be punished.
Binge Eating:
Voluminous proportions of meals, which may not be required in the proper biological functioning in a given 24 hour period, are consumed at one time or the other, within a short while.
Compensatory Behaviors:
Great distinction should be paid and clear conscious compared to the other forms of eating disorders wherein, having eaten a lot a person purges or does something like that.
Secretive Nature:
The disorder includes obsession and compulsion, to avoid stigma, or to seek help.
Impact on the Body
The psychological and physiological effects of bulimia are as follows: Cardiovascular – arrhythmia, renal disease, hypertension or hypotension, electrolyte disturbance, and gastro vascular.
About the Similarities of Anorexia and Bulimia
Dysfunctional Eating Habits:
Both conditions lead to abnormal patterns of food intake that lead to disturbance of one’s normal routine activities.
Body Image Distortion:
Every patient diagnosed with either of the two diseases always has an abnormal perception of their body weight.
Physical and Emotional Impact:
Other illnesses such as anorexia or bulimia also have severe psychological and physical complications that will lower the patients quality of life.
Stigma and Shame:
In most cases people suffering from eating disorders there is always the feeling of embarrassment and so cannot go for medical checkup for the illness.
Recognizing the Signs
The focus needs therefore to explain some of the symptoms associated with anorexia and bulimia so that necessary action may be initiated.
Common signs include:
- Sudden change such as, putting on some weight and, especially when a terminal consumer has undergone through drastic weight loss programs.
- Concern with the kind of foods they take, the number of calories they take and their weight.
- Privacy over food. Onions are also hidden from relatives, even large numerous ones, and neighbors will also eat discreetly.
- This condition is succeeded by withdrawal from social commitments and participation in several activities they used to be involved in exercising above a certain level or lack of it in sporting activities are sudden exclusions for instance, of one sort of food or other or even complete dishes
Treatment for Anorexia and Bulimia
Recovery from anorexia and bulimia means a cure of not only physical but body and mind as well. Treatment typically includes:
- Medical Stabilization: In the course of the disease, one may develop complications, especially physical, that call for hospital admission to stabilize his/her condition, for instance, hypo/hypernutrition, irregular heartbeat or further electrolyte disturbances.
- Nutritional Counseling: Registered dietitian can assist people set realistic goals of diet modification, and the optimum nourishment that they require.
- CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy emphasises on behavior modification of distorted thoughts and maladaptive beliefs towards eating and food.
- DBT: Dialectical Behavior Therapy is about teaching a person different ways to handle stress and emotional vulnerability.
- Family-Based Therapy (FBT): Encourages members of the adolescents’ family to participate in the recovery process.
- Medication: Sometimes, other drugs like the antidepressant, or anxiolytic may also be prescribed as the patient may suffer from some mental disorder.
- Support Groups: Support of other people with similar conditions can help individuals go over the obstacles in recovery process.
Treatment Programs
Our program at Revelare Recovery specializes in the treatment of anorexia and bulimia in women as they develop customized treatment plans. Our programs include:
Residential Treatment: An enclosed setting, which offers around the clock supervision, health services and treatment.
Outpatient Programs: For people who can continue working, perform daily tasks and functional activities, there is a versatile approach to the chosen treatment method.
Individualized Care Plans: Treatments administered are therefore based on the presentation as well as the problems and goals of each patient.
Holistic Therapies: Yoga therapy/mindfulness and art therapy as parts of holistic health care delivery system.
Aftercare Support: Continuing care services as all patients require support after intermediate care in order to avoid slipping back to the earlier bad state.
For anyone who needs it, there is support and help for anorexia and bulimia and no one should wait to get it. Revelare Recovery is ready and waiting for your call at (888)-341-0244: take the first step for a better tomorrow.
