myth seven
Eating disorders are not an illness
By saying that an eating disorder is “not an illness,” you are obviously mistaken. It is dangerous to dismiss an eating disorder, regardless of the severity, as a stunt to get attention or to make their family and friends feel guilty. They are psychiatric illnesses, often co-existent in mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
While any eating disorder may not surface in the developmental or first stages of its life, it is still considered an illness, one that can lead to more psychological faults and delusions as well as physical afflictions. Just like depression, it can be triggered easily when the conditions are just right and progressively decline.
As with an influenza, eating disorders may nest themselves innocently into the mind of its prey without further symptoms, but over time, it progressively worsens. Like an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or sex, eating disorders become habitual. It was all too often that I heard, “Oh, I can stop when I want to,” when I first began to binge and purge.
For those with any addiction, it is hard to “just stop” or “snap out of it.” It's the equivalent of telling someone with the flu to “just snap out of it.” Without proper treatment it will never happen—only worsen.
Although there is no definitive explanation for the cause of a eating disorder, they are linked up to other mental illnesses. Many factors can trigger an eating disorder. However, it is known by psychologists that eating disorders can develop due to the exposure of the environment.
Biology plays a large part in the process of an eating disorder, as there may be genetic links passed down generation to generation. If an immediate relative has dealt with an eating disorder, the chances of the following generation picking up the same eating disorder is more likely.
Social & media interactions. Society also has its hands in the development of an eating disorder through media interactions. Society's desire for thinness is one of the most common circumstance surrounding the illness.
Mental illness. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and perfectionism tie in together and can also contribute to an emotional down fall and lead to an eating disorder. In some cases, obsessive-compulsive behaviours can be severe and sometimes even disabling to the point where medication and, on a rare extreme, institutionalization is a consideration.
Behaviors such as dieting can also lead to the creation of the monster. One may develop certain rules to restrain themselves around food or one may simply exercise if they feel "fat."
Emotional well being. People with generally low self-esteem are more prone to eating disorders. Psychological and emotional factors both play a role in the world of eating disorders. If the circumstances surrounding an individual are just right, there can be a breeding ground for disaster.
Eating disorders are not an illness
By saying that an eating disorder is “not an illness,” you are obviously mistaken. It is dangerous to dismiss an eating disorder, regardless of the severity, as a stunt to get attention or to make their family and friends feel guilty. They are psychiatric illnesses, often co-existent in mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
While any eating disorder may not surface in the developmental or first stages of its life, it is still considered an illness, one that can lead to more psychological faults and delusions as well as physical afflictions. Just like depression, it can be triggered easily when the conditions are just right and progressively decline.
As with an influenza, eating disorders may nest themselves innocently into the mind of its prey without further symptoms, but over time, it progressively worsens. Like an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or sex, eating disorders become habitual. It was all too often that I heard, “Oh, I can stop when I want to,” when I first began to binge and purge.
For those with any addiction, it is hard to “just stop” or “snap out of it.” It's the equivalent of telling someone with the flu to “just snap out of it.” Without proper treatment it will never happen—only worsen.
Although there is no definitive explanation for the cause of a eating disorder, they are linked up to other mental illnesses. Many factors can trigger an eating disorder. However, it is known by psychologists that eating disorders can develop due to the exposure of the environment.
Biology plays a large part in the process of an eating disorder, as there may be genetic links passed down generation to generation. If an immediate relative has dealt with an eating disorder, the chances of the following generation picking up the same eating disorder is more likely.
Social & media interactions. Society also has its hands in the development of an eating disorder through media interactions. Society's desire for thinness is one of the most common circumstance surrounding the illness.
Mental illness. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and perfectionism tie in together and can also contribute to an emotional down fall and lead to an eating disorder. In some cases, obsessive-compulsive behaviours can be severe and sometimes even disabling to the point where medication and, on a rare extreme, institutionalization is a consideration.
Behaviors such as dieting can also lead to the creation of the monster. One may develop certain rules to restrain themselves around food or one may simply exercise if they feel "fat."
Emotional well being. People with generally low self-esteem are more prone to eating disorders. Psychological and emotional factors both play a role in the world of eating disorders. If the circumstances surrounding an individual are just right, there can be a breeding ground for disaster.