Dealing With Eating Disorder Symptoms
When people are suffering with eating disorders, it is vital to understand the different eating disorder symptoms. Knowing and understanding the different symptoms that are manifested by a person with an eating disorder can be a big help in seeking treatments. Interventions are important in the recovery particularly in the early stages.
Most eating disorder symptoms are not noticeable because sufferers can be very astute in hiding their disorders to the public. Eating disorders are psychological disorders that are manifested by an abnormal eating habits or pattern, which may lead to inadequate or excessive food intake that can affect one’s physical and mental state of well being.
There are ways on how to distinguish the different symptoms of eating disorders, which are categorized by three aspects that include physical, behavioral, and psychological symptoms.
• Physical Symptoms – These medical signs or indications are usually detected through physical examinations. Most people suffering from eating disorders do not recognize the following physical symptoms on their own and need the help of a health care professional. Here are some examples of eating disorder symptoms:
1. Consistent changes in body weight
2. Unable to conduct regular activities
3. Loss or irregular menstrual periods (females)
4. High sensitivity to extreme temperatures (cold and warm weather)
5. Rapid or sudden weight loss
• Behavioral symptoms – These are complex changes in behavior and personality. These are recognized as sudden changes in the behavioral pattern, personal responses or mindset particularly when the condition is triggered by a stimulus such as stress, guilt, or anger. Here are some examples of behavioral symptoms:
1. Consistent avoidance of food during meals using excuses which includes he/she has already eaten, allergy to the prepared food and such.
2. Intense or compulsive exercise patterns in the hope to burn calories. Such person is obsessed with exercise – working out even with bad weather or with injuries already.
3. Deliberately attempting to vomit after meals or falling into laxative abuse. This is often observed with frequent bathroom visits after the meals.
4. Repeated patterns of checking the body weight such as recurring weighing of self, pinching the wrists or waist or even spending too much time checking one's self in the mirror.
5. Evidence of a recurring pattern of over-eating, which includes drinking and eating large and heavy meals, eating different junk food and more.
• Psychological Symptoms – These symptoms are best evidenced by mood alteration and other changes in mental processes like those involving memory and learning. Specifically, the psychological symptoms of these eating disorders are the following.
1. There is change in the usual mindset or disposition of the person dealing or facing eating disorders because of their negative perception of self and body image. These individuals are highly sensitive to criticism or comments concerning body shape or weight, eating or exercise habits.
2. There can be food addiction. This means the inability to resist food that lead to overeating or bingeing whenever there is an opportunity to eat.
3. These people manifest low self-esteem which connotes feeling of shame, self-loathing and feeling of inadequacy and being a loser.
4. These disorders can also be a reflection of fears for responsibilities and angst as well as anxiety and apprehensions.
Understanding and the early recognition of the eating disorder symptoms can help one to avoid the condition from developing serious medical complications. It is also significant to take note that not all individuals who are struggling from eating disorders may develop the same symptoms. There are also cases when people manifest similar symptoms but are not suffering from any eating disorder. This is because certain symptoms are non-specific. Therefore, consultation with a licensed physician must be done to validate suspicions and for early interventions.
