by DirectorEating disorders are behavioural conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviours and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. They can be very serious conditions affecting physical, psychological and social function. According to: American psychiatric association
Emotional Eating: Emotional eating is when you are very high or very low in your emotional phase for example people eat more when they are feeling lonely or really excited and happy.
Basically, it is a distraction technique which most of the people follow and their anxiety to follow such rituals. It is proven that any type of sugar contain makes you feel better when you are feeling low or high in your emotions but that is for temporary solution.
Cause of emotional eating: It is yet not seen any particular reason for eating disorder it is a mental condition it can be genetic or biology.
Types of eating disorder:
1) Anorexia
2) Bulimia
3) Binge eating
4) Restrictive food intake
1) Anorexia: it is serious medical condition people with anorexia include low body weight and they have fear of gaining weight.
2) Bulimia: It is condition of eating when person eats a lot and then puke.
3) Binge eating: it says in name that people eats lots of food or do excessive exercise.
4) Restrictive food intake: restrictive food intake when person eat very limited food or not eating at all.
Treatment:
Psychological therapy is very important component in eating disorder. Cognitive behaviour therapy helps the most in eating disorder.
It helps in:
- Normalize your eating patterns and achieve a healthy weight.
- Exchange unhealthy habits for healthy ones.
- Learn how to monitor your eating and your moods.
Case History:
This is a case of 22 year old girl who is diagnosed with anorexia she was 12yr old when she used to obsessed her brother tease her by calling fat which irritate her a lot. Her parents complained that she skip the breakfast and lunch also avoid that is high fat and throw food in dustbin. Her parents says she is loves desserts but after having cakes and donuts she puke, after talking with her we found out that girl feel very anxious about her weight and constantly feels about how to look perfect in front of everyone
We started her treatment with giving her cognitive behavioural therapy where we make her understand that feelings are not facts and try to make her accept her the way she looks. Also we took family therapy where we took help from her parents to balanced her lifestyle specially her eating pattern. After 1 year of therapy session and balanced lifestyle she gained 10kg weight and now she is no more anxious about her looks.
Self care check list:
1) Accept your self the way you are.
2) Eat healthy food.
3) Don’t eat when you’re feeling high or low in your emotions.
4) Label only jars not to yourself.
5) Its okay to talk about your mental health.
Article by Ms. Manushi Upadhyay.