Eating disorders are more common than you might think. A striking example is anorexia vs. bulimia discussion. Do you know that both conditions have more in common than meets the eye? To begin with, would you know how to seek help for yourself or a loved one if someone around you is suffering from one of these life-threatening triggers? The first step in finding the care and treatment you or your loved one needs to address it is by getting all of your questions out into the open first through education on what an eating disorder is, what its most common signs are, and where exactly can you go for therapy without breaking the bank so as to get well again!
Eating Disorders aren’t about Food
The causes of anorexia and bulimia, though related, are quite different. While the former is about an obsession with weight and body image and monitors food intake, diet, and exercise as a means for control, the latter is more to do with psychological imbalances which use food as a coping mechanism for one’s stress. The disorder quickly goes beyond mere overeating or undereating if not diagnosed early on and the use of food items grows out of proportion to become serious symptoms such as binge eating or purging.
Anorexia vs. Bulimia
Anorexia is an eating disorder in which people starve themselves to feel less fat when in fact they may be very thin. This condition can develop into a mental illness that makes them believe that they are overweight, even though there is no substantial evidence of this in their physical appearance. Treatment for anorexia nervosa is primarily psychotherapeutic and many times involves counseling of family members, friends, and significant others.
You see your need to lose weight. To achieve your goals, you may be apt to lie about eating or miss meals in private. You live on low-calorie foods and may spend hours exercising to burn off calories. Your health suffers, and you deal with skin and hair problems, dizzy spells, and dehydration.
As a bulimic, you’re a compulsive binger who gets a secret sense of relief when she throws up her food after a long day of binge eating. This is indicative of your problem with food and the fact that you likely have no idea how to stop. You know that you’re out of control, but you convince yourself that purging fixes it.
You will want to stop yourself from succumbing to your addiction, but you might feel guilty and ashamed about the things that have been hidden from your loved ones. If you're feeling this way, it's a good idea to make a conscious effort to self-report your situation before it becomes worse and potentially becomes an even bigger secret in the process. Though it may be difficult at first, check out Sanctum wellness and healing, India’s best center for eating disorder treatment, for further information on the newest holistic approaches towards treating addiction.
Therapy offers Relief and Healing
Effective anorexia treatment programs make it a priority to focus on your mental state before anything else. Sometimes the drug abuse started because of the desire to lose weight faster. Regardless of whether you are struggling with anorexia or bulimia, therapeutic interventions include cognitive behavioral therapy that helps address the dysfunctional thought patterns and actions, trauma treatment that allows you to process disruptive events from your past, dual diagnosis treatment which addresses both the addiction and any nutritional deficiency issues, family therapy that gets everyone involved in your recovery process, and psychiatric medication that helps keep symptoms under control before they grow worse.
It's important to know when you need to take action or ask somebody for help. Both illnesses won't improve on their own, and the same goes for both conditions - if they are left unattended, they will worsen. Going without treatment could ultimately lead to losing your life because neither of these illnesses will ever go away on its own accord.
Not Just a Female Problem
Eating disorders are usually associated with women, but they are not strictly a woman’s issue. Some men do suffer from anorexia or bulimia, and many of them can benefit greatly from group therapy at centers for eating disorders near them.
Learn more about getting well by contacting Sanctum, India’s best anorexia, and bulimia treatment center.