7 Factors of Eating Disorders That Most People Don't Consider during Recovery ...

Heather

7 Factors of Eating Disorders That Most People Don't Consider during Recovery ...
7 Factors of Eating Disorders That Most People Don't Consider during Recovery ...

There are many factors of eating disorders that people don’t consider when someone suffers. It’s never just a matter of what a person with a disorder eats or doesn’t eat. Never tell someone with an eating disorder to “Just go eat a cheeseburger and have a shake.” It is never about the food when it comes to having an eating disorder. Like all illnesses, eating disorders are more about what a person is dealing with emotionally. They only choose to execute the illness through their choice of foods, or lack of food. To find out more about certain factors of eating disorders if you suffer or know someone who is, check out the factors below. I hope to show anyone suffering from an eating disorder or anyone who knows someone who is, that there are many considerations to be made when recovery becomes possible.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:

1

Fear

The number one thing people should know about factors of eating disorders that contribute to the inability to cope, heal, or have a normal relationship with food, is an issue with fear. Fear takes over a person, and they may fear gaining weight that really mirrors the fear of being accepted, loved, or adored. They may also fear losing control, or fear the feeling of being full because it makes them feel fat. For me, I feared gaining weight because I always thought less of myself, and by avoiding calories in my foods, I had control of that fear somehow. It doesn’t make sense, but almost every single person with an eating disorder has a fear issue, and recovery can be scary because a person has to face that fear and let go of the control fear has over them.

2

Safety

Another factor of eating disorders involves safety. For some reason, they have at some point suffered a loss in their life, making them feel unsafe and vulnerable. The eating disorder’s control makes them feel safe, even though both physically and emotionally they are far from it during the depths of an eating disorder. The number one thing anyone should consider when helping someone recover from an eating disorder is to help them find out why food or lack of food helps them feel safe. Getting to the core of the issue is the most important and most effective way to help someone heal.

3

Imbalance

Another factor to be considered when recovering from an eating disorder is the imbalance that occurs with your relationship with food. Not only are your calories imbalanced, but so are your beliefs about food, along with your beliefs about yourself. Be careful when you recover that you balance your food choices and you’ll naturally balance your emotions. Too much unhealthy fat, too much refined sugar, and too much junk food can just exacerbate the imbalance damage on your body and your mind. Don’t associate healthy weight gain with eating junk. This only sets you up for a risk to relapse or give in to disordered eating later. Instead, eat more healthy fats and healthy carbs, which will balance your relationship with your body and your emotions.

4

Take Things Slow

Don’t feel like you have to make too many changes at one time if you’re trying to recover from an eating disorder. Take things slow. Just making one or two changes a week will help you slowly adapt, and be more able to change. In the meantime, it also helps you from becoming so stressed that you panic and revert back to disordered, unhealthy behavior. Taking baby steps might take longer, but will help you get to the finish line, I promise!

5

Mood Factors

Other factors that the family of someone with an eating disorder, along with patients of eating disorders, fail to understand are certain mood factors that contribute to the inability to recover. This includes hormonal imbalances from lack of healthy proteins and fats, along with depleted B vitamins from carbs that can lead to low energy and fatigue. Hormones such as estrogen also drop significantly during a disorder, which contributes to depression and a low libido. Trytophan found in certain foods also helps to fight anxiety that comes with eating disorders, along with foods high in magnesium. Two of the best books I read to help me understand the influence my mood had on my disorder and my recovery were “The Mood Cure” and "The Diet Cure," both by Dr. Julia Ross, M.D. I highly recommend both and have read them numerous times myself.

6

Fear of Intimacy

A huge factor to be considered for someone recovering from an eating disorder is intimacy. Most all people with an eating disorder have intimacy issues. I personally lost touch with all my friends, was terrified of dating and meeting new people, and feared social situations of all kinds. One of the hardest parts about recovery is learning how to trust people in your life again. Most eating disorders start when someone in the sufferer's life hurts them, and the disorder becomes a crutch. Therefore, trying to develop relationships with people again during recovery is just as scary as gaining the weight, if not more.

7

Time

Lastly, one of the most important factors to consider when recovering from an eating disorder is that it takes time, and a lot of it. I suffered from my disorder 15 years, therefore though I’m in my third year of recovery, I’m nowhere near through yet. Knowing this helps you stay aware and active towards recovery, because temptations to revert back to old behaviors will always be there. Even though I would never go back to my old life living with my disorder, I also know that I can’t ever pretend I’m numb to temptations. I would tell anyone with an eating disorder, or anyone who knows someone with an eating disorder, to always keep taking steps and be patient. As long as you’re moving forward, you can learn to heal.

If you know someone with an eating disorder, please offer them patience, though I know it is incredibly hard. My family suffered such a tragedy watching me try to heal and fail over and over, until I finally started to succeed. Don’t give up on anyone, or yourself, because recovery truly is possible. Which one of these factors have you ever dealt with if you’ve had an eating disorder, or know someone who has?

Source: soulfulspoon.com

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

thank you so much for this article. I've been struggling with anorexia for more than two years now, and as time goes on, I recognize all the symptoms you mentioned. Especially the fear of intimacy. Reading your article made me feel less like a freak and gave me some hope. Thank you again Heather

My ED developed happened when I learned I had total control over something. It wrecked my life and everything spun out of control but, I had absolute control of one thing - food. I don't consider myself anywhere safe from my ED because I still worry about weight gain and looking pretty or feeling fat so I restrict myself from certain things and still harbor bad feelings when I slip and cave in. It's all a slippery slope.

I can relate to the time aspect. I had it planned out when I should be recovered by, as if my ED had an expiration date. As soon as I realized that and recognized relapse as a part of recovery to remind you why you are recovering, I was able to move forward. Good article.

For me my eating disorder started because it was the only thing I had control of in my life. But now this disorder is controlling me.

Hey guess what? Anorexia and Bulimia are not the only eating disorders there are. You should really be spreading awareness about this instead of reinforcing the opinion that EDs always make you lose weight.

When I was active in my ED, one contributing factors was the happy childhood memory I had associated with that food. When life was hurting me, I would go straight for my favorite food as a kid because it made me happy. Then I would purge to have control.

Thank you for posting this! More people need to see this when helping one who suffers from an ED and the ones suffering need to see this. This is such an inspiration and it explains the words that we can't possibly say when we aren't in recovery. You're an inspiration love. Keep going strong you CAN keep going. I will be a year recovered from Ana/Mia, SH, and Depression (I wish there could ever be a moment when you are FULLY recovered...) on Jan 22, 2014 :) It's been a hard 11 months and 2 weeks, but I'm getting there, and it's getting a tad bit easier, mainly because I have an amazing support group of friends :) Thank again for posting!

Related Topics

7 Reasons You Should Give up Dieting in 2014 ... 7 Ways Dieting Contributes to Wrinkles and Aging ... 7 Foods You Must Cut Back on to Reduce Sugar Intake ... 7 Ways Sugar Makes You Gain Weight ... 7 Foods You Should Not Keep in the Fridge ... 7 Health Food Hypes Not to Fall for This Year ... 9 Reasons Not to do a Detox Diet This Year ... 8 Seemingly Healthy Foods That Are Bad for You ... 7 Diet Bombs You Simply Must Resist ... 7 Reasons Its More than Calories in versus Calories out ...

Popular Now