Do You Have A Problem with Food?

The first step toward a diagnosis is to admit the existence of an eating disorder. Often, the person with the eating disorder needs to be compelled by a parent or others to see a doctor because this person may deny and resist the problem. Some people may even self-diagnose their condition as an allergy to carbohydrates, because after being on a restricted diet, eating carbohydrates can produce gastrointestinal problems, dizziness, weakness, and palpitations. This may lead such people to restrict carbohydrates even more severely.

Eating Disorder Self Evaluation

Tell to someone you trust (i.e., parent, sibling, friend, teacher, clergy, counselor, etc.). You're going to need support, for the fear and shame can be overwhelming. The behavior is addictive, and the disease is deadly. You're risking your life if you hide behind silence. Early intervention is key in overcoming the disease. Patients with severe anorexia need intensive treatment, which often includes hospitalization and a team approach. It is a very difficult disorder and the treatments used for bulimia are not as effective for this problem.

Bulimia: Stop Gagging Your Pain

Do You Have Bulimia? You Are Not Alone ~

Tell to someone you trust (i.e., parent, sibling, friend, teacher, clergy, counselor, etc.). You're going to need support, for the fear and shame can be overwhelming. The behavior is addictive, and the disease is deadly. You're risking your life if you hide behind silence. Early intervention is key in overcoming the disease. Some experts recommend a stepped approach to patients with bulimia, which may follow these stages, depending on the severity and response to initial treatments:

• Support groups. This is the least expensive approach and may be helpful for patients who have mild conditions with no health consequences.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) along with nutritional therapy is the preferred first treatment for bulimia that does not respond to support groups.
• Drugs. The drugs used for bulimia are typically antidepressants known as serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A combination of CBT and SSRIs is very effective if CBT is not helpful alone.

Anorexia and Bulimia ~

If You Don't Seek Help?

You're playing Russian Roulette with your life. Here are the risks associated with eating disorders:

• Death from malnutrition
• Dangerous heart rhythms, including slow rhythms known as bradycardia, may develop. Such abnormalities can show up even in teenagers with anorexia.
• Blood flow is reduced.
• Cardiac arrest.
• Liver failure.
• The heart muscles starve, losing size.
• Stress hormones are higher.
• Dental problems.
• Bloating.
• Constipation.
• Hair loss.
• Anemia.

Worried About a Friend?

If you are worried about your friend’s eating behaviors or attitudes, it is important to express your concerns in a loving and supportive way. It is also necessary to discuss your worries early on, rather than waiting until your friend has endured many of the damaging physical and emotional effects of eating disorders.

For more information: FACE THE ISSUE.com

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows...He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole. --Isaiah 53:4-5

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