It is estimated that around 30 million people in the United States suffer from anorexia and bulimia; two life-threatening and even potentially deadly eating disorders.
It is a problem that can be treated and prevented, but according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, only an estimated 10 percent of anorexia and bulimia sufferers get the proper help, leaving countless others struggling with what should be just a preventable and curable condition.
If you are in Bristol, VA and you happen to suffer from these disorders, who do you have to turn to for help?
What’s Behind Anorexia and Bulimia?
There is nothing simple about anorexia and bulimia. The reasons behind these eating disorders are also complex. What was previously thought of as just a result of low-esteem and obsession over one’s body image actually has deeper causes and reasons.
So what triggers the risks?
- Genetics can raise a person’s risk factor for anorexia and bulimia by 12 times, especially if one or more members of their family also suffer from it. Genes can also affect one’s attitude toward food.
- Mental health issues can also influence these disorders. Abhorrence or obsession for food is one of the symptoms of these disorders, although it can also be that depressive symptoms have been present in those suffering eating disorders long before they developed these conditions.
- Personal traumatic experiences, particularly those that caused guilt, shame or destroyed someone’s confidence. Experiences with physical, emotional, or sexual abuse can also be a cause.
- The availability of diet supplements and weight-loss pills can also be an influence.
- Environmental influences like peer pressure can also cause these disorders.
Symptoms of Eating Disorders
- Depression and anxiety
- Obsession over how others view that person’s body
- Binge eating followed by purging (vomiting of food back out)
- Total avoidance of food
- Adhering to a restrictive diet that results to loss of essential nutrients over a long period of time
- Obsession with monitoring weight
- Feeling of a sense of shame or guilt after eating
Challenges and How to Get Bulimia Therapy
Eating disorders don’t just ruin you for a time; they can affect you for the rest of your life.
Not eating right can result in more than you not getting the sufficient energy; you will also miss out on essential nutrients your body needs to function properly. You can also become susceptible to diseases and may even just die by choking on your own vomit during purging.
You can also become trapped in a vicious cycle of guilt, shame, and depression. That cycle can also end, but usually it does so in suicide.
Struggling against anorexia and bulimia might seem like an uphill battle, but there are people in Thriveworks Bristol who can help you. Take the first step and contact us today. Our counselors are trained to listen to, deal with, and help people suffering from anorexia and bulimia. We can make sure to give them the proper emotional and professional support.
