People with bulimia don't experience a proper sense of satisfaction when they eat. They can eat food then more food and the feelings of hunger or cravings can still be present: this then makes them eat more and more. When they go on a binge it seems there isn't enough food for them to stop and feel satisfied. Bulimics eat until they get so full they must purge it all up.
Why can normal people stop easily when they full and bulimics can't?
For people without bulimia the intake of food is perfectly regulated so that they will be satisfied when they have eaten enough. And at that point eating more does not feel desirable, they feel happy and content.
Satisfaction with food is a feeling that the brain creates from different signals from different parts of the body. For example, rising blood sugar levels during eating signals to the brain that the body is satisfied. When the stomach gets full it signals to the brain that it is time to stop eating. And of course, the knowledge about how much you have eaten can send a message to the brain that you have finished your meal time.
There are special enzymes like enterostatin that are produced when fat is digested in the intestines. Enterostatin sends impulses to the receptors saying "I am full". These impulses go to the reward centers in the brain which then tells the brain and body "I am satisfied and I don't want any more food".
So, for normal people the brain puts together all these factors to decide that they are full. For people with bulimia or other eating disorders these factors do not work anymore or work only partially. Some people do have feelings of satisfaction but ignore it (don't listen to their body).
The reasons why people with bulimia and other eating disorders lose their feelings of satisfaction are:
1. A person who has been dieting recently gets messages from the body saying: "Eat more, this is a famine. Eat when the food is available. You don't know when you will get food again." This makes them loose sense of satisfaction from eating.
2. A person who has vomited recently has similar signals from the body about the body is starving and needs food for nourishment.
3. The food a bulimic normally eats (like biscuits, chips, candy, sweets, white bread etc.) does not give proper satisfaction impulses. You have to eat food like root vegetables, meat, fish, porridge, eggs etc. to make your body satisfied with the eating.
4. When people eat rapidly (compulsively like people with bulimia) the satisfaction processes fail to work. The slower you eat, the longer you chew the greater satisfaction you get.
5. Anxiety can be a reason for losing sense of satisfaction. A person who is anxious and agitated eats to reduce these feelings because food reduces anxiety. Managing anxiety with different strategies (like meditation, relaxation etc.) will help to obtain proper satisfaction from eating.
6. Some bulimic people are not aware of their hunger and satisfaction feelings. They may just need to learn it again. Learn to differentiate hunger from anxiety, from fear or tiredness. They need to learn to name their feelings, acknowledge them and cope with them by other means (not with food).
To conclude, people with bulimia need to work on their subconscious first of all to return their sense of food satisfaction back to normal. Feelings of satisfaction are an important component for bulimia recovery. You can return you feelings of satisfaction back by removing subconscious blockages from your mind. This will then in turn, allow the proper feelings to return and normalize once again http://www.bulimia-cure.com
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Emotional Eating
It is a fact that positive emotions create experience of Well-being. Pessimistic emotions, on the other hand, could induce a great psychological and physiological harm.
An outcome of negative emotions that has been in the news for a while now is emotional eating. It is not uncommon to see people consuming more than what they ordinarily would once they are under a lot of emotional suffering. This distress may have been caused by trauma, anxiousness, unhappiness, anger, loneliness, human relationship problems, or depression. In reality, an eating disorder is among the most visible symptoms of emotional disorders like clinical depression.
Emotional eating comes about when your emotions influence your eating habits instead of your stomach. Once you indulge in emotional eating, it is likely to add to your worries and your weight.
Emotional eating essentially means that you finish up eating without experiencing hunger. Individuals indulge in such behavior to attempt to comfort themselves, and turn over to food since it is readily accessible. Attempting to achieve freedom from such impulse it is like attempting to break free from a drug dependency - you have to draw a lot of effort to abandon the substance abuse.
Among the first steps that you must take to get over emotional eating is to try and distinguish between eating while hungry and eating for comfort. Learn to distinguish your hunger and recognize whether you are eating based on the demand of your head or your stomach. Eat only if you experience hunger.
Do not use eating to stamp down boredom and don't make snacking and sweets a habit, either. Remember, you are expected to 'eat to live' and not 'live to eat'. If boredom is something you are battling, employ different means of opposing the situation. Go out walking, visit a friend, or plainly pick up the tools and start a garden.
When next experience the urge to eat between meals, pick up an apple or a carrot. If you don't recourse to favorable comfort foods for a while, you will make a breakthrough in diminishing your urge for such foods with time.
Going to the gym will make you a lot more aware of your body and physical exercise boosts emotional health. While you might feel like eating afterwards you should assure that you select healthy foods.
Lack of sleep could head to lessened levels of leptin, the endocrine hormone credited for regulation of appetite by signaling fullness. Ensure that you receive decent relaxation each day.
If none of these work and you are ineffective to keep up your efforts, there could be a need to better your emotional health. Visit a counselor or psychologist to seek to unearth the reason of your binge eating, and research for leading natural remedies that are available with the reputation to provide help.
An outcome of negative emotions that has been in the news for a while now is emotional eating. It is not uncommon to see people consuming more than what they ordinarily would once they are under a lot of emotional suffering. This distress may have been caused by trauma, anxiousness, unhappiness, anger, loneliness, human relationship problems, or depression. In reality, an eating disorder is among the most visible symptoms of emotional disorders like clinical depression.
Emotional eating comes about when your emotions influence your eating habits instead of your stomach. Once you indulge in emotional eating, it is likely to add to your worries and your weight.
Emotional eating essentially means that you finish up eating without experiencing hunger. Individuals indulge in such behavior to attempt to comfort themselves, and turn over to food since it is readily accessible. Attempting to achieve freedom from such impulse it is like attempting to break free from a drug dependency - you have to draw a lot of effort to abandon the substance abuse.
Among the first steps that you must take to get over emotional eating is to try and distinguish between eating while hungry and eating for comfort. Learn to distinguish your hunger and recognize whether you are eating based on the demand of your head or your stomach. Eat only if you experience hunger.
Do not use eating to stamp down boredom and don't make snacking and sweets a habit, either. Remember, you are expected to 'eat to live' and not 'live to eat'. If boredom is something you are battling, employ different means of opposing the situation. Go out walking, visit a friend, or plainly pick up the tools and start a garden.
When next experience the urge to eat between meals, pick up an apple or a carrot. If you don't recourse to favorable comfort foods for a while, you will make a breakthrough in diminishing your urge for such foods with time.
Going to the gym will make you a lot more aware of your body and physical exercise boosts emotional health. While you might feel like eating afterwards you should assure that you select healthy foods.
Lack of sleep could head to lessened levels of leptin, the endocrine hormone credited for regulation of appetite by signaling fullness. Ensure that you receive decent relaxation each day.
If none of these work and you are ineffective to keep up your efforts, there could be a need to better your emotional health. Visit a counselor or psychologist to seek to unearth the reason of your binge eating, and research for leading natural remedies that are available with the reputation to provide help.
5 Ways You Can Help Yourself Heal Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is described as having recurrent or frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food in a short period of time with a feeling of being unable to control it.
Research in the field of eating disorders has come a long way in the past 25- 30 years. Professionals now know that stress, major life changes such as divorce, marriage, moving to college or getting a new job can all be factors that lead to binge eating disorder. It is how a person interprets situations and how they deal with stress that helps to avoid binging.
You don't have to be a victim forever with this disorder. You can take action and change your life. Here are 5 tips to start you on the path to recovery.
Healing Tip #1 - Reduce Stress
Stress is the number one reason we continue to binge. It is however, not usually the root cause of the disorder. Some kind of trauma usually sets the stage for an eating disorder and stress contributes to it. By reducing the negative stress in your life you can lessen the binge episodes while you work on the healing the root cause of your disorder. Here are some quick ways to reduce negative stress.
1. Try not to over-schedule your time. If you are saying "yes" to everyone who needs you to do a project because you can't say "no" then you have overscheduled yourself. You must learn to say "no". Consider outsourcing, having meetings to discuss plans and stating your opinions. Learn assertiveness training.
2. Avoid being a perfectionist. People don't expect you to be perfect and you shouldn't expect them to be either. Be flexible in your expectations of others.
3. Focus on what you want, not on what you don't want.
4. Exercise. Even if you walk around your block at a pace comfortable for you, this will increase your good hormones that make you relaxed and happy. You can clear your mind in just 10 or 15 minutes of exercise.
5. Treat yourself with appropriate rewards when you solve problems before they become bigger. By not procrastinating you can avoid stressful situations.
6. Use a breathing technique to lower your heart rate so you can think clearly. A quick lesson that you can use now is to put your right hand on your abdomen, right at the waistline, and put your left hand on your chest, right in the center. Without trying to change your breathing, simply notice how you are breathing. Which hand rises the most as you inhale? If your abdomen expands, you are breathing from your abdomen or diaphragm. If your belly doesn't move or moves less than your chest you are breathing from your chest. The trick to shifting from chest to abdominal breathing is to make one or two full exhalations that push out the air from the bottom of your lungs. This will create a vacuum that will pull in a deep, diaphragmatic breath on your next inhalation.
Healing Tip #2 - Stop Criticizing
You criticize yourself because you feel you are not good enough in some or many areas. Not being good enough, not having self-worth is 99 out of 100 times the root problem. It has nothing to do with food, control, money or relationships. If you don't feel good enough about yourself everything else falls short of your desired outcome. Think of how terrible that sounds when you say "I'm not good enough".
Write a list of what you think about yourself. Think of every negative thing you wrote on your list. You are essentially saying you aren't good enough. It's the bottom line; there's the problem. When you feel you aren't good enough that is exactly what you'll get. When you tell yourself enough times, over and over that you just don't measure up then you will eventually begin to truly believe that statement. Your subconscious will adopt that belief and pretty soon you will begin acting and thinking and saying things the way you are convincing yourself to be. This belief system needs to be challenged and changed.
Healing Tip #3 - Question your beliefs
Belief systems or the beliefs and values you carry are formed from other people's beliefs such as those from your parents, peers, mentors, religious leaders, teachers and society in general. Belief is the psychological state in which an individual is convinced of the truth of a proposition. Sometimes we just accept other people's beliefs without questioning whether we think they are right or wrong.
We grow up with beliefs that come from many different sources. They become very limiting and even though they may have served you well in the past, some of them do not serve you well any more and it's time to question them and clean house. Look at some of these limiting beliefs and ask why. Do they still hold true for you?
"My parents said it isn't proper"
"It's too hard"
"I don't have the time"
"I can't do that"
"My grandmother wouldn't allow that"
"I don't believe in that"
"I should never go against authority"
"Clean your plate at dinner"
"I don't have the skills"
Whatever we choose to believe becomes our reality. We think it is the truth. If you believe that you are too weak to overcome binge eating then that has become your truth or reality. But the belief is just a thought pattern dictating your current circumstances. You can choose whatever thoughts you want. You can choose to say "I live a healthy and abundant life." No matter what difficult situations you are facing it is only the result of an inner thought and you can choose what thoughts you want to have.
So how do you know that your current beliefs or belief systems are the truth and really what you believe in? You question them. You can take every single belief you have and write it on a piece of paper and next to it write the word why? What evidence do you have to make that belief true?
Healing Tip #4 - Learn meditation and visualization
Meditating is the practice of uncritically attempting to focus your attention on one thing at a time. Exactly what that thing is, is relatively unimportant and varies from one tradition to the next. Often the meditator repeats, either aloud or silently, a syllable, word or group of words. This is known as mantra meditation. Focusing on a fixed object such as the leaves of a tree or flower can also anchor the attention. Many people find that a convenient and relaxing point of focus is the rising and falling of their own breath. You can use anything as an object of meditation.
It is important to understand that the heart of meditation lies not simply in focusing on one object to the exclusion of all other thought, but rather in the attempt to achieve this type of focus. The nature of the mind is such that it does not want to stay focused or concentrated. You'll notice that a host of thoughts will appear and seemingly interfere with meditation. That's normal. Just push those thoughts away and bring your focus back. Remember, what we resist persists. The mind is going to try to do what you are telling it not to do...you might say to yourself "I won't think of anything except for this flower" but your mind hears "think of everything "! It doesn't recognize a negative word such as won't or don't. Instead, you could say to yourself "I choose to think of this flower". Give it a try.
You can have great success with meditating using positive affirmations. A wonderful mantra is "I am young, healthy and wonderful" Get into your relaxation mode by doing slow deep breathing and then take it to the next level by using your mantra and focusing on that one particular thought. Say it over and over again with each deep breath you take. Try this for 10 minutes a day and when you are finished you'll feel like a million bucks. You will then truly believe that you are young, healthy and wonderful. Your mind believes it so it becomes your reality.
You can use whatever mantra you like. It can be a sound like OM or a word such as ONE, or a phrase such as "I am one with the Universe." Or you could repeat something special to yourself like the name of your favorite animal.
At first, your time will be spent on relaxation and not as much on meditation. Try to begin with five or ten minutes a day and work your way up as you are comfortable.
Let's begin.
1. Select a position that is comfortable for you; either sitting in a chair with your legs uncrossed, in a yoga style position sitting on the floor with "full lotus" style, or just sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor.
2. Try to sit with your back straight but comfortable and let the weight of your head fall directly down upon your spinal column. You can do this by pulling your chin in slightly. Allow the small of your back to arch if you are sitting on the floor.
3. Close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
4. Close your eyes and focus on the place where your body touches the cushion or the chair. What are the sensations there? Next, notice the places where your body touches itself. Are your hands crossed? Are your legs crossed? Pay attention to the sensation at these places of contact. Finally, focus on the way your body takes up space. Does it take up a lot of space? A small amount? Can you feel the boundary between your body and space?
5. With your eyes still closed, take several deep breaths and notice the quality of your breathing. Is it fast or slow? Shallow or deep? Notice where your breath rests in your body. Is it up high in your chest? Is it in the midsection around your stomach? Down low in your belly? Try moving your breath from one area to the other. Breathe into your upper chest, then into your stomach, then drop your breath into your lower belly. Feel your abdomen expand and contract as the air goes in and out. Notice how the upper chest and stomach are almost still. This "dropped breath" is the most relaxing stance to meditate from. However, if you have trouble taking deep belly breaths, don't worry. Your breath will drop of its own accord as you become more practiced in meditation.
6. Begin saying your mantra silently to yourself. Say the word or syllables over and over within your mind. When your thought strays, note it and bring your attention back to your mantra. If you notice any feelings within your body, note them and return to the repetition of your own special word/s. You don't need to force it. Let your mantra find its own rhythm as you repeat it over and over again. If you have the opportunity you can begin to chant or say aloud your mantra. Let the sound of your own voice fill you as you relax.
Note: If using a mantra is not for you, you can also try using your breath as a focal point.
Healing Tip #5 - Use positive affirmations
Positive affirmations are wonderful! They are what keep you going when you are feeling sorry for yourself or if those tiny voices that you hear are trying to sabotage your best efforts. You know them - "I can't do it. I'm not strong enough. I'm afraid".
You can use positive affirmations combined with a real feel of enthusiasm to achieve in your mind what you truly want. In a way it is similar to using the law of attraction or just positive thinking. By using these affirmations and repeating them over and over to yourself, you then begin to believe and feel that they are true. Don't allow any room for those pesky voices that say otherwise.
You can write out your own positive affirmations to go along with your goals. Write them 10 or 20 times on a piece of paper and say them out loud with enthusiasm and joy that they bring you. Do this for a few days and then pick another affirmation you'd like to use. When you say your affirmations out loud you believe what you are saying to be true. Affirmations that are used consistently become part of your belief system and always produce results. Remember, what the mind believes, man can achieve.
Quietly saying your affirmations to yourself isn't going to be very effective. You want to engage your subconscious mind. It is a fact that your subconscious mind will believe what it is told through repetition and reinforcement. By adding some excitement or enthusiasm and speaking out loud you are using more than one of your senses; therefore you intensify the impression.
"I now accept a wonderful new job."
"I approve of myself"
"I love myself just the way I am"
"I am totally healthy"
"I have a wonderful and new relationship"
"I am at peace and at ease with myself"
"I have all the clients I need"
"I have everything I need within me"
"I have a happy slender figure"
"I experience love wherever I go"
"I am in the process of positive changes"
"I deserve abundance of life"
"I deserve to have or be _____ "(fill in whatever you wish here)
"I am open to more good and more experiences than ever before"
"I am totally open to experience great relationships"
"I am grateful for my good health"
"I always work for great people"
"I am at peace with food"
"I am open to new streams of income"
"I am open to and deserving of compliments"
"I succeed at whatever I put my mind to"
"I am healthy, whole and complete"
"All is well in my world"
"There are plenty of customers who want my services"
"Abundance is for everyone, including me"
"Money comes easily and readily to me"
You might notice that some of the affirmations are difficult for you to say. That is where your resistance is. Question WHY you are resisting.
Research in the field of eating disorders has come a long way in the past 25- 30 years. Professionals now know that stress, major life changes such as divorce, marriage, moving to college or getting a new job can all be factors that lead to binge eating disorder. It is how a person interprets situations and how they deal with stress that helps to avoid binging.
You don't have to be a victim forever with this disorder. You can take action and change your life. Here are 5 tips to start you on the path to recovery.
Healing Tip #1 - Reduce Stress
Stress is the number one reason we continue to binge. It is however, not usually the root cause of the disorder. Some kind of trauma usually sets the stage for an eating disorder and stress contributes to it. By reducing the negative stress in your life you can lessen the binge episodes while you work on the healing the root cause of your disorder. Here are some quick ways to reduce negative stress.
1. Try not to over-schedule your time. If you are saying "yes" to everyone who needs you to do a project because you can't say "no" then you have overscheduled yourself. You must learn to say "no". Consider outsourcing, having meetings to discuss plans and stating your opinions. Learn assertiveness training.
2. Avoid being a perfectionist. People don't expect you to be perfect and you shouldn't expect them to be either. Be flexible in your expectations of others.
3. Focus on what you want, not on what you don't want.
4. Exercise. Even if you walk around your block at a pace comfortable for you, this will increase your good hormones that make you relaxed and happy. You can clear your mind in just 10 or 15 minutes of exercise.
5. Treat yourself with appropriate rewards when you solve problems before they become bigger. By not procrastinating you can avoid stressful situations.
6. Use a breathing technique to lower your heart rate so you can think clearly. A quick lesson that you can use now is to put your right hand on your abdomen, right at the waistline, and put your left hand on your chest, right in the center. Without trying to change your breathing, simply notice how you are breathing. Which hand rises the most as you inhale? If your abdomen expands, you are breathing from your abdomen or diaphragm. If your belly doesn't move or moves less than your chest you are breathing from your chest. The trick to shifting from chest to abdominal breathing is to make one or two full exhalations that push out the air from the bottom of your lungs. This will create a vacuum that will pull in a deep, diaphragmatic breath on your next inhalation.
Healing Tip #2 - Stop Criticizing
You criticize yourself because you feel you are not good enough in some or many areas. Not being good enough, not having self-worth is 99 out of 100 times the root problem. It has nothing to do with food, control, money or relationships. If you don't feel good enough about yourself everything else falls short of your desired outcome. Think of how terrible that sounds when you say "I'm not good enough".
Write a list of what you think about yourself. Think of every negative thing you wrote on your list. You are essentially saying you aren't good enough. It's the bottom line; there's the problem. When you feel you aren't good enough that is exactly what you'll get. When you tell yourself enough times, over and over that you just don't measure up then you will eventually begin to truly believe that statement. Your subconscious will adopt that belief and pretty soon you will begin acting and thinking and saying things the way you are convincing yourself to be. This belief system needs to be challenged and changed.
Healing Tip #3 - Question your beliefs
Belief systems or the beliefs and values you carry are formed from other people's beliefs such as those from your parents, peers, mentors, religious leaders, teachers and society in general. Belief is the psychological state in which an individual is convinced of the truth of a proposition. Sometimes we just accept other people's beliefs without questioning whether we think they are right or wrong.
We grow up with beliefs that come from many different sources. They become very limiting and even though they may have served you well in the past, some of them do not serve you well any more and it's time to question them and clean house. Look at some of these limiting beliefs and ask why. Do they still hold true for you?
"My parents said it isn't proper"
"It's too hard"
"I don't have the time"
"I can't do that"
"My grandmother wouldn't allow that"
"I don't believe in that"
"I should never go against authority"
"Clean your plate at dinner"
"I don't have the skills"
Whatever we choose to believe becomes our reality. We think it is the truth. If you believe that you are too weak to overcome binge eating then that has become your truth or reality. But the belief is just a thought pattern dictating your current circumstances. You can choose whatever thoughts you want. You can choose to say "I live a healthy and abundant life." No matter what difficult situations you are facing it is only the result of an inner thought and you can choose what thoughts you want to have.
So how do you know that your current beliefs or belief systems are the truth and really what you believe in? You question them. You can take every single belief you have and write it on a piece of paper and next to it write the word why? What evidence do you have to make that belief true?
Healing Tip #4 - Learn meditation and visualization
Meditating is the practice of uncritically attempting to focus your attention on one thing at a time. Exactly what that thing is, is relatively unimportant and varies from one tradition to the next. Often the meditator repeats, either aloud or silently, a syllable, word or group of words. This is known as mantra meditation. Focusing on a fixed object such as the leaves of a tree or flower can also anchor the attention. Many people find that a convenient and relaxing point of focus is the rising and falling of their own breath. You can use anything as an object of meditation.
It is important to understand that the heart of meditation lies not simply in focusing on one object to the exclusion of all other thought, but rather in the attempt to achieve this type of focus. The nature of the mind is such that it does not want to stay focused or concentrated. You'll notice that a host of thoughts will appear and seemingly interfere with meditation. That's normal. Just push those thoughts away and bring your focus back. Remember, what we resist persists. The mind is going to try to do what you are telling it not to do...you might say to yourself "I won't think of anything except for this flower" but your mind hears "think of everything "! It doesn't recognize a negative word such as won't or don't. Instead, you could say to yourself "I choose to think of this flower". Give it a try.
You can have great success with meditating using positive affirmations. A wonderful mantra is "I am young, healthy and wonderful" Get into your relaxation mode by doing slow deep breathing and then take it to the next level by using your mantra and focusing on that one particular thought. Say it over and over again with each deep breath you take. Try this for 10 minutes a day and when you are finished you'll feel like a million bucks. You will then truly believe that you are young, healthy and wonderful. Your mind believes it so it becomes your reality.
You can use whatever mantra you like. It can be a sound like OM or a word such as ONE, or a phrase such as "I am one with the Universe." Or you could repeat something special to yourself like the name of your favorite animal.
At first, your time will be spent on relaxation and not as much on meditation. Try to begin with five or ten minutes a day and work your way up as you are comfortable.
Let's begin.
1. Select a position that is comfortable for you; either sitting in a chair with your legs uncrossed, in a yoga style position sitting on the floor with "full lotus" style, or just sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor.
2. Try to sit with your back straight but comfortable and let the weight of your head fall directly down upon your spinal column. You can do this by pulling your chin in slightly. Allow the small of your back to arch if you are sitting on the floor.
3. Close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
4. Close your eyes and focus on the place where your body touches the cushion or the chair. What are the sensations there? Next, notice the places where your body touches itself. Are your hands crossed? Are your legs crossed? Pay attention to the sensation at these places of contact. Finally, focus on the way your body takes up space. Does it take up a lot of space? A small amount? Can you feel the boundary between your body and space?
5. With your eyes still closed, take several deep breaths and notice the quality of your breathing. Is it fast or slow? Shallow or deep? Notice where your breath rests in your body. Is it up high in your chest? Is it in the midsection around your stomach? Down low in your belly? Try moving your breath from one area to the other. Breathe into your upper chest, then into your stomach, then drop your breath into your lower belly. Feel your abdomen expand and contract as the air goes in and out. Notice how the upper chest and stomach are almost still. This "dropped breath" is the most relaxing stance to meditate from. However, if you have trouble taking deep belly breaths, don't worry. Your breath will drop of its own accord as you become more practiced in meditation.
6. Begin saying your mantra silently to yourself. Say the word or syllables over and over within your mind. When your thought strays, note it and bring your attention back to your mantra. If you notice any feelings within your body, note them and return to the repetition of your own special word/s. You don't need to force it. Let your mantra find its own rhythm as you repeat it over and over again. If you have the opportunity you can begin to chant or say aloud your mantra. Let the sound of your own voice fill you as you relax.
Note: If using a mantra is not for you, you can also try using your breath as a focal point.
Healing Tip #5 - Use positive affirmations
Positive affirmations are wonderful! They are what keep you going when you are feeling sorry for yourself or if those tiny voices that you hear are trying to sabotage your best efforts. You know them - "I can't do it. I'm not strong enough. I'm afraid".
You can use positive affirmations combined with a real feel of enthusiasm to achieve in your mind what you truly want. In a way it is similar to using the law of attraction or just positive thinking. By using these affirmations and repeating them over and over to yourself, you then begin to believe and feel that they are true. Don't allow any room for those pesky voices that say otherwise.
You can write out your own positive affirmations to go along with your goals. Write them 10 or 20 times on a piece of paper and say them out loud with enthusiasm and joy that they bring you. Do this for a few days and then pick another affirmation you'd like to use. When you say your affirmations out loud you believe what you are saying to be true. Affirmations that are used consistently become part of your belief system and always produce results. Remember, what the mind believes, man can achieve.
Quietly saying your affirmations to yourself isn't going to be very effective. You want to engage your subconscious mind. It is a fact that your subconscious mind will believe what it is told through repetition and reinforcement. By adding some excitement or enthusiasm and speaking out loud you are using more than one of your senses; therefore you intensify the impression.
"I now accept a wonderful new job."
"I approve of myself"
"I love myself just the way I am"
"I am totally healthy"
"I have a wonderful and new relationship"
"I am at peace and at ease with myself"
"I have all the clients I need"
"I have everything I need within me"
"I have a happy slender figure"
"I experience love wherever I go"
"I am in the process of positive changes"
"I deserve abundance of life"
"I deserve to have or be _____ "(fill in whatever you wish here)
"I am open to more good and more experiences than ever before"
"I am totally open to experience great relationships"
"I am grateful for my good health"
"I always work for great people"
"I am at peace with food"
"I am open to new streams of income"
"I am open to and deserving of compliments"
"I succeed at whatever I put my mind to"
"I am healthy, whole and complete"
"All is well in my world"
"There are plenty of customers who want my services"
"Abundance is for everyone, including me"
"Money comes easily and readily to me"
You might notice that some of the affirmations are difficult for you to say. That is where your resistance is. Question WHY you are resisting.
Friday, August 29, 2008
The Horrors Of Eating Disorders
You can't seem to make up your mind, you eat and eat and then you hide a purge or you starve yourself for weeks until you are at the lowest weight that you have ever been in your life. Anorexia and bulimia used to be considered the health problems of some confused young girls with troubled lives real or perceived. Lately doctors have found that more and more women are being diagnosed with an eating disorder of some kind. Other misconceptions about eating disorders are that people think that they are psychological problems that can be treated with medication easily and then the person is cured for life. Neither is true. In fact, this disorder is not easily treated and the person is left to deal with it affects throughout their lives. Doctor's believe that hormonal variations occurring near the menopause of a woman may be the reason the eating disorder developed such late in life.
These women see themselves as being overweight despite the fact that they are extremely thin. These women developing strange eating rituals or eat and regurgitating over and over again. Body dissatisfaction is the main focus of these women. For unknown reasons they can't seem to become comfortable in their own skin. They often believe that their behaviors are secret and no one notices or cares enough to pay attention. The idea that middle-aged women are having this problem is troubling to physicians as they work hard to try and prevent the disorder in young women. However, doctors can't be sure if the middle aged women that are receiving treatment are new to the disorder. The thought is that they had these problems when they were very young and as they got older realized that they should seek treatment. Complicating things is that these women are finding it difficult to locate proper treatment because for so long the focus was put on the younger woman. The women that are suffering from anorexia and/or bulimia many times suffer from perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. Substance abuse issues also many times play a role in many cases of both younger and older women. The most memorable and recent case occurred with a South American woman, a 24 year old teacher weighting only 77 pounds at 5 foot 2 inch tall when she passed away.
You or someone close to you might be suffering from this condition. It is a very harmful thing to suffer from, and if you suspect that someone is having trouble with an eating disorder then you should immediately take action to intervene. Do it in a graceful way so that the victim knows that you are looking out for her best interests. But don't let it go on for any longer than it has to. Therapists are the most common way to deal with eating disorders, but there are also entire camps and seminars devoted to getting the victims back to regular eating habits.
The treatments include therapy, medication, and counseling and more counseling. Some others treatments tried are yoga. Studies have tried to link the two yoga and anorexia but studies were inconclusive and did not produce any significant changes in behavior or eating habits. Dissonance -based therapy which works as therapy and counseling aimed at the person's competing ideas. There are group meetings and other more intensive therapies for those with severely dangerous cases of anorexia and/or bulimia. Many women have been able to make positive life changes to battle their self inflicted disorder and go on to live healthier lives. It has been reported that these women will have to battle the urges and cravings to purge or starve themselves for the rest of their lives. Since no cures exist for this disorder it is the hope of therapist and people suffering anorexia and/or bulimia, that some kind of definitive preventive measures can be developed or found.
These women see themselves as being overweight despite the fact that they are extremely thin. These women developing strange eating rituals or eat and regurgitating over and over again. Body dissatisfaction is the main focus of these women. For unknown reasons they can't seem to become comfortable in their own skin. They often believe that their behaviors are secret and no one notices or cares enough to pay attention. The idea that middle-aged women are having this problem is troubling to physicians as they work hard to try and prevent the disorder in young women. However, doctors can't be sure if the middle aged women that are receiving treatment are new to the disorder. The thought is that they had these problems when they were very young and as they got older realized that they should seek treatment. Complicating things is that these women are finding it difficult to locate proper treatment because for so long the focus was put on the younger woman. The women that are suffering from anorexia and/or bulimia many times suffer from perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. Substance abuse issues also many times play a role in many cases of both younger and older women. The most memorable and recent case occurred with a South American woman, a 24 year old teacher weighting only 77 pounds at 5 foot 2 inch tall when she passed away.
You or someone close to you might be suffering from this condition. It is a very harmful thing to suffer from, and if you suspect that someone is having trouble with an eating disorder then you should immediately take action to intervene. Do it in a graceful way so that the victim knows that you are looking out for her best interests. But don't let it go on for any longer than it has to. Therapists are the most common way to deal with eating disorders, but there are also entire camps and seminars devoted to getting the victims back to regular eating habits.
The treatments include therapy, medication, and counseling and more counseling. Some others treatments tried are yoga. Studies have tried to link the two yoga and anorexia but studies were inconclusive and did not produce any significant changes in behavior or eating habits. Dissonance -based therapy which works as therapy and counseling aimed at the person's competing ideas. There are group meetings and other more intensive therapies for those with severely dangerous cases of anorexia and/or bulimia. Many women have been able to make positive life changes to battle their self inflicted disorder and go on to live healthier lives. It has been reported that these women will have to battle the urges and cravings to purge or starve themselves for the rest of their lives. Since no cures exist for this disorder it is the hope of therapist and people suffering anorexia and/or bulimia, that some kind of definitive preventive measures can be developed or found.
Emotional Eating - What's Your Excuse?
One of my children (who shall be nameless to protect the guilty) has tried everything to get out of handing in homework. Actually, they've all gone through that phase, so much for my brilliant parenting. And as a lecturer I know that I've heard all the excuses before!
Over the past few weeks I have heard all sorts of excuses from my clients:
I was celebrating and it had to be chocolate.
It snowed and I couldn't exercise (some allowance here - the weather has been weird. But the snow melts very quickly and what do you do the rest of the week?)
It snowed and I didn't feel like it. (Strange logic here - snow = winter = comfort food)
I forgot (forgot to diet? Forgot that when you have one bit of the cake you eat the lot? Forgot you have 60lbs to lose?)
I've been busy. Look, you'll always be busy. And you're going to eat the rest of your life. So eat sensible stuff. Otherwise you'll be too ill or too dead to be busy)
I was away with the family. (Family get togethers are difficult - it's so easy to overeat. But if you stick to the right food groups and the right quantities you can do it. Have one celebratory meal; don't over eat the whole way through the weekend.)
A sensible eating plan isn't technically difficult. Lean meat or fish, veg and salads, a little fruit. Any food that looks as if it grew on a tree or in the ground or grazed in a field or stream. You don't have to count calories or fat grams, weigh or measure foods and it does allow the odd celebratory meal or comfort fest.
But you do have to be disciplined and apply some common sense to your eating habits on a day to day basis. It is the consistent behaviour in your diet that makes the difference. Consistently eating well, you'll get away with the odd lapse. Consistently loosening your waistband, slumping on the sofa and troughing out when you don't need to will end in misery.
It's also important to identify why you are eating the food. Is it to meet your physical needs (hunger) or are you using it to deal with your emotions? You'll be trying to feed your emotional hunger if you eat when you are sad, lonely, frustrated or simply bored. You may even feel your emotions in your stomach and mistake that for physical hunger!
So ask the question before you eat - "If I eat now, what am I feeding, my body or my emotions?" If you don't deal with these feelings you'll have to use incredible willpower to stay on a diet. Look at your emotional eating patterns, decide now to be consistent in your eating habits, take one day at a time and consistently shed the pounds!
Over the past few weeks I have heard all sorts of excuses from my clients:
I was celebrating and it had to be chocolate.
It snowed and I couldn't exercise (some allowance here - the weather has been weird. But the snow melts very quickly and what do you do the rest of the week?)
It snowed and I didn't feel like it. (Strange logic here - snow = winter = comfort food)
I forgot (forgot to diet? Forgot that when you have one bit of the cake you eat the lot? Forgot you have 60lbs to lose?)
I've been busy. Look, you'll always be busy. And you're going to eat the rest of your life. So eat sensible stuff. Otherwise you'll be too ill or too dead to be busy)
I was away with the family. (Family get togethers are difficult - it's so easy to overeat. But if you stick to the right food groups and the right quantities you can do it. Have one celebratory meal; don't over eat the whole way through the weekend.)
A sensible eating plan isn't technically difficult. Lean meat or fish, veg and salads, a little fruit. Any food that looks as if it grew on a tree or in the ground or grazed in a field or stream. You don't have to count calories or fat grams, weigh or measure foods and it does allow the odd celebratory meal or comfort fest.
But you do have to be disciplined and apply some common sense to your eating habits on a day to day basis. It is the consistent behaviour in your diet that makes the difference. Consistently eating well, you'll get away with the odd lapse. Consistently loosening your waistband, slumping on the sofa and troughing out when you don't need to will end in misery.
It's also important to identify why you are eating the food. Is it to meet your physical needs (hunger) or are you using it to deal with your emotions? You'll be trying to feed your emotional hunger if you eat when you are sad, lonely, frustrated or simply bored. You may even feel your emotions in your stomach and mistake that for physical hunger!
So ask the question before you eat - "If I eat now, what am I feeding, my body or my emotions?" If you don't deal with these feelings you'll have to use incredible willpower to stay on a diet. Look at your emotional eating patterns, decide now to be consistent in your eating habits, take one day at a time and consistently shed the pounds!
Learn How To Stop Binge Eating With Challenges
Life can be tough, and as we all know, it's even more complicated when trying to stop binge eating disorder. We are thrown obstacles and our drive can sometimes seem obscured. Even in these struggles, your goal needs to stay at the forefront of your mind so that you learn how to stop binge eating.
For me, in order to not give up when times got hard, I remain focused on what it is I truly want by setting up little "challenges" for myself. This really helps me because I know that if I can fulfill the challenge, I am strong and I can go on to really achieving anything that I want.
1. Challenge yourself to find something that makes you happy and do it.
What makes you the happiest?
Writing, reading, being with friends, talking on the phone, putting on an outfit that makes you feel fabulous, exercising, listening to music, singing, buying new makeup, getting your nails and toes done, scrapbooking, cleaning, organizing, sending a card to someone, looking at old pictures, playing with your pet, etc.
2. Challenge yourself to learn or do something new.
Is there a class that you've always wanted to take?
What about something that you've always wanted to know more about?
Do you want to make more friends in your area?
Do you want a new hobby?
3. Challenge yourself to focus on your future instead of your past.
When I struggled to first stop bingeing, it was so hard for me. I constantly thought of the past and my struggles and the fact that I was scared since I had binged for so long. I found that focusing on the good I would gain from overcoming binge eating disorder really helped me.
After a couple of successes of overcoming a binge, I slipped and found myself turning to food. I binged. After the binge, I couldn't stop thinking about how much of a failure I was. How was I ever going to beat a whole disorder when I couldn't even resist one temptation?
This is the hardest part because you will feel like you let yourself down. You've worked so hard and beat a handful of binges and then you fall down. Yes, it sucks, but you have to look to the future, pick yourself back up, and stop dwelling on the binge.
4. Challenge yourself to make a list of everything you want to do in your life.
It's really fun to create this wish list and very rewarding when you get to cross off items. Write down everything you want to do and accomplish throughout your life. Try to do these things when you beat a binge, as a reward if that will help. If not, try to cross items off monthly, annually, or just whenever you can complete the activity on your list.
5. Challenge yourself to vent out any stress, frustration, or anxiety.
While this is not true for everyone, the majority of binge eaters binge due to negative emotions. Bingeing is comforting to us so that we don't have to think about our stressful jobs and frustration with friends, family, and even ourselves. It's hard to change your habits of bingeing to something else. BUT, I challenge you to do so by having a plan. Having a plan in place is the key because you already know that you are going to do xyz when you are tempted to binge.
The next time you feel a binge coming on, pull out your plan and do it! If you need to go into your bathroom and take a bubble bath, do it! If your plan is to write in your journal about your feelings, do it!
For me, in order to not give up when times got hard, I remain focused on what it is I truly want by setting up little "challenges" for myself. This really helps me because I know that if I can fulfill the challenge, I am strong and I can go on to really achieving anything that I want.
1. Challenge yourself to find something that makes you happy and do it.
What makes you the happiest?
Writing, reading, being with friends, talking on the phone, putting on an outfit that makes you feel fabulous, exercising, listening to music, singing, buying new makeup, getting your nails and toes done, scrapbooking, cleaning, organizing, sending a card to someone, looking at old pictures, playing with your pet, etc.
2. Challenge yourself to learn or do something new.
Is there a class that you've always wanted to take?
What about something that you've always wanted to know more about?
Do you want to make more friends in your area?
Do you want a new hobby?
3. Challenge yourself to focus on your future instead of your past.
When I struggled to first stop bingeing, it was so hard for me. I constantly thought of the past and my struggles and the fact that I was scared since I had binged for so long. I found that focusing on the good I would gain from overcoming binge eating disorder really helped me.
After a couple of successes of overcoming a binge, I slipped and found myself turning to food. I binged. After the binge, I couldn't stop thinking about how much of a failure I was. How was I ever going to beat a whole disorder when I couldn't even resist one temptation?
This is the hardest part because you will feel like you let yourself down. You've worked so hard and beat a handful of binges and then you fall down. Yes, it sucks, but you have to look to the future, pick yourself back up, and stop dwelling on the binge.
4. Challenge yourself to make a list of everything you want to do in your life.
It's really fun to create this wish list and very rewarding when you get to cross off items. Write down everything you want to do and accomplish throughout your life. Try to do these things when you beat a binge, as a reward if that will help. If not, try to cross items off monthly, annually, or just whenever you can complete the activity on your list.
5. Challenge yourself to vent out any stress, frustration, or anxiety.
While this is not true for everyone, the majority of binge eaters binge due to negative emotions. Bingeing is comforting to us so that we don't have to think about our stressful jobs and frustration with friends, family, and even ourselves. It's hard to change your habits of bingeing to something else. BUT, I challenge you to do so by having a plan. Having a plan in place is the key because you already know that you are going to do xyz when you are tempted to binge.
The next time you feel a binge coming on, pull out your plan and do it! If you need to go into your bathroom and take a bubble bath, do it! If your plan is to write in your journal about your feelings, do it!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Eating Disorders in Teens
Eating disorders can be blackmail to your own life. It can asphyxiate the action of bodies abnormally at the date of teens. This date can be absolutely bad in case concrete change. It brings a change, which can ruin the life.
Most of the adolescence is blind of the ill furnishings of bistro disorders, which accompany them to a date of asleep such as stress, depression, blubber and hypertension at aboriginal age. Teenagers get abashed afterwards accepting trapped into these kinds of problems. They alpha action inferior to their accompany and family, which after-effects in abasement and stress.
So, parents should actively participate by allowance out their accouchement to get rid of problems in life. They should seek to anniversary and every action performed by their child. They should accept their adolescent and acquisition the acumen abaft such problems. An adolescent should be fabricated able so that he or she does not feel abandoned in their life. This would appear by admiring and compassionate your child. At this stage, an adolescent should not be scolded. Even you can advice him or her in academics because accouchements that are bent in the allurement of problems are not able to concentrate. And if there is no advance in your child, you should anon seek advice from a professional. Sit with your child; acquaint him or her to chase a comestible plan or to exercise to abate the plumpness.
Girls charge added absorption as they usually go mad back they alpha putting weight which can be apparent now days. Girls chase standards and trends of beauty. They are beneath an angle that by starving, they won't put on weight and this will enhance their beauty. But it is an amiss notion. Skipping commons will actualize diseases like anemia, hypertension and in-fertility. The girls are afflicted from TV commercials, magazines and posters of the celebrities. So, it is all-important to chase a counterbalanced and adapted diet to abate blubber and to abide fit, advantageous and strong.
Most of the adolescence is blind of the ill furnishings of bistro disorders, which accompany them to a date of asleep such as stress, depression, blubber and hypertension at aboriginal age. Teenagers get abashed afterwards accepting trapped into these kinds of problems. They alpha action inferior to their accompany and family, which after-effects in abasement and stress.
So, parents should actively participate by allowance out their accouchement to get rid of problems in life. They should seek to anniversary and every action performed by their child. They should accept their adolescent and acquisition the acumen abaft such problems. An adolescent should be fabricated able so that he or she does not feel abandoned in their life. This would appear by admiring and compassionate your child. At this stage, an adolescent should not be scolded. Even you can advice him or her in academics because accouchements that are bent in the allurement of problems are not able to concentrate. And if there is no advance in your child, you should anon seek advice from a professional. Sit with your child; acquaint him or her to chase a comestible plan or to exercise to abate the plumpness.
Girls charge added absorption as they usually go mad back they alpha putting weight which can be apparent now days. Girls chase standards and trends of beauty. They are beneath an angle that by starving, they won't put on weight and this will enhance their beauty. But it is an amiss notion. Skipping commons will actualize diseases like anemia, hypertension and in-fertility. The girls are afflicted from TV commercials, magazines and posters of the celebrities. So, it is all-important to chase a counterbalanced and adapted diet to abate blubber and to abide fit, advantageous and strong.
A Daughter Skating On Thin Ice
I am the proud father of a beautiful teenage daughter. My daughter is a 17year-old teenager who achieves top grades, has qualified for the National Honor Society, has ice-skated competitively for almost 7 years, is active in sports, volunteer activities, school clubs, and is a model for her younger brothers(3: ages 2, 6, 12) and sisters(3: ages 4, 7, 14). She is a leader and example for her small, though close, group of wonderful friends. There is once exception: my daughter struggles with Anorexia Nervosa. Her life has completely been devastated the past 2 years by this ugly psychological and emotional and physical syndrome.
My daughter was competitively ice skating and competing in amateur tournaments and skills competitions since the age of 11. She loved the sport and the training and the atmosphere and competition. She was loved by her trainers and coaches for her work ethic and passion and by the age of 14 had her eyes on qualifying tournaments in the next two years for Olympic placement. Her eyes were wide, though realistic, and she wanted the chance to make this dream a possibility.
At one competition she placed far below her expectations and when speaking with another skater who shared the same coach she was introduced to the idea that in two years her hips would widen, her calves and ankles would get thicker, and her nimble, athletic lightness and flexibility could be lost to puberty. This skater explained that almost all competitive skaters were using laxatives to control weight issues. As my wife and I learned later, this was the beginning of our daughter's demise in becoming diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa.
The struggle since has been a torment. My daughter has lost over thirty percent of her body weight. During her peak competition scheduling she weighed approximately 120 pounds and was competing at a master performance level. Her weight today is barely 75 pounds. She is struggling immensely with the understanding that if she does not eat, the consequences are potentially dire. As parents we have searched for every option, therapist, doctor, or source to help us. Aside from the expert medical professionals, one on-line source was particularly helpful. Here my wife and I found a wealth of information and guidance on the appropriate questions to ask, background information on Anorexia Nervosa and related disorders, and up-to-date research about the latest innovations in caring for, and seeking to help a child with Anorexia.
The road ahead seems long and difficult. Our daughter still has not regained the weight she so badly needs to become healthy and the longer she continues to deprive her body of necessary resources the greater the possibility of permanent or irreversible damage. The symptoms have been far reaching including: loss of menstruation, continual distorted self-image, erosion of tooth enamel, and bowel and digestion problems. and numerous other complications. We found statistics hat showed that twenty percent of those diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa will remain chronically ill! We hope our daughter has the strength and we can help her to find the sanctity and peace she needs to recover.
My daughter was competitively ice skating and competing in amateur tournaments and skills competitions since the age of 11. She loved the sport and the training and the atmosphere and competition. She was loved by her trainers and coaches for her work ethic and passion and by the age of 14 had her eyes on qualifying tournaments in the next two years for Olympic placement. Her eyes were wide, though realistic, and she wanted the chance to make this dream a possibility.
At one competition she placed far below her expectations and when speaking with another skater who shared the same coach she was introduced to the idea that in two years her hips would widen, her calves and ankles would get thicker, and her nimble, athletic lightness and flexibility could be lost to puberty. This skater explained that almost all competitive skaters were using laxatives to control weight issues. As my wife and I learned later, this was the beginning of our daughter's demise in becoming diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa.
The struggle since has been a torment. My daughter has lost over thirty percent of her body weight. During her peak competition scheduling she weighed approximately 120 pounds and was competing at a master performance level. Her weight today is barely 75 pounds. She is struggling immensely with the understanding that if she does not eat, the consequences are potentially dire. As parents we have searched for every option, therapist, doctor, or source to help us. Aside from the expert medical professionals, one on-line source was particularly helpful. Here my wife and I found a wealth of information and guidance on the appropriate questions to ask, background information on Anorexia Nervosa and related disorders, and up-to-date research about the latest innovations in caring for, and seeking to help a child with Anorexia.
The road ahead seems long and difficult. Our daughter still has not regained the weight she so badly needs to become healthy and the longer she continues to deprive her body of necessary resources the greater the possibility of permanent or irreversible damage. The symptoms have been far reaching including: loss of menstruation, continual distorted self-image, erosion of tooth enamel, and bowel and digestion problems. and numerous other complications. We found statistics hat showed that twenty percent of those diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa will remain chronically ill! We hope our daughter has the strength and we can help her to find the sanctity and peace she needs to recover.
Bulimia Nervosa And The Bar Cycle
If you suffer from bulimia nervosa, you're experiencing an unnecessarily frightening, demeaning and painful existence. It's unnecessary to live under a compulsion to overeat and then eliminate that food. There are no many treatments that can control the emotions and anxieties behind the behavior. To gradually reduce the need for treatments, you can follow a process called the BAR cycle to eliminate those harmful emotions by eliminating the root causes.
What Is Bulimia Nervosa? Bulimia is an eating disorder similar to anorexia, where we develop an irrational body image, and establish a dysfunctional solution to deal with this image. Anorexics can literally starve themselves to death. Bulimics, however, are also emotionally compelled to engage in binge eating, then to purge the food, either by forced vomiting or by laxatives, or both. Bulimia sufferers often experience malnutrition and damage to teethe, esophagus, colon and rectum...sometimes leading to severe anorexia.
What Compels Me To Binge And Purge? Fear and self-loathing are the main motivations to bulimia. The fear of starvation drives the binge and the fear of gaining weight drives the purge. Self-loathing is at the root of it, because bulimics believe they have to be the perfect weight or no one will love them. Some even resort to measuring everything that goes in and comes out of their bodies, to make sure it's the same amount. If you're beginning to think this sounds a lot like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), you win the prize.
What Treatments Are Available? The similarity between OCD and bulimia nervosa gives us a key as to what treatments can be effective. Often, the doctor will prescribe anxiety medicine in combination with psychological counseling to deal with the fears involved and gain control of the emotions and self-loathing. Like most psychological disorders, treatments are often long-term, with a gradual recovery. Recovery is often dependent upon how enthusiastically the bulimic embraces recovery. Unfortunately, as with any illness, many of us expect the doctor to give us a pill to make it go away with little or no effort on our part. Unless you take action, you're likely to be bulimic and dependent on medicine the rest of your life.
How Can The BAR Cycle Help? The BAR Cycle helps us control our actions by controlling our beliefs and motivations. By taking the actions on Belief in this BAR Cycle article, we begin to change our self-loathing and body-image, taking it from negative and destructive, to positive and constructive. Over time, by building up the belief in ourselves, we can eliminate the root causes of bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Even on a more short-term basis, we can see faster improvement in our treatment and a reduced need for drug therapy.
Bulimia is a serious condition that can lead to physical illness or death. This is why, even if you plan on using the BAR Cycle to help control your condition, you should seek the help of a licensed therapist experienced with bulimia, to guide you and monitor your recovery.
The good news is, you don't need to live in the self-loathing, emotional prison of bulimia nervosa. You don't need to live a secret life of anxiety, binging and purging to achieve some irrational ideal of physical perfection. Instead, you can begin the recovery process by seeing a doctor and getting the symptoms under control with drug and counseling therapy. You can enhance that therapy and eliminate the root causes of bulimia nervosa by using the BAR Cycle to understand and embrace the real you, a person of great value...comfortable in your own skin.
What Is Bulimia Nervosa? Bulimia is an eating disorder similar to anorexia, where we develop an irrational body image, and establish a dysfunctional solution to deal with this image. Anorexics can literally starve themselves to death. Bulimics, however, are also emotionally compelled to engage in binge eating, then to purge the food, either by forced vomiting or by laxatives, or both. Bulimia sufferers often experience malnutrition and damage to teethe, esophagus, colon and rectum...sometimes leading to severe anorexia.
What Compels Me To Binge And Purge? Fear and self-loathing are the main motivations to bulimia. The fear of starvation drives the binge and the fear of gaining weight drives the purge. Self-loathing is at the root of it, because bulimics believe they have to be the perfect weight or no one will love them. Some even resort to measuring everything that goes in and comes out of their bodies, to make sure it's the same amount. If you're beginning to think this sounds a lot like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), you win the prize.
What Treatments Are Available? The similarity between OCD and bulimia nervosa gives us a key as to what treatments can be effective. Often, the doctor will prescribe anxiety medicine in combination with psychological counseling to deal with the fears involved and gain control of the emotions and self-loathing. Like most psychological disorders, treatments are often long-term, with a gradual recovery. Recovery is often dependent upon how enthusiastically the bulimic embraces recovery. Unfortunately, as with any illness, many of us expect the doctor to give us a pill to make it go away with little or no effort on our part. Unless you take action, you're likely to be bulimic and dependent on medicine the rest of your life.
How Can The BAR Cycle Help? The BAR Cycle helps us control our actions by controlling our beliefs and motivations. By taking the actions on Belief in this BAR Cycle article, we begin to change our self-loathing and body-image, taking it from negative and destructive, to positive and constructive. Over time, by building up the belief in ourselves, we can eliminate the root causes of bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Even on a more short-term basis, we can see faster improvement in our treatment and a reduced need for drug therapy.
Bulimia is a serious condition that can lead to physical illness or death. This is why, even if you plan on using the BAR Cycle to help control your condition, you should seek the help of a licensed therapist experienced with bulimia, to guide you and monitor your recovery.
The good news is, you don't need to live in the self-loathing, emotional prison of bulimia nervosa. You don't need to live a secret life of anxiety, binging and purging to achieve some irrational ideal of physical perfection. Instead, you can begin the recovery process by seeing a doctor and getting the symptoms under control with drug and counseling therapy. You can enhance that therapy and eliminate the root causes of bulimia nervosa by using the BAR Cycle to understand and embrace the real you, a person of great value...comfortable in your own skin.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Does Guilt About Overeating Make You Overeat?
It would be hard to find a dieter who hasn't felt that pang of guilt after overindulging on something that was not on their diet but guilt is not a dieter's friend; in fact it often leads to even more eating because you feel so bad about your lack of discipline. So how do you break the destructive cycle of overeat / guilt /overeat? By simply reframing how you look at this problem you can throw guilt out the window and avoid this cycle all together.
First it is good to establish that it is never appropriate to feel guilty about wanting to eat. Food is necessary for your survival and your body knows it, so your body always wants you to eat to assure your survival. It doesn't care if you are carrying an extra 10, 40 or 100 pounds on your frame; it wants you to get some energizing food today. And, to ensure you do eat it releases hormones and chemicals inside you that make you want food. Therefore you should never feel guilty for wanting to eat, it is natural, and equally as important you should never be mad at your body for feeling hungry, it is just trying to help you survive.
Emotional eating has taken a lot of blame for the skyrocketing obesity epidemic, and rightfully so, but you shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to eat in reaction to an unpleasant emotion. Why? Because food does sedate your emotions, millions of people use food to dampen stress, anxiety and worry because it works. I am not saying it is a good solution, but it does produce temporary relief. Therefore, it is not appropriate to feel guilty about wanting to use food for emotional reasons.
Another reason you should not feel guilty about wanting to overeat is because most of you reading this live in an area where food is abundant, convenient and cheap. You are constantly reminded of food throughout your day. Food surrounds you so it makes sense that food would be on your mind often; you shouldn't feel guilty for thinking about food or even entertaining the thought of overeating.
With all of these factors surrounding you it is not unheard of for you to give in from time to time and overeat, your diet can certainly overcome these occasions but if you add guilt to the mix your diet may not survive. You will have moments during a diet when you don't eat as planned, accept these times and drop the guilt and in turn you will break the overeat / guilt / overeat cycle.
Understand that it is only human to enjoy a treat now and then and it is equally human to have an occasional slip when you are dieting. Accept and expect these times and not only will you find getting back on track a lot easier but you will also multiply your chances of success.
First it is good to establish that it is never appropriate to feel guilty about wanting to eat. Food is necessary for your survival and your body knows it, so your body always wants you to eat to assure your survival. It doesn't care if you are carrying an extra 10, 40 or 100 pounds on your frame; it wants you to get some energizing food today. And, to ensure you do eat it releases hormones and chemicals inside you that make you want food. Therefore you should never feel guilty for wanting to eat, it is natural, and equally as important you should never be mad at your body for feeling hungry, it is just trying to help you survive.
Emotional eating has taken a lot of blame for the skyrocketing obesity epidemic, and rightfully so, but you shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to eat in reaction to an unpleasant emotion. Why? Because food does sedate your emotions, millions of people use food to dampen stress, anxiety and worry because it works. I am not saying it is a good solution, but it does produce temporary relief. Therefore, it is not appropriate to feel guilty about wanting to use food for emotional reasons.
Another reason you should not feel guilty about wanting to overeat is because most of you reading this live in an area where food is abundant, convenient and cheap. You are constantly reminded of food throughout your day. Food surrounds you so it makes sense that food would be on your mind often; you shouldn't feel guilty for thinking about food or even entertaining the thought of overeating.
With all of these factors surrounding you it is not unheard of for you to give in from time to time and overeat, your diet can certainly overcome these occasions but if you add guilt to the mix your diet may not survive. You will have moments during a diet when you don't eat as planned, accept these times and drop the guilt and in turn you will break the overeat / guilt / overeat cycle.
Understand that it is only human to enjoy a treat now and then and it is equally human to have an occasional slip when you are dieting. Accept and expect these times and not only will you find getting back on track a lot easier but you will also multiply your chances of success.
A Life Story Of Anorexia-Bulimia Sufferer - Why She Does It And What Is Her Life Like?
People often ask me to describe what a day in the life of an anorexic-bulimic sufferer is really like. How do people become eating disorder sufferers and what do sufferers themselves think about their disorder and why they developed it. When I explain to them about the plight of the anorexics-bulimics I explain it from a third person view (use "they" - they do this, they do that etc).
But I don't think this way is powerful enough to show the real life of the anorexic-bulimic sufferer and what their day is really like. It is always good to show a real example from real life but because of the privacy reasons I can't give any real life example from an actual sufferer. So using real life examples I made up this story based on a girl whose full name is Anorexia Bulimia. She lives in a big Western city and she is 27 years old. She comes from a family of two busy dedicated professionals. She lives separately from her parents but her parents help her financially.
And here is what Anorexia Bulimia is saying about herself and her life. (Note: the story is made up and does not apply to anyone personally. It is a composite of many millions of Western girls who suffer from eating disorders.)
Anorexia Bulimia said: "I have suffered from anorexia and bulimia now for more than 10 yrs. I am not doing much of anything right now. I was studying at university but had to put my university studies on hold. I was an arts student. If I do return to university, I will have one and a half more years of studies to complete my degree. I left school because of my ED. To say correctly I had to leave because of the unbearable symptoms I had and I could not cope with.
It is the same story where I use to work: I had to leave to go to hospital for inpatient treatment and have never gone back to work since then as I just can't face it. I just have too much complications and organ failures to be able to hold a job down. In hospital I had a tube (stoma) put through the belly skin and muscles to feed me, so I could gain some weight. But I developed an infection around the tube and it was removed. Now I am here again at home with my normal crazy routine I follow day after day.
Right now, medically, I have many problems. I have major backaches, headaches, muscle aches/soreness, I cannot sleep, I have some chest pains/ heavy chest, I take heaps of laxatives because I cannot go otherwise. I cannot concentrate on much of anything and did I mention the dizziness. I see my doctor weekly and he does some blood/lab work on me and my potassium is always low. Sometimes my bicarb and creatinine levels are so high that he wants to throw me in hospital again but I will not go back as it does not help. Those are just some of the things that are keeping me from completing my studies and working or should I say keeping me from having any sort of productive life at all. I hate it but I can't stop and it is driving me crazy.
I don't have any hobbies I do like reading but I can't seem to concentrate on it for long because my mind always wanders to food and its abuse. I can't go out to social events any more as I am afraid that they will interfere with my schedule of starving and then binging and purging. I hate to interrupt the patterns and my routines.
I can honestly say that I cannot believe I have survived this long because sometimes I think I would rather be dead than continue on the way I am. Why do I feel like this, doctor?
I really would love to have a husband but what if he wanted a baby, how could I cope with being that fat? Do you think I could find a man who did not want sex or wants to be intimate? When I was young, a friend tried to touch me inappropriately and it hurt me, what if the man wanted to have sex and it hurt me again, how could I deal with that.
I don't know how I came to be where I am today I just started to diet and before I knew it I was totally consumed by my ED. I never had problems with eating I always loved eating when I was young. I was always taller and bigger than most kids at school but they use to call me fat, even my family said I was big and that I take after my mom's family who are bigger in size. I did not want to be called big I wanted to be just like the other kids, but I couldn't be.
Now all my life revolves around binging and purging I even have a ritual where I go through the same things every day. I go to the same place in the house not the bathroom, I have a big bucket and I use that as I purge for a few hours. Sometimes I am so weak after I just collapse were I am and can not move.
Sometimes I just want to die and I honestly don't know why I am still alive. The doctors have told me I should be dead but I am still here, please help me!
This is an article written from the many emails we get sent from anorexia-bulimia sufferers. It is all true and it breaks my heart every time we receive emails like this: we get many many of the same kind.
But I don't think this way is powerful enough to show the real life of the anorexic-bulimic sufferer and what their day is really like. It is always good to show a real example from real life but because of the privacy reasons I can't give any real life example from an actual sufferer. So using real life examples I made up this story based on a girl whose full name is Anorexia Bulimia. She lives in a big Western city and she is 27 years old. She comes from a family of two busy dedicated professionals. She lives separately from her parents but her parents help her financially.
And here is what Anorexia Bulimia is saying about herself and her life. (Note: the story is made up and does not apply to anyone personally. It is a composite of many millions of Western girls who suffer from eating disorders.)
Anorexia Bulimia said: "I have suffered from anorexia and bulimia now for more than 10 yrs. I am not doing much of anything right now. I was studying at university but had to put my university studies on hold. I was an arts student. If I do return to university, I will have one and a half more years of studies to complete my degree. I left school because of my ED. To say correctly I had to leave because of the unbearable symptoms I had and I could not cope with.
It is the same story where I use to work: I had to leave to go to hospital for inpatient treatment and have never gone back to work since then as I just can't face it. I just have too much complications and organ failures to be able to hold a job down. In hospital I had a tube (stoma) put through the belly skin and muscles to feed me, so I could gain some weight. But I developed an infection around the tube and it was removed. Now I am here again at home with my normal crazy routine I follow day after day.
Right now, medically, I have many problems. I have major backaches, headaches, muscle aches/soreness, I cannot sleep, I have some chest pains/ heavy chest, I take heaps of laxatives because I cannot go otherwise. I cannot concentrate on much of anything and did I mention the dizziness. I see my doctor weekly and he does some blood/lab work on me and my potassium is always low. Sometimes my bicarb and creatinine levels are so high that he wants to throw me in hospital again but I will not go back as it does not help. Those are just some of the things that are keeping me from completing my studies and working or should I say keeping me from having any sort of productive life at all. I hate it but I can't stop and it is driving me crazy.
I don't have any hobbies I do like reading but I can't seem to concentrate on it for long because my mind always wanders to food and its abuse. I can't go out to social events any more as I am afraid that they will interfere with my schedule of starving and then binging and purging. I hate to interrupt the patterns and my routines.
I can honestly say that I cannot believe I have survived this long because sometimes I think I would rather be dead than continue on the way I am. Why do I feel like this, doctor?
I really would love to have a husband but what if he wanted a baby, how could I cope with being that fat? Do you think I could find a man who did not want sex or wants to be intimate? When I was young, a friend tried to touch me inappropriately and it hurt me, what if the man wanted to have sex and it hurt me again, how could I deal with that.
I don't know how I came to be where I am today I just started to diet and before I knew it I was totally consumed by my ED. I never had problems with eating I always loved eating when I was young. I was always taller and bigger than most kids at school but they use to call me fat, even my family said I was big and that I take after my mom's family who are bigger in size. I did not want to be called big I wanted to be just like the other kids, but I couldn't be.
Now all my life revolves around binging and purging I even have a ritual where I go through the same things every day. I go to the same place in the house not the bathroom, I have a big bucket and I use that as I purge for a few hours. Sometimes I am so weak after I just collapse were I am and can not move.
Sometimes I just want to die and I honestly don't know why I am still alive. The doctors have told me I should be dead but I am still here, please help me!
This is an article written from the many emails we get sent from anorexia-bulimia sufferers. It is all true and it breaks my heart every time we receive emails like this: we get many many of the same kind.
A Teenager's Analysis of Eating Disorders
As caring adults, we struggle to understand why an adolescent would starve herself to death. What causes a bright, healthy young girl to turn her body into a weapon?
To answer this question, I received permission from a 17-year-old girl to publish her cogent analysis of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis. She uses this classic work to illuminate, in a succinct yet powerful manner, the causes and consequences of eating disorders.
Gregor the Anorexic
Today, eating disorders are a widely discussed and observed tragedy. Yet, what is not as well known is that eating disorders have existed for hundreds of years. In Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa exhibits the typical circumstances and symptoms of someone suffering from an eating disorder.
The causes of eating disorders are disputed, but there is a general consensus that pressure is a contributing factor. Gregor feels an obligation to pay his "debt to my (sic) parents" and save his family from poverty.
In addition, an eating disorder is a cry for help from someone who can't verbalize his anger and frustration. As a perfectionist and conformist, Gregor refrains from leaving his job even though he desperately wants to; as he says, "I would have quit long ago."
Of course, the most obvious sign of an eating disorder is the change in someone's physical appearance. People suffering from this tortuous disease have a twisted sense of their own appearance, and will perceive their quite ordinary looks as monstrous. Gregory's view of himself as a vermin, a bloated and misshapen creature, is an example of this shamed perception.
Secrecy is the life blood of an eating disorder. Someone trapped in this struggle will try to hide their condition for as long as possible. Initially, Gregor seeks to mask his voice and pretend he is in perfect shape. For as long as he can, Gregor tries to appear normal.
The underlying cause of an eating disorder is a lack of self-confidence. Gregor retreats under the sheet, stays in his room and doesn't fight to be understood - all a reflection of how little he believes in himself. Instead of finding the man within the bug, Gregor has spent too long viewing himself as a bug within a man.
Ultimately, as is the case with a significant percentage of anorexics, Gregor succumbs to his illness. Even more tragically, perhaps, no one bothers to mourn for him.
To answer this question, I received permission from a 17-year-old girl to publish her cogent analysis of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis. She uses this classic work to illuminate, in a succinct yet powerful manner, the causes and consequences of eating disorders.
Gregor the Anorexic
Today, eating disorders are a widely discussed and observed tragedy. Yet, what is not as well known is that eating disorders have existed for hundreds of years. In Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa exhibits the typical circumstances and symptoms of someone suffering from an eating disorder.
The causes of eating disorders are disputed, but there is a general consensus that pressure is a contributing factor. Gregor feels an obligation to pay his "debt to my (sic) parents" and save his family from poverty.
In addition, an eating disorder is a cry for help from someone who can't verbalize his anger and frustration. As a perfectionist and conformist, Gregor refrains from leaving his job even though he desperately wants to; as he says, "I would have quit long ago."
Of course, the most obvious sign of an eating disorder is the change in someone's physical appearance. People suffering from this tortuous disease have a twisted sense of their own appearance, and will perceive their quite ordinary looks as monstrous. Gregory's view of himself as a vermin, a bloated and misshapen creature, is an example of this shamed perception.
Secrecy is the life blood of an eating disorder. Someone trapped in this struggle will try to hide their condition for as long as possible. Initially, Gregor seeks to mask his voice and pretend he is in perfect shape. For as long as he can, Gregor tries to appear normal.
The underlying cause of an eating disorder is a lack of self-confidence. Gregor retreats under the sheet, stays in his room and doesn't fight to be understood - all a reflection of how little he believes in himself. Instead of finding the man within the bug, Gregor has spent too long viewing himself as a bug within a man.
Ultimately, as is the case with a significant percentage of anorexics, Gregor succumbs to his illness. Even more tragically, perhaps, no one bothers to mourn for him.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Truth About Anorexia Symptoms
Anorexia symptoms are hard to see because the afflicted try to hide them as much as they possibly can. When they are caught they will try to explain their way out of it. Often they will do a good job of it, too. Eventually the signs will be too hard to hide. Their condition, at this point, will be so unmanageable that their bodies will exhibit clear evidence of their condition.
The most common anorexia symptoms can be seen in behavior and eating habits. One particular telltale habit is when a person goes on a restrictive diet even when the person is already thin. Such a diet would often ban fat and carbohydrates.
Another sign is when the person carries around a food diary or is obsessed with keeping track of their food intake. Patients will keep on counting their calories obsessively. It would even go to the point of weighing the portions that he or she eats.
Another thing to watch out for is when a person has strange rituals when it comes to his or her eating. They would be eating in ritualistic ways like obsessing about the cuts of the meat portions. In most cases the person would be very secretive about these rituals. They would even refuse to eat in public places or usually eat alone.
Another anorexia symptom is when a person lies or pretends that they have already eaten. They would even throw away food just to avoid eating. They will often have excuses like "I'm not feeling too good" or "I've had a big breakfast".
Sometimes an anorexic would hide their behavior too well that the disease will just be evident in the person's body and her body image. Often you would hear the person complain about how fat he or she is.
In some cases, an anorexic would obsess over their body. Tiny fluctuations of their weight bother them a great deal. They are overly critical of their appearance. They would constantly be looking in mirrors and pointing at flaws.
The rapid weight loss would be evident in their body. There would be no medical cause but the drop in their weight would be drastic. They would try to deny being too thin and try to hide it by wearing baggy clothes and try to hide their weight in physicals by drinking a lot of water.
In some cases, anorexics use purging to reduce their body weight and limit their calorie intake. Take notice of their use of water pills and herbal appetite pills to suppress heir hunger. They would also use laxatives to pass food a lot faster. They will also use ipecac syrup to induce vomiting.
Exercise can also be an anorexia symptom where they exhibit and follow a strict exercise regimen. They would often work hard after eating something bad like fat or hi-calorie foods. Nothing can interrupt this strict regimen. They would even workout despite injuries or bad weather.
The most common anorexia symptoms can be seen in behavior and eating habits. One particular telltale habit is when a person goes on a restrictive diet even when the person is already thin. Such a diet would often ban fat and carbohydrates.
Another sign is when the person carries around a food diary or is obsessed with keeping track of their food intake. Patients will keep on counting their calories obsessively. It would even go to the point of weighing the portions that he or she eats.
Another thing to watch out for is when a person has strange rituals when it comes to his or her eating. They would be eating in ritualistic ways like obsessing about the cuts of the meat portions. In most cases the person would be very secretive about these rituals. They would even refuse to eat in public places or usually eat alone.
Another anorexia symptom is when a person lies or pretends that they have already eaten. They would even throw away food just to avoid eating. They will often have excuses like "I'm not feeling too good" or "I've had a big breakfast".
Sometimes an anorexic would hide their behavior too well that the disease will just be evident in the person's body and her body image. Often you would hear the person complain about how fat he or she is.
In some cases, an anorexic would obsess over their body. Tiny fluctuations of their weight bother them a great deal. They are overly critical of their appearance. They would constantly be looking in mirrors and pointing at flaws.
The rapid weight loss would be evident in their body. There would be no medical cause but the drop in their weight would be drastic. They would try to deny being too thin and try to hide it by wearing baggy clothes and try to hide their weight in physicals by drinking a lot of water.
In some cases, anorexics use purging to reduce their body weight and limit their calorie intake. Take notice of their use of water pills and herbal appetite pills to suppress heir hunger. They would also use laxatives to pass food a lot faster. They will also use ipecac syrup to induce vomiting.
Exercise can also be an anorexia symptom where they exhibit and follow a strict exercise regimen. They would often work hard after eating something bad like fat or hi-calorie foods. Nothing can interrupt this strict regimen. They would even workout despite injuries or bad weather.
5 Tips to Prevent a Binge
Here are five tips that I have received from people who are struggling with binge eating disorder. When I was binging I used some of these exact tips. The tricks really helped to curb a binge or two. Try them out ad let me know how they work out for you.
1. Become a vegan.
I've heard this from a handful of people. Although it's not the norm to binge on meat, there are people that can't get enough of Buffalo wings, roast, steak, chicken, and any other kind of meat. Making the decision to cut out meat has really worked wonders for them. (Believe me, I realize that this tip is extreme, but hey, if it's helped others, it's my duty to pass it on!)
2. Drinking a cup of coffee to kill a binge.
Many people feel like when 3pm rolls around, they are ready for a binge. It's called a "time trigger". Again, a handful of you have said that coffee has really helped with preventing a binge. If you feel like you binge around a certain time, try grabbing a cup of coffee (or tea) and see if it works for you!
3. Finding a distraction.
Find something that will distract you from binging. It can be absolutely anything: going outside for a walk, talking to a friend on the phone, yoga, playing with your dog, organizing your junk drawer in the kitchen, etc. Distractions work because they disrupt the binge eating habit... and anything that breaks the binging habit is good.
4. Put together a photo album.
Pick a few pictures out of when you felt the best about yourself. Make a rule that each time you want to binge, you have to look through the whole album, picture-by-picture. Surely looking at yourself at your best might help prevent food from going into your mouth. It helped a few people realize that giving into the binge would just put them one step further from looking their best again and it also would make them feel awful for giving in. Personally, I think that beating a binge this way will help you to feel stronger than you have previously. It shows you that you can beat a binge and that is powerful!
5. Brush your teeth.
Have you ever noticed that nothing (food or drink) tastes as good right after you brush your teeth? Next time you have the desire to binge eat, brush your teeth. At the very least, you'll have the cleanest and brightest smile out there!
I hope you found some, if not all, of these tips helpful! Good luck with beating binge eating disorder and just remember that you can beat this!
1. Become a vegan.
I've heard this from a handful of people. Although it's not the norm to binge on meat, there are people that can't get enough of Buffalo wings, roast, steak, chicken, and any other kind of meat. Making the decision to cut out meat has really worked wonders for them. (Believe me, I realize that this tip is extreme, but hey, if it's helped others, it's my duty to pass it on!)
2. Drinking a cup of coffee to kill a binge.
Many people feel like when 3pm rolls around, they are ready for a binge. It's called a "time trigger". Again, a handful of you have said that coffee has really helped with preventing a binge. If you feel like you binge around a certain time, try grabbing a cup of coffee (or tea) and see if it works for you!
3. Finding a distraction.
Find something that will distract you from binging. It can be absolutely anything: going outside for a walk, talking to a friend on the phone, yoga, playing with your dog, organizing your junk drawer in the kitchen, etc. Distractions work because they disrupt the binge eating habit... and anything that breaks the binging habit is good.
4. Put together a photo album.
Pick a few pictures out of when you felt the best about yourself. Make a rule that each time you want to binge, you have to look through the whole album, picture-by-picture. Surely looking at yourself at your best might help prevent food from going into your mouth. It helped a few people realize that giving into the binge would just put them one step further from looking their best again and it also would make them feel awful for giving in. Personally, I think that beating a binge this way will help you to feel stronger than you have previously. It shows you that you can beat a binge and that is powerful!
5. Brush your teeth.
Have you ever noticed that nothing (food or drink) tastes as good right after you brush your teeth? Next time you have the desire to binge eat, brush your teeth. At the very least, you'll have the cleanest and brightest smile out there!
I hope you found some, if not all, of these tips helpful! Good luck with beating binge eating disorder and just remember that you can beat this!
Troubling Eating Habits - Disorders?
A new study says that 6 out of 10 American women are "disordered eaters." They have unhealthy obsessions with food, their body and eating behaviors. This isn't just the teens and twenties population this includes women in their 30's and 40's of all ethnic backgrounds.
Many women including myself at times do not have a healthy relationship with food or their body. Many women spend half their time thinking about food and meal planning. Some restrict themselves to the same foods everyday. Then there are some that weigh themselves every morning and their mood is determined by what the scale says. I know when the scale goes up I automatically think I need to get some additional exercise in today.
Sound familiar? It should: According to a survey sixty-five percent of American women who responded are disordered eaters. Eating habits that women think are normal such as eliminating carbs, skipping meals and, in some cases, even dieting itself may actually be symptoms of the syndrome. Although disordered eating doesn't have the lethal potential of anorexia or bulimia, it can really cause havoc in your emotional and physical health
According to the survey which gathered responses from 4,000 women ages 25 to 45 to a detailed questionnaire about their eating habits and found that most disordered eaters fall into one or more of six categories. Calorie prisoners are terrified of gaining weight, tend to see food as good or bad and feel extremely guilty if they indulge in something that's off-limits. Secret eaters binge on food at home or wherever they won't be found out. Career dieters may not know what to eat without a plan to follow; despite their efforts, they're more likely than other types to be overweight or obese. Purgers are obsessed with ridding their body of unwanted calories by using laxatives, diuretics or occasional vomiting. Food addicts eat to make themselves feel better - soothe stress, deal with anger, even celebrate a happy event; they constantly think about food. Extreme exercisers work out despite injury or exhaustion and solely for weight loss; they are overwhelmed if they miss a time to workout. Many disordered eaters piece together a mix of destructive habits such as a calorie prisoner and an exercise addict. Others may shift between categories over the years, going from restricting to bingeing to purging, for instance.
This survey was a real eye opener to me. As a society, we don't see the problem of disordered eaters. A few eat nutritiously and exercise moderately. The rest turn to unsafe tricks. The result is failure; severe measures don't work. So how can we get healthier? We need to go about change. First stop restricting your diet and embrace a healthy lifestyle. Bring in more healthy foods. Try to eat more often by including snacks in your day. Always start your day with a healthy well balanced breakfast. Studies show the people who eat breakfast maintain a healthier body than those who choose to skip it. Make steps to separate mood from food which is probably the most challenging. Listen to your stomach - eat when you're hungry. Lastly do it for the girls in your life so we can have a healthier future for them.
Many women including myself at times do not have a healthy relationship with food or their body. Many women spend half their time thinking about food and meal planning. Some restrict themselves to the same foods everyday. Then there are some that weigh themselves every morning and their mood is determined by what the scale says. I know when the scale goes up I automatically think I need to get some additional exercise in today.
Sound familiar? It should: According to a survey sixty-five percent of American women who responded are disordered eaters. Eating habits that women think are normal such as eliminating carbs, skipping meals and, in some cases, even dieting itself may actually be symptoms of the syndrome. Although disordered eating doesn't have the lethal potential of anorexia or bulimia, it can really cause havoc in your emotional and physical health
According to the survey which gathered responses from 4,000 women ages 25 to 45 to a detailed questionnaire about their eating habits and found that most disordered eaters fall into one or more of six categories. Calorie prisoners are terrified of gaining weight, tend to see food as good or bad and feel extremely guilty if they indulge in something that's off-limits. Secret eaters binge on food at home or wherever they won't be found out. Career dieters may not know what to eat without a plan to follow; despite their efforts, they're more likely than other types to be overweight or obese. Purgers are obsessed with ridding their body of unwanted calories by using laxatives, diuretics or occasional vomiting. Food addicts eat to make themselves feel better - soothe stress, deal with anger, even celebrate a happy event; they constantly think about food. Extreme exercisers work out despite injury or exhaustion and solely for weight loss; they are overwhelmed if they miss a time to workout. Many disordered eaters piece together a mix of destructive habits such as a calorie prisoner and an exercise addict. Others may shift between categories over the years, going from restricting to bingeing to purging, for instance.
This survey was a real eye opener to me. As a society, we don't see the problem of disordered eaters. A few eat nutritiously and exercise moderately. The rest turn to unsafe tricks. The result is failure; severe measures don't work. So how can we get healthier? We need to go about change. First stop restricting your diet and embrace a healthy lifestyle. Bring in more healthy foods. Try to eat more often by including snacks in your day. Always start your day with a healthy well balanced breakfast. Studies show the people who eat breakfast maintain a healthier body than those who choose to skip it. Make steps to separate mood from food which is probably the most challenging. Listen to your stomach - eat when you're hungry. Lastly do it for the girls in your life so we can have a healthier future for them.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
What You Must Know About Anorexia People
Anorexia people exhibit certain traits that manifest in different ways. Some of these traits include distrust of themselves or other people, overly critical thinking or being a perfectionist and having low or no self awareness.
If these traits are present, the risk of developing anorexia doubles. When a patient with these distinct traits live in communities that are critical about a person's appearance, specifically about a person's body, the pressure doubles and leaves them vulnerable to anorexia.
If you know any person that exhibits three or more of these traits, one should try to get them help. They should be very careful when going through a strict diet program. The risk is that they might transform the diet and eventually have an unhealthy view of themselves. They would look at the diet as a means to increase their self esteem. To them, they see controlling their weight as an easier option than controlling other aspects of life. As the illness progresses, it becomes increasingly hard to control both as they spiral further and further into despair.
Anorexia people would lower and lower their food intake until finally they would stop eating altogether. Eventually the body would respond by eating into their muscles for calories. Although it started as something to keep themselves healthy it would eventually change into something unhealthy.
The afflicted would be obsessed with their weight. They would starve; purge themselves to maintain their weight at a low level. Thin is not enough; they always have to be thinner.
The afflicted would often look at themselves in a mirror and see a fat person. In truth their bodies would be ravaged by all the weight loss it has been through. Their skin would be hanging off their bones but all they would see is fat. Their obsession about losing their weight would continue up to the point that they get hospitalized or worse.
Sufferers can be classified into two categories. They could be the type that restricts their food intake. In this category, anorexia people will limit the calories in their diet. They will stay away from food that can be fattening. They will also accompany this extreme dieting with excessive exercise and fasting.
Another category is the purging type. These people would resort to vomiting and use of laxatives and diuretics to remove the calories that they have consumed. They would also go through fasting and other radical means to maintain and reduce their weight.
Such people can be anyone. In most cases they, are adolescent girls between the ages of 13 and 20, but it is not too uncommon to see this condition in men and children.
It is also hard to tell an anorexic because they make a conscious effort to hide their condition. Most of them are ashamed of what they are doing and will go to great lengths just so they don't get discovered. You will only notice them when it has gone overboard. At this point, the condition can lead to death.
This condition is very serious and could be fatal. Fortunately there is still hope. It is important that people that have anorexia seek proper treatment. The condition can be controlled with proper support but it is important to catch the symptoms early.
If these traits are present, the risk of developing anorexia doubles. When a patient with these distinct traits live in communities that are critical about a person's appearance, specifically about a person's body, the pressure doubles and leaves them vulnerable to anorexia.
If you know any person that exhibits three or more of these traits, one should try to get them help. They should be very careful when going through a strict diet program. The risk is that they might transform the diet and eventually have an unhealthy view of themselves. They would look at the diet as a means to increase their self esteem. To them, they see controlling their weight as an easier option than controlling other aspects of life. As the illness progresses, it becomes increasingly hard to control both as they spiral further and further into despair.
Anorexia people would lower and lower their food intake until finally they would stop eating altogether. Eventually the body would respond by eating into their muscles for calories. Although it started as something to keep themselves healthy it would eventually change into something unhealthy.
The afflicted would be obsessed with their weight. They would starve; purge themselves to maintain their weight at a low level. Thin is not enough; they always have to be thinner.
The afflicted would often look at themselves in a mirror and see a fat person. In truth their bodies would be ravaged by all the weight loss it has been through. Their skin would be hanging off their bones but all they would see is fat. Their obsession about losing their weight would continue up to the point that they get hospitalized or worse.
Sufferers can be classified into two categories. They could be the type that restricts their food intake. In this category, anorexia people will limit the calories in their diet. They will stay away from food that can be fattening. They will also accompany this extreme dieting with excessive exercise and fasting.
Another category is the purging type. These people would resort to vomiting and use of laxatives and diuretics to remove the calories that they have consumed. They would also go through fasting and other radical means to maintain and reduce their weight.
Such people can be anyone. In most cases they, are adolescent girls between the ages of 13 and 20, but it is not too uncommon to see this condition in men and children.
It is also hard to tell an anorexic because they make a conscious effort to hide their condition. Most of them are ashamed of what they are doing and will go to great lengths just so they don't get discovered. You will only notice them when it has gone overboard. At this point, the condition can lead to death.
This condition is very serious and could be fatal. Fortunately there is still hope. It is important that people that have anorexia seek proper treatment. The condition can be controlled with proper support but it is important to catch the symptoms early.
What You Must Know About Anorexia Causes
Unlike other diseases where the main cause is identified, anorexia causes could be perplexing. To arrest this eating disorder, one should have an understanding of the anorexia symptoms.
In our present society, it is fashionable and in to be thin. This standard of beauty is further motivated by media hype. Women are constantly exposed to advertisements of diet pills, of cosmetic surgery centers where body enhancement procedures are ordinary occurrences. One of the major anorexia causes is cultural pressure. Women who are inordinately dissatisfied with their bodies often start excessive dieting.
Anorexia can be the result of a medical condition. This eating disorder may also be the side effect of a medication. Kidney failure, diabetes, and liver disease could result. Fortunately, once the illness is treated, the anorexia symptoms will be eliminated too.
Depression, stress and anxiety could cause a person to stay away from food. Psychological anorexia symptoms are more difficult to treat. Anorexia causes people to have a notion that they are fat even though the bones in their body are sticking out and they have an emaciated appearance. In some instances the family's lifestyle can contribute. Parents' over protectiveness may suffocate the child, causing him/her to rebel and to refuse to eat as a sign of independence.
People who have suffered from physical and sexual abuse are most likely to be afflicted with anorexia nervosa. These people would starve to death to avoid the sexual demands of the abuser. The same thing is true with physical abuse. Anorexics have this notion that self starvation is the only way by which they can avoid physical abuse.
Whatever the anorexia causes may be, it should be understood that anorexia is a serious eating disorder. Anorexia people may inadvertently cause severe damage to their own vital organs by self starvation. So if you see a family member, a loved one or a friend with a compulsive desire to lose weight to the point that she/he is no longer eating proper meals, if you see that he/she is using large baggy clothes to hide an emaciated body, if you notice that she/he is exhibiting drastic mood swings...this person has anorexia symptoms. Act at once for your help is urgently needed!
In our present society, it is fashionable and in to be thin. This standard of beauty is further motivated by media hype. Women are constantly exposed to advertisements of diet pills, of cosmetic surgery centers where body enhancement procedures are ordinary occurrences. One of the major anorexia causes is cultural pressure. Women who are inordinately dissatisfied with their bodies often start excessive dieting.
Anorexia can be the result of a medical condition. This eating disorder may also be the side effect of a medication. Kidney failure, diabetes, and liver disease could result. Fortunately, once the illness is treated, the anorexia symptoms will be eliminated too.
Depression, stress and anxiety could cause a person to stay away from food. Psychological anorexia symptoms are more difficult to treat. Anorexia causes people to have a notion that they are fat even though the bones in their body are sticking out and they have an emaciated appearance. In some instances the family's lifestyle can contribute. Parents' over protectiveness may suffocate the child, causing him/her to rebel and to refuse to eat as a sign of independence.
People who have suffered from physical and sexual abuse are most likely to be afflicted with anorexia nervosa. These people would starve to death to avoid the sexual demands of the abuser. The same thing is true with physical abuse. Anorexics have this notion that self starvation is the only way by which they can avoid physical abuse.
Whatever the anorexia causes may be, it should be understood that anorexia is a serious eating disorder. Anorexia people may inadvertently cause severe damage to their own vital organs by self starvation. So if you see a family member, a loved one or a friend with a compulsive desire to lose weight to the point that she/he is no longer eating proper meals, if you see that he/she is using large baggy clothes to hide an emaciated body, if you notice that she/he is exhibiting drastic mood swings...this person has anorexia symptoms. Act at once for your help is urgently needed!
Anorexia-Bulimia Is Not About Food - Well, What Is It All About?
Many people just associate anorexia-bulimia with food and/or dieting. But this is not the case. An eating disorder is not just about food and dieting.
Eating problems are just only a symptom of anorexia-bulimia. In the big picture eating disorders are a disorder of feelings and emotions. For sufferers food abuse helps them to respond to their feelings, thus allowing the individual to avoid, postpone, forget, deny, or otherwise anesthetize their feelings.
For the anorexic or bulimic person, keeping a safe emotional distance precludes the risk that others will discover her/his real self and hurt them.
Secondly, an eating disorder is a disorder of control. A sufferer perceives that she/he can't control anything in their life except for their food intake and their weight. They perceive that controlling their weight and food intake will enable them to keep their uncontrollable life in balance.
Thirdly, an eating disorder is a disorder of thinking. Anorexics-bulimics are thinking in a distorted way about themselves, the world, and their place in it. They believe that gaining even 1 kilo invariably leads to gaining 10 to 20 kilos. Their misconception about how they look is called body image distortion or "broken eye syndrome".
Fourthly, an eating disorder is a disorder of coping. For sufferers, their eating disorder is a way they cope with everyday stress: with their school, homework and pressure from their friends.
Fifthly, an eating disorder is a disorder of identity. For many sufferers their eating disorder becomes a substitute for their identity. Some of them even describe that being without their disease is as unthinkable for them as being without air to breathe.
Sixthly, an eating disorder is a disorder of values and lifestyle. For many bulimics spending time with themselves and binging is much more important than going out, seeing friends and socializing.
The eating disorders become their lifestyle, their entertainment and total interest in life.
Seventhly, an eating disorder is a disorder of relationship. Some people even say about their eating disorders something like: "My best friend is always there for me." This is about their eating disorders, they perceive it like their "best friend", unlike these hurtful and rejecting people in real life.
And finally, an eating disorder is a disorder of behavior. The extreme unbending and compulsive nature of unbalanced eating behaviors is the main feature of the disease.
For most sufferers they simply do not know how to stop, if they eliminated one meal, they want to eliminate two; if they lose some weight they want to lose more and more and it becomes a vicious cycle.
It also gives them a form of control they don't normally have in the real world. So the wish to stop has to become greater that the wish to stay where they are, but unfortunately by the time they reach this point they have done a lot of damage to themselves.
Eating problems are just only a symptom of anorexia-bulimia. In the big picture eating disorders are a disorder of feelings and emotions. For sufferers food abuse helps them to respond to their feelings, thus allowing the individual to avoid, postpone, forget, deny, or otherwise anesthetize their feelings.
For the anorexic or bulimic person, keeping a safe emotional distance precludes the risk that others will discover her/his real self and hurt them.
Secondly, an eating disorder is a disorder of control. A sufferer perceives that she/he can't control anything in their life except for their food intake and their weight. They perceive that controlling their weight and food intake will enable them to keep their uncontrollable life in balance.
Thirdly, an eating disorder is a disorder of thinking. Anorexics-bulimics are thinking in a distorted way about themselves, the world, and their place in it. They believe that gaining even 1 kilo invariably leads to gaining 10 to 20 kilos. Their misconception about how they look is called body image distortion or "broken eye syndrome".
Fourthly, an eating disorder is a disorder of coping. For sufferers, their eating disorder is a way they cope with everyday stress: with their school, homework and pressure from their friends.
Fifthly, an eating disorder is a disorder of identity. For many sufferers their eating disorder becomes a substitute for their identity. Some of them even describe that being without their disease is as unthinkable for them as being without air to breathe.
Sixthly, an eating disorder is a disorder of values and lifestyle. For many bulimics spending time with themselves and binging is much more important than going out, seeing friends and socializing.
The eating disorders become their lifestyle, their entertainment and total interest in life.
Seventhly, an eating disorder is a disorder of relationship. Some people even say about their eating disorders something like: "My best friend is always there for me." This is about their eating disorders, they perceive it like their "best friend", unlike these hurtful and rejecting people in real life.
And finally, an eating disorder is a disorder of behavior. The extreme unbending and compulsive nature of unbalanced eating behaviors is the main feature of the disease.
For most sufferers they simply do not know how to stop, if they eliminated one meal, they want to eliminate two; if they lose some weight they want to lose more and more and it becomes a vicious cycle.
It also gives them a form of control they don't normally have in the real world. So the wish to stop has to become greater that the wish to stay where they are, but unfortunately by the time they reach this point they have done a lot of damage to themselves.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
How to Help Young Anorexics
It is with growing concern that I have noticed an alarming trend in the emails I receive from people asking for help with young anorexics eating disorder problems. It has become obvious that something is terribly wrong with the normal medical approach to helping these sufferers.
I would like to share with you just some of the pleas for help I get so you can see what I mean.
"Dear Doctor
My daughter is away at university she had a week to go before the end of the term/academic year. Her weight is very low (under 5 stones) and although she has some help (psychiatrist/art therapy/dietician) she is really struggling and desperate for some rest bite and help but the resources available are scarce and a hospital admission initially to a medical ward is what is most likely to happen. Over the years she has had 3 admission to specialist units where she has gained weight over many month only to lose it all once she resumes independent living. She does not believe another hospital admission would really help but to be honest she is getting so ill she may not have a choice". Janet T.
Here is another email from a desperate mother.
"Dear Doctor
I am a mother who has a 17 year-old daughter suffering from bulimia and anorexia. She is receiving no help whatsoever from our doctor or counseling services here in Northern Ireland. It fact she seems to be getting worse although she is under treatment. I can't understand what is happening can you help me please". Pauline M.
I receive many of emails like these from people who just can't understand why their loved one is finding it so hard to recover even though they are under medical supervision. And I will explain the reasons in a moment but first here is another plea from a grandmother I received.
Hi Doctor
I hope I am not fussing too much but we are so desperate as my granddaughter is rapidly going downhill with really bad tantrums etc., and is so thin and won't eat hardly anything, we are all in despair and so scared for her health she continues to lose 2lb every week she has been seeing councilors and the weight loss has increased since then. We cannot understand why she is getting worse, we thought she would get better after seeing a counselor. Andrea R
Another cry for help.
Dear Doctor
I have just finished speaking to my brother and sister-in-law who are at a crisis point in trying to deal with their young daughter's anorexia.
Alice says they are both beyond hell and do not know how to recover the lives of their daughter or themselves. I suspect it is putting immense strain on their marriage as well.
Their 16 year old daughter knows what the condition is doing to her but is powerless to ignore the voices in her head telling her to do the opposite of everything that will help get her better.
She is critically thin and starting to be suicidal. After the phone call I got on line and was lead to you. I do not know how else to help. They are on that dreadful treadmill of Doctors, hospitals and counselors, today they have been told by the doctors to go to her school and sit with her while she eats her lunch!! This is no life. Betty D.
There is a reason why all these people are understandably confused about how to treat young anorexics and it stems from the lack of real understanding of the condition by conventional medical practice in treating eating disorders.
Most eating disorder specialists are highly trained and very competent in trying to look after sufferers, but most of the doctors I have talked to are equally baffled by negative the results they are getting.
One of the main things you have to understand is eating disorders like anorexia are not a logical disease, so you can not treat them with logic as conventional treatment tries to do. An eating disorder is all about feelings and emotions and these are certainly not logical. You can't counsel a person by pointing out they could die from their disorder: most already know this but still cannot change.
Sitting around just listening to the sufferer talk about how they feel or ask them to describe the feelings they have and expecting the sufferer to know the answer is also ludicrous. Asking them to keep charts on what they eat for weeks is only making them focus on their ED even more and is also a crazy way to deal with the problem.
Getting them involved in group therapy does not work in most cases either. In fact this can cause more problems that it fixes as sufferers can get attached to the group. They make friends with other anorexic sufferers, and then if they get better they asked to leave the group and also all their friends, so they often choose not to get better.
So what is the remedy for the young anorexic sufferers and their families? The best way to beat an eating disorder is by attacking the eating disorder where it lives and that is in the subconscious mind of the sufferer. By showing the young anorexic sufferer how to stop the voices in their mind from controlling their life and changing their thought patterns to a more positive outlook on life is paramount to their recovery.
To do this you have to reprogram the mind of the sufferer by using positive input. This does not simply mean just trying to think positive about things or telling them that everything is rosy and wonderful, because this does not work either.
What you need is a specific method and set of exercises that are tailor made to change the way the sufferer sees them self and thinks about themselves. They need a treatment method that helps them to defeat the voices in their head which have already lead them down the dark path that is their anorexia.
I would like to share with you just some of the pleas for help I get so you can see what I mean.
"Dear Doctor
My daughter is away at university she had a week to go before the end of the term/academic year. Her weight is very low (under 5 stones) and although she has some help (psychiatrist/art therapy/dietician) she is really struggling and desperate for some rest bite and help but the resources available are scarce and a hospital admission initially to a medical ward is what is most likely to happen. Over the years she has had 3 admission to specialist units where she has gained weight over many month only to lose it all once she resumes independent living. She does not believe another hospital admission would really help but to be honest she is getting so ill she may not have a choice". Janet T.
Here is another email from a desperate mother.
"Dear Doctor
I am a mother who has a 17 year-old daughter suffering from bulimia and anorexia. She is receiving no help whatsoever from our doctor or counseling services here in Northern Ireland. It fact she seems to be getting worse although she is under treatment. I can't understand what is happening can you help me please". Pauline M.
I receive many of emails like these from people who just can't understand why their loved one is finding it so hard to recover even though they are under medical supervision. And I will explain the reasons in a moment but first here is another plea from a grandmother I received.
Hi Doctor
I hope I am not fussing too much but we are so desperate as my granddaughter is rapidly going downhill with really bad tantrums etc., and is so thin and won't eat hardly anything, we are all in despair and so scared for her health she continues to lose 2lb every week she has been seeing councilors and the weight loss has increased since then. We cannot understand why she is getting worse, we thought she would get better after seeing a counselor. Andrea R
Another cry for help.
Dear Doctor
I have just finished speaking to my brother and sister-in-law who are at a crisis point in trying to deal with their young daughter's anorexia.
Alice says they are both beyond hell and do not know how to recover the lives of their daughter or themselves. I suspect it is putting immense strain on their marriage as well.
Their 16 year old daughter knows what the condition is doing to her but is powerless to ignore the voices in her head telling her to do the opposite of everything that will help get her better.
She is critically thin and starting to be suicidal. After the phone call I got on line and was lead to you. I do not know how else to help. They are on that dreadful treadmill of Doctors, hospitals and counselors, today they have been told by the doctors to go to her school and sit with her while she eats her lunch!! This is no life. Betty D.
There is a reason why all these people are understandably confused about how to treat young anorexics and it stems from the lack of real understanding of the condition by conventional medical practice in treating eating disorders.
Most eating disorder specialists are highly trained and very competent in trying to look after sufferers, but most of the doctors I have talked to are equally baffled by negative the results they are getting.
One of the main things you have to understand is eating disorders like anorexia are not a logical disease, so you can not treat them with logic as conventional treatment tries to do. An eating disorder is all about feelings and emotions and these are certainly not logical. You can't counsel a person by pointing out they could die from their disorder: most already know this but still cannot change.
Sitting around just listening to the sufferer talk about how they feel or ask them to describe the feelings they have and expecting the sufferer to know the answer is also ludicrous. Asking them to keep charts on what they eat for weeks is only making them focus on their ED even more and is also a crazy way to deal with the problem.
Getting them involved in group therapy does not work in most cases either. In fact this can cause more problems that it fixes as sufferers can get attached to the group. They make friends with other anorexic sufferers, and then if they get better they asked to leave the group and also all their friends, so they often choose not to get better.
So what is the remedy for the young anorexic sufferers and their families? The best way to beat an eating disorder is by attacking the eating disorder where it lives and that is in the subconscious mind of the sufferer. By showing the young anorexic sufferer how to stop the voices in their mind from controlling their life and changing their thought patterns to a more positive outlook on life is paramount to their recovery.
To do this you have to reprogram the mind of the sufferer by using positive input. This does not simply mean just trying to think positive about things or telling them that everything is rosy and wonderful, because this does not work either.
What you need is a specific method and set of exercises that are tailor made to change the way the sufferer sees them self and thinks about themselves. They need a treatment method that helps them to defeat the voices in their head which have already lead them down the dark path that is their anorexia.
How to Help Anorexic Children
What we understand from our personal experience coping with a child suffering from anorexia is that there isn't one single definitive guide or course of action for you and your child to follow that will guarantee a solution to their eating problems.
Your attitude and beliefs about children and teenagers and the interaction of the parents affect the way you respond to your child.
You should understand that you are not responsible for your child's illness as well as you should understand that your child turned to an eating disorder for emotional comfort and is in emotional pain, though she/he may not recognize it.
Remember, that if one approach for coping with your child's illness does not work there is always another way.
What I want to say is that people who develop eating disorders are absolutely normal. Just something happens in their lives that make them really suffer emotionally and they turn to an eating disorder to compensate for this emotional discomfort.
Anorexia like other eating disorders is not about food. Anorexia is disorder of feelings, thoughts, identity, values, relationship, coping and control.
If you fix all of the above or change these feelings to new ones (like positive feelings and thoughts, strong sense of identity and values, good coping and control strategies, high self-esteem) you can conquer anorexia.
Only then will the young anorexic be able to recover from an eating disorder quickly.
I should say that affecting someone's subconscious mind is not a quick process. It will take some time. But if you are persistent you will definitely see a significant improvement in your child's state within a few months after beginning and doing the exercises above.
How does it work, you may ask? Here is the short and simple explanation. Our brain consists of two halves (called hemispheres). Both hemispheres are covered by a thick layer called the Cortex. The Cortex is the conscious part of the brain, the part we think with (logical thinking). But this part of the brain is not responsible for our feelings.
We have another small part of our brain which lies between the two hemispheres and connects them. This little part is called the limbic system. The limbic system, as discussed in the next section, is involved in regulating emotions and motivations. In addition, parts of the limbic system, the amygdala and hippocampus, are important for memory.
This part (The limbic system) does not have consciousness (no thoughts only feelings). It was found that people with emotional problems have an imbalance of the limbic system. The question is: how to influence the limbic system and put it in the right balance?
The answer is: the cortex which is the conscious part of the brain should influence the limbic system which does not have conscious thought. The cortex, which makes the decisions for us, learns new things, and understands things for us should influence the non-conscious part of the brain by giving signals to the limbic system to work differently.
Most eating disorders are learned behavior. Initially the sufferer taught themselves to diet to become slim. Initially it was their own conscious decision to lose weight because they wanted to look better. This conscious decision was made by their cortex and sent to their limbic system which gave them the feelings (like feeling good about yourself if you became slim).
So, what you need to do is reverse this: to say in other words you have to get the sufferer to change their perception (or their cortex). They should make another decision (about changing their own image and feelings that they have now, like starving them self or purging, back to a normal response) and send this signal to their limbic system to foster good feelings about their new decision they have just made.
Your attitude and beliefs about children and teenagers and the interaction of the parents affect the way you respond to your child.
You should understand that you are not responsible for your child's illness as well as you should understand that your child turned to an eating disorder for emotional comfort and is in emotional pain, though she/he may not recognize it.
Remember, that if one approach for coping with your child's illness does not work there is always another way.
What I want to say is that people who develop eating disorders are absolutely normal. Just something happens in their lives that make them really suffer emotionally and they turn to an eating disorder to compensate for this emotional discomfort.
Anorexia like other eating disorders is not about food. Anorexia is disorder of feelings, thoughts, identity, values, relationship, coping and control.
If you fix all of the above or change these feelings to new ones (like positive feelings and thoughts, strong sense of identity and values, good coping and control strategies, high self-esteem) you can conquer anorexia.
Only then will the young anorexic be able to recover from an eating disorder quickly.
I should say that affecting someone's subconscious mind is not a quick process. It will take some time. But if you are persistent you will definitely see a significant improvement in your child's state within a few months after beginning and doing the exercises above.
How does it work, you may ask? Here is the short and simple explanation. Our brain consists of two halves (called hemispheres). Both hemispheres are covered by a thick layer called the Cortex. The Cortex is the conscious part of the brain, the part we think with (logical thinking). But this part of the brain is not responsible for our feelings.
We have another small part of our brain which lies between the two hemispheres and connects them. This little part is called the limbic system. The limbic system, as discussed in the next section, is involved in regulating emotions and motivations. In addition, parts of the limbic system, the amygdala and hippocampus, are important for memory.
This part (The limbic system) does not have consciousness (no thoughts only feelings). It was found that people with emotional problems have an imbalance of the limbic system. The question is: how to influence the limbic system and put it in the right balance?
The answer is: the cortex which is the conscious part of the brain should influence the limbic system which does not have conscious thought. The cortex, which makes the decisions for us, learns new things, and understands things for us should influence the non-conscious part of the brain by giving signals to the limbic system to work differently.
Most eating disorders are learned behavior. Initially the sufferer taught themselves to diet to become slim. Initially it was their own conscious decision to lose weight because they wanted to look better. This conscious decision was made by their cortex and sent to their limbic system which gave them the feelings (like feeling good about yourself if you became slim).
So, what you need to do is reverse this: to say in other words you have to get the sufferer to change their perception (or their cortex). They should make another decision (about changing their own image and feelings that they have now, like starving them self or purging, back to a normal response) and send this signal to their limbic system to foster good feelings about their new decision they have just made.
Weight Loss Disasters Like Anorexia and Bulimia Can Be Avoided
It's not hard to understand how people young and old can fall victim to horrible diseases like Anorexia and Bulimia. Everyday we are bombarded with unrealistic body images and at the same time bombarded by unhealthy food choices, and society makes both seem irresistible. People become trapped in the weight loss weight gain cycle and look for an easy way out.
Typically people who become anorexic or Bulimic do so because they are interested in losing weight. They want to lose weight in order to look a certain way. They feel that they cannot lose the amount of weight they want simply by diet or exercising normally so they develop these unhealthy habits. in order to shed these pounds quickly they go looking for alternatives and sometimes find that anorexia or bulimia fit their needs.
In reality these types of actions create weight loss but not healthy weight loss and even worse they can create addiction to the anorexia or bulimia. These types of weight loss decisions can lead to severe health problems and even death. Finding an alternative to anorexia and bulimia is not hard. But the mindset of an anorexic or bulimic is hard to circumvent. The best way to avoid these pitfalls is to find a safer alternative.
What most of these people who turn to drastic measures such as anorexia and bulimia do not know is that their bodies are most likely suffering from harmful substances living in side their bodies. These harmful substances will keep them from losing weight. The body's first instinct is to protect itself and that means storing up extra fat to help it fight off illnesses and provide extra energy.
A healthy body that has been purged of these substances will shed excess weight naturally. The body will no longer need these extra pounds to protect it from the harmful substances that are living off of the extra weight. If more anorexics and bulimics could have found this simple truth out before they took such drastic measures to change the way they look lives could be saved.
There is help more and more people are discovering a way to purge their bodies of the very substances that are keeping them from losing weight and keeping it off. Don't cave to the pressures of society avoid the trappings of anorexia and bulimia.
Typically people who become anorexic or Bulimic do so because they are interested in losing weight. They want to lose weight in order to look a certain way. They feel that they cannot lose the amount of weight they want simply by diet or exercising normally so they develop these unhealthy habits. in order to shed these pounds quickly they go looking for alternatives and sometimes find that anorexia or bulimia fit their needs.
In reality these types of actions create weight loss but not healthy weight loss and even worse they can create addiction to the anorexia or bulimia. These types of weight loss decisions can lead to severe health problems and even death. Finding an alternative to anorexia and bulimia is not hard. But the mindset of an anorexic or bulimic is hard to circumvent. The best way to avoid these pitfalls is to find a safer alternative.
What most of these people who turn to drastic measures such as anorexia and bulimia do not know is that their bodies are most likely suffering from harmful substances living in side their bodies. These harmful substances will keep them from losing weight. The body's first instinct is to protect itself and that means storing up extra fat to help it fight off illnesses and provide extra energy.
A healthy body that has been purged of these substances will shed excess weight naturally. The body will no longer need these extra pounds to protect it from the harmful substances that are living off of the extra weight. If more anorexics and bulimics could have found this simple truth out before they took such drastic measures to change the way they look lives could be saved.
There is help more and more people are discovering a way to purge their bodies of the very substances that are keeping them from losing weight and keeping it off. Don't cave to the pressures of society avoid the trappings of anorexia and bulimia.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Understanding Nocturnal Sleep Related Eating Disorder
Nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NSRED) or often considered as sleep eating disorder (SED) is a type of sleep disorder wherein a person eats unconsciously during the night. Sometimes, NSRED sufferers make an effort to prepare their meal, which can be quite hazardous, since they do it all while sleeping.
Most of NSRED sufferers do not remember or have not recollection of what they did during the past night. Later on, when clues of their behavior start to manifest, they often feel ashamed and guilty. Sometimes, they also feel self-hatred.
NSRED or SED can either be a disorder in eating or sleeping. Usually, sleep eaters like to eat foods that are rich in sugar or fat contents. There are also cases of people suffering from NSRED who eat items that are inedible like soap. Meanwhile, most tend to prepare strange combinations of foods.
There have been various treatments introduced to heal persons stricken with sleep eating disorders.
Although nearly any person can be affected by sleep eating disorders, about 1 - 3% of the general populations appear to have this kind of disorder. Though it could affect both gender, about two-thirds of the total number of sufferers compose of women. People with sleep eating disorders have high risk of becoming overweight or obese.
There are ten usual signs or symptoms that a person is affected by a sleep eating disorder.
1. Eating while unconscious or sleeping
2. Unconscious preparation of meals during the middle of the night
3. Feeling angry
4. Finding food crumbs or wrappers in the bed or pillow that have been left over due to sleep eating on the previous night.
5. Not hungry or craving for breakfast
6. Feels stressed out or tired easily
7. Limited or absolutely no recollection of what transpired during the night
8. Walking while asleep
9. Feeling easily tired or fatigued during the day
10. Anxiety attacks
Various health factors arise out of SED-NOS or NSRED
Here are several of the health risks that may affect the persons who are suffering from sleep eating disorders:
- Gaining weight or obesity
- Being injured while preparing or cooking food while in a sleep eating episode
- Being attacked with anxiety, stress or anger in the daytime
- Poor quality of sleep
Like most the other sleep disorder, there are different types of treatment for NSRED sufferers. The first step is to have a correct diagnosis of his or her symptoms. A doctor can prescribe a visit to the sleep center, where there is a laboratory to conduct several tests on the sleep eater. During the sleep test, it is important to identify if there are other diseases, medical conditions of sleep disorders that causes the signs of NSRED. These conditions can be hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, sleep apnea, encephalitis or hepatitis.
Meanwhile, there are natural treatments for NSRED sufferers that can be as effective:
- Maintain a daily regular form of exercise
- Enrolling in a stress management or stress reduction class
- Quitting nicotine intake and any other stimulant that can disrupt sleep
- Limiting consumption of alcohol
- Controlling the amount and time of caffeine intake
Furthermore, sleeping pills must always be avoided. A doctor must supervise the person's intake if it becomes necessary to take.
Most of NSRED sufferers do not remember or have not recollection of what they did during the past night. Later on, when clues of their behavior start to manifest, they often feel ashamed and guilty. Sometimes, they also feel self-hatred.
NSRED or SED can either be a disorder in eating or sleeping. Usually, sleep eaters like to eat foods that are rich in sugar or fat contents. There are also cases of people suffering from NSRED who eat items that are inedible like soap. Meanwhile, most tend to prepare strange combinations of foods.
There have been various treatments introduced to heal persons stricken with sleep eating disorders.
Although nearly any person can be affected by sleep eating disorders, about 1 - 3% of the general populations appear to have this kind of disorder. Though it could affect both gender, about two-thirds of the total number of sufferers compose of women. People with sleep eating disorders have high risk of becoming overweight or obese.
There are ten usual signs or symptoms that a person is affected by a sleep eating disorder.
1. Eating while unconscious or sleeping
2. Unconscious preparation of meals during the middle of the night
3. Feeling angry
4. Finding food crumbs or wrappers in the bed or pillow that have been left over due to sleep eating on the previous night.
5. Not hungry or craving for breakfast
6. Feels stressed out or tired easily
7. Limited or absolutely no recollection of what transpired during the night
8. Walking while asleep
9. Feeling easily tired or fatigued during the day
10. Anxiety attacks
Various health factors arise out of SED-NOS or NSRED
Here are several of the health risks that may affect the persons who are suffering from sleep eating disorders:
- Gaining weight or obesity
- Being injured while preparing or cooking food while in a sleep eating episode
- Being attacked with anxiety, stress or anger in the daytime
- Poor quality of sleep
Like most the other sleep disorder, there are different types of treatment for NSRED sufferers. The first step is to have a correct diagnosis of his or her symptoms. A doctor can prescribe a visit to the sleep center, where there is a laboratory to conduct several tests on the sleep eater. During the sleep test, it is important to identify if there are other diseases, medical conditions of sleep disorders that causes the signs of NSRED. These conditions can be hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, sleep apnea, encephalitis or hepatitis.
Meanwhile, there are natural treatments for NSRED sufferers that can be as effective:
- Maintain a daily regular form of exercise
- Enrolling in a stress management or stress reduction class
- Quitting nicotine intake and any other stimulant that can disrupt sleep
- Limiting consumption of alcohol
- Controlling the amount and time of caffeine intake
Furthermore, sleeping pills must always be avoided. A doctor must supervise the person's intake if it becomes necessary to take.
Binge Eating? It Could Be Worse!
What if there was something attached to our mind so that we could record everything that we told ourselves, good and bad? I bet we would be surprised to realize that we talk worse to ourselves than anyone else does. We are literally our worst enemy, and this is everyone, not just people that have binge eating disorder.
Our negative self-talk starts as soon as we wake up in the morning. It really gets going when we take that first look in the mirror, step on the scale, put on a shirt that's just a little too snug to make us comfortable, or binge eat. This is about the time that we start beating ourselves up and take it another step further... We turn everything about our body into something negative.
It's not just about the scale; we obsess about that extra pound. Instead of looking in the mirror and appreciating something on our face, we go crazy about that pimple that seems so monstrous. Instead of forgiving ourselves for that last binge, we think way too much about all of the food we consumed three hours ago, which doesn't help anything. It's an endless cycle.
Our fears about our looks naturally lead us to compare ourselves with others all of the time. We always wonder why we can't be as pretty, popular, or skinny as her or her or her, or all of the models that stare at us from magazines, television, and movies. Let's face it: We are obsessed, but will never win when we put ourselves up against stylists, airbrushes, and plastic surgeons.
It's very normal to compare ourselves. It's just part of human nature. However, it is so detrimental to our own happiness, not to mention when we are trying to end binge eating disorder.
If we must compare ourselves to someone else, what if we did it in a more healthy way? Instead of wishing we looked like Jessica Alba or Angelina Jolie, how about being thankful for the legs that are still attached to our body instead of the woman that lost hers while fighting for our freedom in Iraq? How about being thankful that you have both breasts that are healthy instead of a woman that is battling breast cancer? At least this kind of comparison will tap into our reserves of empathy and gratitude instead of endless self-judgments, fears, and jealousy.
When you live your life with gratitude for your situation, things just don't seem as bad. Work daily on the fight against binge eating disorder and notice all of your successes. Be thankful for your life, binges and all, because it really could always be worse, but at least you can gain control over bingeing. The same can't be said for losing your legs.
Notice to publishers: You have rights to republish this article on your website as long as you keep all links in tact and clickable. Thank you.
Our negative self-talk starts as soon as we wake up in the morning. It really gets going when we take that first look in the mirror, step on the scale, put on a shirt that's just a little too snug to make us comfortable, or binge eat. This is about the time that we start beating ourselves up and take it another step further... We turn everything about our body into something negative.
It's not just about the scale; we obsess about that extra pound. Instead of looking in the mirror and appreciating something on our face, we go crazy about that pimple that seems so monstrous. Instead of forgiving ourselves for that last binge, we think way too much about all of the food we consumed three hours ago, which doesn't help anything. It's an endless cycle.
Our fears about our looks naturally lead us to compare ourselves with others all of the time. We always wonder why we can't be as pretty, popular, or skinny as her or her or her, or all of the models that stare at us from magazines, television, and movies. Let's face it: We are obsessed, but will never win when we put ourselves up against stylists, airbrushes, and plastic surgeons.
It's very normal to compare ourselves. It's just part of human nature. However, it is so detrimental to our own happiness, not to mention when we are trying to end binge eating disorder.
If we must compare ourselves to someone else, what if we did it in a more healthy way? Instead of wishing we looked like Jessica Alba or Angelina Jolie, how about being thankful for the legs that are still attached to our body instead of the woman that lost hers while fighting for our freedom in Iraq? How about being thankful that you have both breasts that are healthy instead of a woman that is battling breast cancer? At least this kind of comparison will tap into our reserves of empathy and gratitude instead of endless self-judgments, fears, and jealousy.
When you live your life with gratitude for your situation, things just don't seem as bad. Work daily on the fight against binge eating disorder and notice all of your successes. Be thankful for your life, binges and all, because it really could always be worse, but at least you can gain control over bingeing. The same can't be said for losing your legs.
Notice to publishers: You have rights to republish this article on your website as long as you keep all links in tact and clickable. Thank you.
Eating Disorders in Teens
Eating disorders can be a threat to your own life. It can choke the life of people especially at the stage of teens. This stage can be really bad in case physical change. It brings a change, which can ruin the life.
Most of the teens are unaware of the ill effects of eating disorders, which bring them to a stage of unconsciousness such as stress, depression, obesity and hypertension at early age. Teenagers get disheartened after getting trapped into these kinds of problems. They start feeling inferior to their friends and family, which results in depression and stress.
So, parents should actively participate by helping out their children to get rid of problems in life. They should seek to each and every activity performed by their child. They should understand their child and find the reason behind such problems. A child should be made strong so that he or she does not feel lonely in their life. This would happen by loving and understanding your child. At this stage, a child should not be scolded. Even you can help him or her in academics because children who are caught in the trap of problems are not able to concentrate. And if there is no improvement in your child, you should immediately seek help from a professional. Sit with your child; tell him or her to follow a dietary plan or to exercise to reduce the plumpness.
Girls need more attention as they usually go mad when they start putting weight which can be seen now days. Girls follow standards and trends of beauty. They are under a notion that by starving, they won't put on weight and this will enhance their beauty. But it is a wrong notion. Skipping meals will create diseases like anemia, hypertension and in-fertility. The girls are influenced from TV commercials, magazines and posters of the celebrities. So, it is necessary to follow a balanced and appropriate diet to reduce obesity and to remain fit, healthy and strong.
Most of the teens are unaware of the ill effects of eating disorders, which bring them to a stage of unconsciousness such as stress, depression, obesity and hypertension at early age. Teenagers get disheartened after getting trapped into these kinds of problems. They start feeling inferior to their friends and family, which results in depression and stress.
So, parents should actively participate by helping out their children to get rid of problems in life. They should seek to each and every activity performed by their child. They should understand their child and find the reason behind such problems. A child should be made strong so that he or she does not feel lonely in their life. This would happen by loving and understanding your child. At this stage, a child should not be scolded. Even you can help him or her in academics because children who are caught in the trap of problems are not able to concentrate. And if there is no improvement in your child, you should immediately seek help from a professional. Sit with your child; tell him or her to follow a dietary plan or to exercise to reduce the plumpness.
Girls need more attention as they usually go mad when they start putting weight which can be seen now days. Girls follow standards and trends of beauty. They are under a notion that by starving, they won't put on weight and this will enhance their beauty. But it is a wrong notion. Skipping meals will create diseases like anemia, hypertension and in-fertility. The girls are influenced from TV commercials, magazines and posters of the celebrities. So, it is necessary to follow a balanced and appropriate diet to reduce obesity and to remain fit, healthy and strong.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Bulimia in Men
It was with great interest that I read in the UK Telegraph about the ex deputy prime minister of the UK John Prescott and his battle with bulimia. It is good that man in such a high powered position has finally come out and said he was a sufferer of this insidious disorder.
It was also with interest that the headline in the Times online said "How could a big man like John Prescott have a girl's illness"?
This has always been a huge misconception that only women and girls get eating disorders and of course this could not be further from the truth. Although there are more women with the disease than men, it does not mean there are not many more male sufferers out there who have hidden the disorder like Mr. John Prescott has.
Statistics say that there are many more women with the disease than men but this could be because men will not come forward and seek help. It boils down to the fact that men will not tell anyone because of the stigma attached to people with eating disorders, especially males with this problem: this in turn can easily skew the statistics.
Mr. Prescott put his bulimia down to the fact he was under enormous stress associated with his job as a parliamentarian, working long hours and deriving his only pleasures from eating large amounts of food. He stated himself that he ate huge amounts of food and no one ever suspected he was a bulimic because he was not thin.
This is another misconception; you do not have to be really thin to have bulimia: Mr. Prescott is certainly no stick figure. I have been asked the same question many times by family members of a sufferer who say, but he does not look really thin. My answer back is you don't have to be to be thin to be bulimic.
So why do men contract a disorder like bulimia? Like Mr. Prescott says his was due to stress and this is certainly one of the keys. But it can also be for job reasons and many male sufferers start of being bulimic because of their occupation. We have come across many male sufferers who are dancers, gymnasts, jockeys, airline stewards, male models and many more industries where being a certain size is a must for the job.
Most people, who know little about a disease like bulimia and this includes many journalists, say why can't they just stop: I wish it was as simple as that but it is not. Like Mr. Prescott said he got some weird satisfaction from binging and then purging and all bulimics get the same thing.
When a bulimic purges they get a release of a pleasure hormone not unlike the endorphins an athlete gets after exercising. This feel good hormone is one of the reasons a bulimic continues on with his erratic eating behavior. The problem is the rush they get is very short lived, so they have to binge and purge even more. So asking a bulimic to simply stop is like asking a non-sufferer to give up breathing air: it is not going to happen.
Most non-sufferers and many others think that you can beat bulimia with logic and by pointing out the errors of their ways they will stop. But again this is an impossibility and simply cannot happen. Mr. Prescott and his wife knew for years it was wrong and that he was in danger of serious medical problems, but he could not stop. If bulimia was a logical disease then he should have been able to stop when he realized he was doing harm to himself, but he couldn't.
This is because bulimia lives in the subconscious mind of the sufferer and the subconscious mind does not work on logic, it works on feelings and emotions and these are certainly not logical. The longer the bulimic has the disorder the more ingrained it becomes in the subconscious mind of the sufferer.
There is a way you can see how the subconscious mind works for yourself. The next time you explode at one of the kids or go off for no apparent reason, just ask yourself if it was logical. I bet you do not have the slightest idea why it happened; it is because it came from your subconscious mind and not your logical mind.
There is only one way you can really stop bulimia and that is through the subconscious mind where the bulimia lives. It lives there because it was programmed by the sufferer to be there over months or even years as was the case with Mr. Prescott.
It was also with interest that the headline in the Times online said "How could a big man like John Prescott have a girl's illness"?
This has always been a huge misconception that only women and girls get eating disorders and of course this could not be further from the truth. Although there are more women with the disease than men, it does not mean there are not many more male sufferers out there who have hidden the disorder like Mr. John Prescott has.
Statistics say that there are many more women with the disease than men but this could be because men will not come forward and seek help. It boils down to the fact that men will not tell anyone because of the stigma attached to people with eating disorders, especially males with this problem: this in turn can easily skew the statistics.
Mr. Prescott put his bulimia down to the fact he was under enormous stress associated with his job as a parliamentarian, working long hours and deriving his only pleasures from eating large amounts of food. He stated himself that he ate huge amounts of food and no one ever suspected he was a bulimic because he was not thin.
This is another misconception; you do not have to be really thin to have bulimia: Mr. Prescott is certainly no stick figure. I have been asked the same question many times by family members of a sufferer who say, but he does not look really thin. My answer back is you don't have to be to be thin to be bulimic.
So why do men contract a disorder like bulimia? Like Mr. Prescott says his was due to stress and this is certainly one of the keys. But it can also be for job reasons and many male sufferers start of being bulimic because of their occupation. We have come across many male sufferers who are dancers, gymnasts, jockeys, airline stewards, male models and many more industries where being a certain size is a must for the job.
Most people, who know little about a disease like bulimia and this includes many journalists, say why can't they just stop: I wish it was as simple as that but it is not. Like Mr. Prescott said he got some weird satisfaction from binging and then purging and all bulimics get the same thing.
When a bulimic purges they get a release of a pleasure hormone not unlike the endorphins an athlete gets after exercising. This feel good hormone is one of the reasons a bulimic continues on with his erratic eating behavior. The problem is the rush they get is very short lived, so they have to binge and purge even more. So asking a bulimic to simply stop is like asking a non-sufferer to give up breathing air: it is not going to happen.
Most non-sufferers and many others think that you can beat bulimia with logic and by pointing out the errors of their ways they will stop. But again this is an impossibility and simply cannot happen. Mr. Prescott and his wife knew for years it was wrong and that he was in danger of serious medical problems, but he could not stop. If bulimia was a logical disease then he should have been able to stop when he realized he was doing harm to himself, but he couldn't.
This is because bulimia lives in the subconscious mind of the sufferer and the subconscious mind does not work on logic, it works on feelings and emotions and these are certainly not logical. The longer the bulimic has the disorder the more ingrained it becomes in the subconscious mind of the sufferer.
There is a way you can see how the subconscious mind works for yourself. The next time you explode at one of the kids or go off for no apparent reason, just ask yourself if it was logical. I bet you do not have the slightest idea why it happened; it is because it came from your subconscious mind and not your logical mind.
There is only one way you can really stop bulimia and that is through the subconscious mind where the bulimia lives. It lives there because it was programmed by the sufferer to be there over months or even years as was the case with Mr. Prescott.
Ways To Cure Bulimia Nervosa
There are many ways to treat bulimia but not very many of them really cure bulimia. Popular treatment is going to the doctors or clinics or a counselor. How helpful are these? Statistic shows that nearly 90% of suffers relapse after attending these kinds of treatment.
What happens to these people is they feel temporary better while they are in the clinic or in a doctor's room, but lose all sense of self-control around food when they come back home or while on their own and unprotected.
The next way of treatment is group therapy where sufferers are supposed to get ongoing support and help from other sufferers and a group leader. But this way has many flaws and is not helpful either: it can actually become harmful to many sufferers.
The reasons of this are that while in the group there is often a competition for attention. In the group patients often deliberately get worse or engage in more symptoms just to get extra attention from each other or the therapist. This kind of competition always exists in eating disorder help groups but on many different levels. Sometimes it can get out of control and cause a lot of harm to some members of the group, the most venerable ones.
Also, while in the group people learn from each other. And they learn not necessary only the good things. They learn a lot of bad stuff too.
Like say if a young woman has never heard of drinking ipecac to induce vomiting and learns this technique in group therapy. She may try the technique out herself at home; instead of getting positive help she has just learned how to mask her disorder even more. This can also have a detrimental effect on the group leaving the group leader or member feeling responsible for teaching her.
Some doctors prescribe drugs to treat eating disorders but this also does not fix the problem and in the long run even makes things worse.
The only way to cure bulimia in my opinion is to eliminate the reason why people have it. You see what happens is that people understand that their bulimia is slowly killing them and want to stop but they can't.
It seems like something inside the person is stronger than their own free will and controls their logical thinking. What is this something?
It is basically another part of our brain called the subconscious mind that not only is responsible for people's feelings, emotions and non-conscious actions that keep them alive, but it can also work against your own free will.
It is the part of the mind that is responsible for our actions when we do something but we don't know why we did it. The subconscious mind operates on feelings and senses. And very often people can't even describe it logically because it consists of thoughts and feelings. Sufferers just do what the subconscious mind wants them to do.
So,the main reason people have bulimia lies in the subconscious mind and to stop bulimia one needs to get rid off the subconscious blockages that always keep you being a bulimic against your will.
Subconscious blockages are described by many sufferers as being like voices or senses they have that make them binge and purge.
If someone has a subconscious emotional blockage preventing her/him from stopping their bulimia, they are unlikely to realize it. An example of this is a bulimic who doesn't realize that they have "broken eye syndrome" - they see in a mirror a different picture from everyone else: basically their own mind is lying to them.
Subconscious blockages cannot be identified and changed at the rational thinking level; this is where most conventional treatments fail: simply because they think logical actions will fix it.
For example, the "broken eye syndrome" gets worse and worse the longer you have bulimia, because the bulimic brain is constantly working on false information and is reinforcing false beliefs. You can talk logic to a bulimia sufferer all day long and it will not help one bit: because bulimia is not logical.
To conclude, identifying and eliminating your subconscious blockages is the best and really the only way you will ever cure your bulimia. There are special programs that help bulimics to do this. You can try to use them to cure bulimia.
What happens to these people is they feel temporary better while they are in the clinic or in a doctor's room, but lose all sense of self-control around food when they come back home or while on their own and unprotected.
The next way of treatment is group therapy where sufferers are supposed to get ongoing support and help from other sufferers and a group leader. But this way has many flaws and is not helpful either: it can actually become harmful to many sufferers.
The reasons of this are that while in the group there is often a competition for attention. In the group patients often deliberately get worse or engage in more symptoms just to get extra attention from each other or the therapist. This kind of competition always exists in eating disorder help groups but on many different levels. Sometimes it can get out of control and cause a lot of harm to some members of the group, the most venerable ones.
Also, while in the group people learn from each other. And they learn not necessary only the good things. They learn a lot of bad stuff too.
Like say if a young woman has never heard of drinking ipecac to induce vomiting and learns this technique in group therapy. She may try the technique out herself at home; instead of getting positive help she has just learned how to mask her disorder even more. This can also have a detrimental effect on the group leaving the group leader or member feeling responsible for teaching her.
Some doctors prescribe drugs to treat eating disorders but this also does not fix the problem and in the long run even makes things worse.
The only way to cure bulimia in my opinion is to eliminate the reason why people have it. You see what happens is that people understand that their bulimia is slowly killing them and want to stop but they can't.
It seems like something inside the person is stronger than their own free will and controls their logical thinking. What is this something?
It is basically another part of our brain called the subconscious mind that not only is responsible for people's feelings, emotions and non-conscious actions that keep them alive, but it can also work against your own free will.
It is the part of the mind that is responsible for our actions when we do something but we don't know why we did it. The subconscious mind operates on feelings and senses. And very often people can't even describe it logically because it consists of thoughts and feelings. Sufferers just do what the subconscious mind wants them to do.
So,the main reason people have bulimia lies in the subconscious mind and to stop bulimia one needs to get rid off the subconscious blockages that always keep you being a bulimic against your will.
Subconscious blockages are described by many sufferers as being like voices or senses they have that make them binge and purge.
If someone has a subconscious emotional blockage preventing her/him from stopping their bulimia, they are unlikely to realize it. An example of this is a bulimic who doesn't realize that they have "broken eye syndrome" - they see in a mirror a different picture from everyone else: basically their own mind is lying to them.
Subconscious blockages cannot be identified and changed at the rational thinking level; this is where most conventional treatments fail: simply because they think logical actions will fix it.
For example, the "broken eye syndrome" gets worse and worse the longer you have bulimia, because the bulimic brain is constantly working on false information and is reinforcing false beliefs. You can talk logic to a bulimia sufferer all day long and it will not help one bit: because bulimia is not logical.
To conclude, identifying and eliminating your subconscious blockages is the best and really the only way you will ever cure your bulimia. There are special programs that help bulimics to do this. You can try to use them to cure bulimia.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Diabulimia - Scary Things Teens Do to Get Thin
"M" was an attractive, effervescent 18 year old girl when I first met her. As one of my roommates, she loved to be around her friends and talk non-stop. She also would steal several bags of Milanos double chocolate cookies from the kitchen cabinet; eat them all in one sitting, and not gain and ounce. She was hiding a huge weight-loss secret. She had diabulimia; the diabetic's eating disorder. This disorder has joined other well-researched eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia, and lesser known unstudied eating disorders like Wannarexia.
The facts:
Up to about 1/3 of young women and teens with Type 1 diabetes skimp or withhold on their insulin doses in a scary attempt to lose weight, according to new research out of the Joslin Diabetes Center. Girls and women who skip or skimp on these doses are more likely to suffer negative and serious side effects such as kidney failure, foot problems, and even death at a young age. In fact, diabulimia triples the risk of premature death about women who have diabetes.
Other studies on diabulimia indicate that these young women have higher rates of both nerve damage and eye problems.
In addition, young women with Type 1 diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop a full blown eating disorder (i.e. anorexia, bulimia) than women without diabetes who are the same age as them.
The Warning Signs:
* unexplained elevations in A1C values
* persistent problems with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
* unusual/extreme concerns about weight and body shape
* an obvious change in food-related behavior
* exercise bulimia (extreme patterns of exercise)
* missing monthly period called, amenorrhe
The Risks:
* higher A1C levels
* higher risk of developing infections
* more frequent episodes of DKA
* more frequent hospital and emergency room visits
* higher rates and earlier onset of diabetes complications - nerve damage, eye disease, kidney disease and possible heart disease
What should you do?
The Strait Approach: Ask them about Diabulimia
Have they ever heard of diabulimia? Thought about it? Do they know the risks? Sometimes hearing about it or having a conversation about it can reveal what's going on in the other person's head.
The Direct Check: Verify their insulin intake
Is insulin being used? If insulin is being used correctly, there should be a consistent decrease in the bottle, insulin syringes used, and medical supplies discarded (i.e. alcohol swabs, gauze).
Weight Loss Monitoring: Witness side effects
Are they losing weight? Are they binge eating? Are they losing weight, showing signs of dehydration, exhaustion, depression, or ketoacidosis? If they are using insulin correctly and eating a healthy diet, they should have normal energy and typical and predictable weight patterns.
Intervention: Getting Help
Are you certain that there is a problem? If so, talk to the person who you believe to be affected by Diabulimia. Express your concern and your support. Turn to a trained doctor who can help the person deal with these very real issues. They typically do not go away by themselves.
Call the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) for more information or a referral (800-931-2237). They can also provide you with a referral if you fill out their referral form that is available on their website. You can also submit a question. Finally, parents, friends, and family members can also learn how to support their loved one through this trying time through the Parents, Family, and Friends Network.
As Powerful Parents, we all need to stay ahead of the curve and know what our children are doing. While we are making progress everyday to help our teens move forward and people speaking out on behalf of girls and women, we still have a long way to go. Let's help our teens together.
The facts:
Up to about 1/3 of young women and teens with Type 1 diabetes skimp or withhold on their insulin doses in a scary attempt to lose weight, according to new research out of the Joslin Diabetes Center. Girls and women who skip or skimp on these doses are more likely to suffer negative and serious side effects such as kidney failure, foot problems, and even death at a young age. In fact, diabulimia triples the risk of premature death about women who have diabetes.
Other studies on diabulimia indicate that these young women have higher rates of both nerve damage and eye problems.
In addition, young women with Type 1 diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop a full blown eating disorder (i.e. anorexia, bulimia) than women without diabetes who are the same age as them.
The Warning Signs:
* unexplained elevations in A1C values
* persistent problems with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
* unusual/extreme concerns about weight and body shape
* an obvious change in food-related behavior
* exercise bulimia (extreme patterns of exercise)
* missing monthly period called, amenorrhe
The Risks:
* higher A1C levels
* higher risk of developing infections
* more frequent episodes of DKA
* more frequent hospital and emergency room visits
* higher rates and earlier onset of diabetes complications - nerve damage, eye disease, kidney disease and possible heart disease
What should you do?
The Strait Approach: Ask them about Diabulimia
Have they ever heard of diabulimia? Thought about it? Do they know the risks? Sometimes hearing about it or having a conversation about it can reveal what's going on in the other person's head.
The Direct Check: Verify their insulin intake
Is insulin being used? If insulin is being used correctly, there should be a consistent decrease in the bottle, insulin syringes used, and medical supplies discarded (i.e. alcohol swabs, gauze).
Weight Loss Monitoring: Witness side effects
Are they losing weight? Are they binge eating? Are they losing weight, showing signs of dehydration, exhaustion, depression, or ketoacidosis? If they are using insulin correctly and eating a healthy diet, they should have normal energy and typical and predictable weight patterns.
Intervention: Getting Help
Are you certain that there is a problem? If so, talk to the person who you believe to be affected by Diabulimia. Express your concern and your support. Turn to a trained doctor who can help the person deal with these very real issues. They typically do not go away by themselves.
Call the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) for more information or a referral (800-931-2237). They can also provide you with a referral if you fill out their referral form that is available on their website. You can also submit a question. Finally, parents, friends, and family members can also learn how to support their loved one through this trying time through the Parents, Family, and Friends Network.
As Powerful Parents, we all need to stay ahead of the curve and know what our children are doing. While we are making progress everyday to help our teens move forward and people speaking out on behalf of girls and women, we still have a long way to go. Let's help our teens together.
Warning Signs For Bulimia In Kids And Teens
I have been ask this question so many times by lots of worried parents who think their child may have bulimia but don't know any of the warning signs.If you are one of these parents then here is a list of things to look out for, I will start with simple things first:1: Look for an excessive amount of food that is missing. Things like packets of biscuits you have just bought and they have disappeared overnight. Packets of sweets are gone without you even having one yourself. Look for easy accessible foods that seem to be gone faster than what is normal for your family use.2: The child is starting to act unusual around meal times. Being a bit anxious and not wanting to eat certain food groups, or may play with their food. They may say they have eaten at a friends place but then start to raid the food cupboard for easy food soon after dinner.3: You notice that the child may have lots of food rappers in their bedroom hidden under the bed or in their trash basket. Half eaten candy bars or potato crisp packets hidden in places that are unusual.4: The child may start to miss family gatherings or not want to go out to events where they normally would have, like picnics or parties preferring to stay home. Even making excuses they feel ill or have a headache.5: The child may start to do more exercise that they use to do. Go for long runs or bike rides and start to really push themselves to the extreme.These are all little things but point to a change in the child's habits although you can't come to the conclusion that your child has bulimia from these alone. You need more concrete evidence to go with these before you can be sure.Bulimics normally become very good at hiding their condition from family and friends. Bulimia has been described as secretive and sneaky and it most certainly is.So you as a parent have to become just as sneaky if you suspect your child of this disorder.Here are some more concrete things to look out for.1: The child after finishing their meal disappears to the bathroom for a long time. This starts to become a habit and is a surefire clue to the child being bulimic.2: You notice the smell of toothpaste on their breath when they come from the bathroom, or a sour smell on their breath.3: You start to find laxatives in their bedroom or empty packets in their trash bin.4: They start to become really edgy and anxious for no apparent reason and may start telling you to mind your own business if you say anything to them. They act out of character towards you.5: They start to look sickly and feel the cold more that was normal for them. They may start having problems with their teeth or complain of a sore throat all the time.6: They start to become obsessed with there weight and are looking at the bathroom scales all the time, or asking you if they look fat or looking in the mirror more that they use to do.If you noticed a number of these symptoms together then there is a good chance your child may have Bulimia. But do not simply confront them as this can drive the child away or warn them you are on to them, so they may become even sneakier.You should educate yourself first from people who have faced what you are facing now. One of the best educational information around on this subject is at www.mom-please-help.com
written by a mother whose daughter nearly died from bulimia anorexia. She was able to save her daughter herself when all else had failed.
written by a mother whose daughter nearly died from bulimia anorexia. She was able to save her daughter herself when all else had failed.
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