My Best Friend ED
Eating Disorders (ED) are ever prevalent in this day and age where beauty, image, sexiness, trend, and youth are ever sought after and paid for. With just a flick of the finger, one can have access to billions of pictures of men and women at their best; leaving you with a feeling of longing and inadequacy. Some, in search for control, beauty, affirmation, or to cope with pain turn to ED.
Is ED a friend?
ED is like a friend that you love and hate. From the outside looking in, a lot of people don’t get it. They don’t understand that having an eating disorder isn’t something that you can just QUIT. Some want to stop, some don’t. For some ED is like an addiction. ED provides comfort, overeating can provide emotional comfort. ED provides control, by restricting, overexercising, vomiting, there can be a sense of controlling the body when other things are out of control. ED can be a way of feeling special, especially when people notice and compliment weight loss. ED can also numb out emotional pain.
Those with an eating disorder likely have pain, shame, and hurt that is more than skin deep. Thinking is often black and white, polarized, and extreme. “My lips are too thin, I’m so ugly.” Everyone at some point criticizes their appearance and may want to improve a part of their body; but, when friends with ED, it’s hard to isolate a single flaw. Instead singular flaws are overgeneralized to entire body image or identity.
What does ED look like?
ED is more than anorexia and bulimia and more than stick skinny girls. Especially with the wildfire of social media, ED knows no gender, age, race, or size. Someone who may look completely healthy could have an eating disorder. Eating disorders could include restricting food intake and vomiting, but also include binge eating, eating non-nutritious and inappropriate objects, repeat regurgitation of food and sometimes re-chewing and re-swallowing, or avoiding specific foods of certain taste, texture, color, etc.
How to break up with ED
Often an eating disorder is coupled with other mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, phobia, PTSD, substance abuse, and suicide. When trying to overcome an eating disorder, professional help is recommended. Seek out the assistance of a mental health professional that has experience in working with eating disorders. Meet with a nutritionist to learn more about food, building a healthy relationship with food, and eating beyond counting calories, dieting, and rigid food rules.
In severe cases where health issues developed as a result of the eating disorder, seek medical attention. There are some facilities that do provide full time assistance in overcoming an eating disorder, which may be necessary for some.
If you or a loved one struggles with eating disorders, please contact Crownview Medical Group to get in touch with a trained medical professional who can help restore a balanced and controlled life. Once an individual is freed from the toxic relationship they have with eating disorders, they feel so much healthier and renewed. Everyone is deserving of this happiness.
Some online resources include:
National Eating Disorder Association: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
Binge Eating Disorder Association: https://bedaonline.com
Academy for Eating Disorders: https://www.aedweb.org/home
National Association for Males with Eating Disorders: http://namedinc.org
