Signs Of An Eating Disorder And When To Seek Treatment
Eating disorders can affect anyone young or old, and they can affect both males and females alike. This is a disorder that is usually self-diagnosed, although most are in denial that they have a disorder and won't seek treatment because seeking treatment may mean that they will gain weight, or they are ashamed of their disorder. If you aren't sure if you have an eating disorder, or you aren't sure when you should seek help for your disorder, read on for some information to help guide you.
Signs Of An Eating Disorder
You may not consider yourself as having an eating disorder, although there are telltale signs that you do have one. One of those signs is that you hide what you've eaten and how much you've eaten. You may lie about what you've eaten and when, while not having anything or the bare minimum just to survive. Another sign of an eating disorder is that you binge and purge your food. You may over-eat in large quantities and then purge it by either throwing it up or using laxatives to purge the food from the body.
Someone with an eating disorder may put their fingers down their throat to purge the food. In this case, you may have an issue with going to the bathroom on your own without the use of laxatives, or you may have markings on your fingers where your fingers have scraped your teeth over time. You may hide your body with larger clothing to hide the fact that you've lost so much weight, or you're hiding your body because you're ashamed of how you look and have a distorted body image.
When You Should Seek Treatment
You should seek treatment from an eating disorder center when you've lost too much of your body fat and weight and are having a hard time even standing up throughout the day. You should seek treatment when your eating disorder has stopped you from doing everyday activities that you would have typically enjoyed doing, as your disorder has made you lose so much of your self-esteem that you don't feel like yourself any longer. You should seek treatment when it has begun to affect your personal relationships and is affecting your professional life as well.
If you aren't sure if you have an eating disorder, or you aren't sure if you need treatment, make an appointment at an eating disorder treatment center to talk to a counselor for help. Seeking treatment is a step in the right direction to help you through this terrible disorder.
Share
