Why Eating Disorders Are Much More Than We Think They Are
Eating disorders are an extremely touchy subject for many people. For those suffering from them, the topic can be extremely triggering. For those who view it as a choice, or not even a problem for that matter, it can be extremely frustrating. Before I get into any specific one, I would like to make one thing very clear; an eating disorder is now classified as a mental illness. Mental illness is not a choice. An eating disorder is not a choice.
Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. Of course, the first one people think of is anorexia nervosa, considering statistics show that it's the most common of them all. The three main groups of eating disorders consist of, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. However, just recently, a category under the name of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) has now come into the picture. Someone with EDNOS does not fit the specific criteria for one of the above three, and might have several symptoms from several of the three. The overweight girl sitting next to you that you can't help but laugh at because she looks disgusting? It's quite possible she might binge eat. The girl that you keep making fun of because she's too skinny and needs to gain some weight to look better? It's likely she either starves herself or vomits once she eats. Even worse? Both.
Though binge eating disorder is very seldom mentioned, it's actually the most common eating disorder in the United States. Unfortunately, most individuals who suffer from binge eating disorder are less likely to speak up about suffering from it due to the fact that most of their peers never take the topic very seriously. I suffer from anorexia nervosa binge eating-purging type, so I can first-hand explain to you how absolutely torturous binge eating can be.
Binge eating disorder on its own is a dreadful thing to think about. Just because you sat in your room eating 12 donuts in one sitting because you are dealing with a breakup, doesn't mean you have this disorder. Just because you ate way too much junk food during a much overdue evening with your girlfriends, doesn't mean you have this disorder. An eating disorder means that you have persistent, disturbed, and reoccurring symptoms that negatively impact your health, emotions, and ability to function in the important areas of your day to day life. Suffering from binge eating disorder means that you eat an amount of food that is most significantly larger than what most people would consume in a very short amount of time. There is a sense of lack of control over your eating during the binging episode, meaning that you feel as if you are unable to stop no matter what you do or tell yourself. You eat much more rapidly and feel uncomfortably full once the episode has subsided. Most people will say they have this disorder when they eat while they're bored or alone. This isn't the case unless you usually eat large amounts of food while not feeling physically hungry, but are unable to control yourself, as well as eating alone because you feel embarrassed by how much you eat. Once the episode has subsided, you feel absolutely disgusted with yourself. There is very often a depressive episode and/or extreme feelings of guilt once the episode has subsided
Eating disorders are typically triggered by stress and/or a traumatic event. For me, it's typically both. Let's break down anorexia nervosa binge eating-purging type.
Anorexia nervosa is defined as, "a lack or loss of appetite for food (as a medical condition); an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat." Binge eating is defined as, "A pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. During a binge, a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food." Purging is defined as, "recurrent purging; self-induced vomiting, restricting of food, or misuse of laxatives to control weight or shape in the absence of binge eating episodes that occur in people with normal or near-normal body weight."
During my times of high stress or traumatic triggers, I either binge eat, or I starve myself. My binge episodes are uncontrollable and I'll basically eat just about anything in sight. My episodes typically consist of consuming unhealthy foods such as cake, cookies, fatty foods, etc. My episodes will last anywhere from a week to several months. At some point, I come down off of the binging episodes and begin to feel much more depressed than I originally was feeling before or during the binging episodes. I typically gain a substantial amount of weight, and my eyes and my brain have no problem noticing that. At that point, my body dysmorphia is triggered and my brain decides that it's best to stop eating to fix the fact that I look disgusting. I then restrict myself of almost any food consumption. Some days the only thing I consume might be an apple. My body does not ever react well to the sudden changes.
I never thought my eating disorder was anything serious until I was actually diagnosed years ago. I was then educated on the troubles and complications an eating disorder in general can do to your body. Any and all eating disorders can, and sometimes will, be fatal. When you purge, your body lacks the nutrients it deserves. Your hair and your nails become weak and may thin. You typically show symptoms of anxiety, like shaking and nausea. You feel much more tired than you normally would, and you lack any kind of physical energy to do anything. Binge eating can cause severe weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Your body deserves the healthy nutrients it was designed to consume. If the binge eating episodes consist of consuming extremely unhealthy food, your body will begin to shut down and lack physical energy just as it would while purging. Combine the two together, and it becomes extremely traumatic for your body to go through.
Eating disorders were just recently defined as a mental illness. Most individuals that do not suffer from an eating disorder, believe it is a conscious choice. While in the beginning it might be a conscious choice, in the end, it almost always develops into an illness, obsession, and/or addiction. Though I still have my episodes with my eating disorder due to the fact that I have not completely overcome the addiction, I can honestly say that none of it is worth it. Sometimes people will develop signs of an eating disorder in order to make themselves look more pleasing to the eye. Others will develop signs due to triggers. No matter what the reason is for the eating disorder, none of it is worth the damage to your body. You deserve to eat. You deserve to consume the nutrients you were designed to obtain. You deserve to feel beautiful or handsome no matter what you look like. I am so sorry to the people who feel as if society has turned eating disorders into a terrible thing and shunned you for suffering from one. I am so sorry to the people who have to deal with society turing it into a trend and talking about it like it's 'cool.' No matter how much you think you deserve to damage your body, you don't. Please eat, please give your body what it deserves. Please, choose recovery. If you do not suffer from an eating disorder, please reach out to those that do, and do not shun someone who does.
If you or someone you know needs support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text START to 741-741
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