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You are unlikely to cure eating disorders with willpower alone.
There are too many benefits!
Who has Eating Disorders?
People who attempt to cope with unpleasant feelings by eating,
or by avoiding eating, may be told that they have eating disorders.
Eating disorders can be deadly - some eating
disorders are associated with a 10-15% mortality rate and a 20-25%
suicide rate. Sometimes, anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating may
be perceived as slow suicide.
Eating habits often reflect the current environment,
family history, relationships and lifestyle. We help motivated adults
resolve unpleasant feelings and emotions that motivate unhealthy eating
habits. We help people find solutions for emotional and relationship issues
that often underlie eating disorders.
People who react to stress by overeating, purging or dieting
may have underlying guilt, depression,
codependence, identity
loss or limiting beliefs etc. Many people try to fill
an existential emptiness with food? Others try to satisfy some unloved
inner children.
We find that eating disorders often seem to express what
people cannot express in other ways. People who are abnormally overweight
or underweight may be said to have serious eating disorders, for example:
anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and compulsive overeating. They may:
- avoid eating even if hungry
- are afraid of becoming fat or thin
- vomit or laxatives after binge-eating
- cannot stop eating - even when not hungry
It is too easy and trivial to say that people with eating
disorders merely want attention. We find that more interesting factors
become conscious if we explore, "Whose attention is wanted in what way
for what goal at what time?"
Medical solutions for eating disorders rarely seem to address
these underlying needs - but may be essential in an emergency or crisis. Medical
solutions include:
- Diets and fasts
- Hospital, if physical condition
becomes extreme
- Nutritional counseling to help design
healthy meals
- Psychiatric medication to help manage
chronic emotions
We help people manage their relationships, emotions
and beliefs.
Manage Relationships & Emotions
We coach motivated adults to focus on their
chosen goals. We help people explore their values, set priorities,
choose their goals and take steps towards their goals. The steps
of this journey include:
- end inner conflict
- dissolve limiting beliefs
- improve their relationships
- choose and clarify life goals
- end relationship entanglements
- recover and align with a sense of life
- dissolve toxic mentorship (therapy
damage) and find inspiration
Anorexia Nervosa & Starvation
Some people take extreme measures to be thin. They may use
starvation and excessive methods of weight loss. Medical symptoms associated
with anorexia include emaciation, slow pulse, kidney problems and
digestive problems. Here are some ways to recognize anorexia nervosa:
1. Avoid eating
- You deny or suppress feeling hungry
- You eat insufficient food for your health
- You avoid social meetings that involve food
2. Body has a very low weight
- You feel fat although people tell you that
you are thin
- You deny the serious consequences of low
body weight
- You cannot maintain a healthy weight for
your age and height
3. Obsess about dieting and weight loss
- You obsess with exercise
- You fear gaining weight or being fat
- You weigh yourself several times a day
Relationship issues associated with anorexia and
self-starvation often seem to include a despair or guilt about a
traumatic death of a close relative, a vanishing twin
or about the end of a partnership.
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Since
my sister was murdered I couldn't make myself eat. I missed her so much
... I felt like part of me died with her ... I held her in my heart. You
helped me set her - and me - free. Prague, Czech Republic |
Bulimia Nervosa & Binge Eating
Some people trying to cope with unpleasant emotions may
binge eat and then vomit in an addictive cycle. The food binges may be with
sweet and/or high fat foods. They may eat impulsively, but not with other
people. Their obsessions may be triggered by feelings of distress, relationship
problems, boredom, prolonged dieting, or dissatisfaction with their bodies.
Binge eating may temporarily numb unpleasant feelings,
but people may then feel a sense of failure or shame about their loss of
control. They may find a way to vomit or take laxatives after a binge.
Some potential medical complications of bulimia include
cardiac arrhythmia, esophageal tears, electrolyte imbalance and
gastrointestinal problems. In simple words - bad news for the body.
Are you caught in a cycle of binge
eating and depression?
Do you use food to cope with uncomfortable feelings or to numb yourself?
Compulsive Eating
Do you eat in an attempt to control depression or anxiety?
Do you eat to try to fill a feeling of emptiness? Perhaps you eat to forget
relationship problems or to alleviate boredom? There may be better solutions
... once the causes are explored and recognized.
Compulsive eating may temporarily relieve unpleasant
feelings, but any relief may be followed by guilt, shame and
depression. Many people constantly struggle with diets and yet be unhappy
with their weight. They may try each new diet hoping that it can cure
their emotional compulsion. They may lose some weight temporarily,
but they will probably regain their lost weight - and maybe more.
They may eat normally with other people and overeat in
private later. They may overeat late at night or in fast food restaurants.
They may have secret supplies of junk food hidden in their homes or offices.
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I was always hungry. I just couldn't
stop eating. I failed every diet. Eating was the only way I could stop
feeling empty ... I was very overweight. You helped me find myself
again ... now I am full of me and I'm looking good ... now I eat to
live!
Philadelphia, USA |
Medical complications from compulsive eating include
diabetes, hypertension and heart problems. Some
people try extreme remedies for this conflict by having their jaws wired
to prevent eating, or parts of their digestive tract by-passed to prevent
digestion. We offer simple solutions.
Online Coaching for Eating Disorders
Please consult
a physician about opinions about eating disorders and medical conditions.
Plagiarism is theft. Copyright © Martyn Carruthers
1999-2012 All rights reserved.
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