Mike Herman asked:


As we were all teenagers at one time, that is if you are twenty years of age or older today, you know that the teenage years are full problems, peer pressure, stress and the desire to fit in. It is not surprising then, with all of the peer pressure and images from the media, as well as the strong desire to fit in, that eating disorders are most common among teenagers.

1. Eating disorders are known to be the result of a poor self image and/or an unhealthy relationship to food. Most people think of eating disorders as something that affects girls and young women who are dieting. The truth is that these disorders have to do with our relationship to food and issues related to body image and self-esteem, and not just our desire to to loss some weight.

While most people only think anorexia and bulimia when it comes to eating disorders, there are less well-known eating disorders as well, nocturnal eating, pica and binge eating are also characterized by an unhealthy relationship to food and eating. In fact, all eating disorders have one common denominator: an ongoing and unhealthy relationship with food that becomes a disruption in a person’s life.

2. Eating disorders generally affect young women, although they can affect just about anyone, middle aged women and even men. It is estimated that more than 8 million people in the United States are affected with some kind of eating disorder. While those with disorders come from all social and ethnic backgrounds, studies have suggested that young affluent white women are more susceptible to developing an eating disorder.

Most disorders first become evident during adolescence and can develop in young children and pre-teens. When it come to men and doctors report eating disorders among men is increasing, it seems to be most common with athletes who want to and/or feel pressure to compete as they are vulnerable to developing a disorder.

3. These disorders can emerge during periods of stress and change. Doctors don’t yet fully understand why eating disorders are present in some individuals, and not others. But they do have an understanding about the circumstances that may make some people more vulnerable to developing an eating disorder.

Studies have shown that individuals who are experiencing stress, depression, or who have recently experienced some kind of major life change are much more vulnerable to developing the symptoms of an eating disorder.

4. Eating disorders can cause a variety of serious health problems. Many teenagers who become preoccupied with food, body image, and exercise do not understand the health risks posed by their actions.

These health problems include heart problems, stomach problems, irregular menstrual periods, kidney problems, dental problems, hormonal disturbance, dehydration and dry skin, to name just a few. Intervention and hospitalization may become necessary in more severe cases.

5. All of these can be treated successfully. Now more than ever there is a better understanding of eating disorders, and many treatment options and resources are available for teenagers and their families whose lives have been touched by an eating disorder.

Treatment consists of various therapies, including nutritional therapy, psychotherapy, and family and individual counseling. Sometimes prescription drugs are used to treat underlying problems. For instance, antidepressants may be prescribed.



Tammy

jackb son asked:


Eating foods with addictive substances such as sugar and salt. Overtime people become addicted to these ingredients as does their body. Eating disorders transcend all ages. Statistics show that 10% of all eating disorder cases are reported to occur in young children who are 10 years old or less, 33% of the reported cases are between 11-15 years of age, 43% between the ages of 16-20 and 86% of the cases are reported in individuals who are 20 years and older.

 

The fact is eating disorders do not discriminate and can be developed by both males and females, as well as those of all ages and races. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 5-15% of individuals that have been diagnosed with an eating disorder and approximately 35% of those diagnosed with binge-eating disorder are male.

 

There is a lot of misleading information on anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders among young people. Many people follow such incorrect information making rounds and misjudge the dangers posed by eating disorders. Eating disorders are known to cause a host of serious, permanent, medical conditions. They put young people at the risk of organ breakdowns and heart attacks.

 

Self-esteem problems are at the core of many eating disorders. They also play a role in other conditions, such as depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, self-injury and *******. Depression may precede eating disorders and contribute to their onset. It has also been observed that living with the eating disorder leads to depression.

 

Cases of eating disorders are not to be taken for granted. Professional help is always available. There are also numerous self-help books to consult. Eating disorder treatment methods are categorized into three groups: diet regulation, medications and psychotherapy ranging from individual to family therapy. The treatment will not cause an abrupt change, as the problem may have been deeply rooted. What matters is the concerned individual’s willingness to be cured.

 

Sleep disorders accompanied by eating disorders might cause dramatic increase in weight. Some say that this condition is merely due to eating habits while others are of the view that this condition is the result of some changes in the hormone levels. Most people who suffer from this nocturnal eating syndrome are prone to poor sleep, stress, lack of concentration and weak immune system.

 

It is a regrettable fact that in the US there are 7 million women annually who suffer from one type of eating disorder or another. These horrific figures are fed by the media stereotype of how our body and appearance should be. The two most common eating disorders are bulimia and anorexia and they will worsen and have a severe impact during pregnancy.

 

When treating eating disorders, many experts recommend that both the psychological and physical issues be treated at the same time. Experts also recommend that sufferers of anorexia or bulimia start eating small amounts of fruits and vegetables along with adding a small amount of protein to their diet. Food that is high in zinc is also a good idea as it can help to stimulate the individual’s appetite.

 

Read about ****** Enlargement. Also read about ****** Firmness and Firm Breasts



Jean

Nishanth Reddy asked:


Preventing eating disorders can be possible with some preventive measures. However, there was a query that rose among many health professionals and eating disorder patients whether preventing eating disorders is possible or not.

According to latest investigations, there are a number of preventive measures that can be taken so as to preventing eating disorders. Preventing eating disorders measures are needed to adopt by those family members where there are past records of eating disorders or behaviors of compulsive eating.

Measures To Be Taken For Preventing Eating Disorders

Here are five preventive measures that can perform in order to keep eating disorders at bay.

1. Decline to diet for preventing eating disorders. Eating disorder experts found that dieting is typically the primary step in developing an eating disorder. It is been found in a research that a woman who tends to have extreme dieting is eighteen times more at risk of raising an eating disorder. If someone in your family may be susceptible of developing an eating disorder, they should abstain from dieting. As a replacement, the individual need to consult a physician in order to learn about the ways that are safe and effective in losing weight.

2. Parents should act as positive and healthy role models in preventing eating disorders. A researcher states that parents play a very significant role in tracing out whether children are ultimately developing an eating disorder or not. Most of the parents automatically project their unhealthy viewpoints and approaches regarding their own bodies that their children pick up on. Parents with a high value about being thin or other features of one’s physical appearance may be transferring the point to their children with a belief that physical appearance plays a vital role than being happy and healthy.

Parents have to struggle in order to develop a positive attitude about their own bodies and need to offer a safe, caring and non-judgmental atmosphere to their children. This atmosphere can be achieved by preparing a nutritious meal along with enjoyable activities that involves total family.

3. Family dynamics can set up means to preventing an eating disorder. Families should strive to spend quality time together. Plan to eat dinner together, and participate in outdoor activities that give pleasure. Criticism and competition need to be avoided so as to generate a secure and loving environment where children feel cherished.

4. Prefer exercises as a means of preventing eating disorders in order to have a good health, not a thin body. In general you will have a negative attitude towards exercise and think of exercise as just a task that is boring, hard, and even painful. Changing the opinion regarding exercise can definitely help you in preventing eating disorders. Repossessing the sense of the unadulterated pleasure of movement can become a measure in preventing eating disorders. Try to make every effort in those activities in which you have interest and thrill you.

5. Eat a multiplicity of foods in moderation. Eating food in moderation is a way where you can eat even your favorite guilty pleasures. In order to cultivate a healthy attitude towards food try preventing eating disorders. Remember that it is a safe way to eat anything you want, as long as you balance your eating behaviors.



Ronald

Scott Meyers asked:


Sleep eating syndrome (called Nocturnal Eating Disorder, or NED) is a type of sleeping disorder in which the patient eats while clinically asleep. As a result of unconscious sleep eating, the patient often consumes extra calories and gains weight. In many cases, the type of food consumed during night eating is junk food, exacerbating the health problems associated with this sleeping disorder. This article will discuss nocturnal eating disorder: how to diagnose it, and what to do about it.

Because of a lack of judgment on the part of someone suffering from NED, the person may eat too much of what tends to be fat or sugar-rich junk food. This can lead to obesity. Another prominent risk of nocturnal eating disorder is the possibility of the patient cooking while asleep. The patient is not aware of cooking with fire, heat or sharp utensils.

Is nocturnal eating disorder considered to be an eating disorder? Technically, this eating disorder is not an eating disorder, but rather it is classified as a sleep disorder.

What can you do if you suspect that you or someone you know suffers from nocturnal eating disorder? The most important thing is to get an accurate diagnosis. Visit your doctor so that they will conduct a physical examination and take note of all your symptoms. Your doctor may order you to spend a night in a sleep lab.

Once the doctor diagnoses NED, there are many treatment options available for this problem. Physicians recommend that patients follow several preventative measures in order to keep nocturnal eating sessions at bay. Here are some of the most helpful tips for anyone who might be suffering from NED; Exercise has been proven to be beneficial for victims of nocturnal eating disorder. Even just a few minutes of movement and exercise each day can make a significant difference. Easy exercises that you can try include walking, bicycling, and dancing. Making just a few simple changes in your everyday routine can help you become more active. Try parking further away from the store when you go shopping, and take the stairs instead of the elevator. Try to get in all your exercise in the morning. If you exercise in the evening, it might interfere with your ability to fall asleep.

Avoid caffeine and other stimulating substances. Don’t drink coffee; consume chocolate, soda, or other caffeinated or sugar-rich drinks near bedtime. Also, avoid any medications that you know interfere with your normal sleeping pattern. Many over the counter and prescription medications can interrupt with your sleeping pattern. Also, alcohol and nicotine can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Instead of consuming anything that may be stimulating, drink warm milk instead.

Take a warm bath before bedtime. A warm bath can be relaxing and signals the body that it’s time to wind down for the day. However, showers should be avoided right before bedtime, as these can be stimulating.

Consult your health professional for medications that can help. Nocturnal eating disorder can be helped through the use of specific medications. These include medications such as anti-depressants, including the drug Wellbutrin. Certain anti-seizure medications have also proven beneficial for counteracting the symptoms of NED. However, sedatives should be avoided; these can worsen the condition.



Luis

Syed Hus asked:


There is help for eating disorder. You have a problem of binge eating? You need to find out what aid is in store for you.

What is eating disorder?

Before we venture to find out the cures for eating disorder, let us explore what exactly constitutes an eating disorder.

Binge eating disorder is a psychological disorder wherein a person does not exercise much control over his/her eating habits. Such people usually tend to eat a lot (more than normal people). They also do not make healthy food choices.

More often, people involved in eating disorder tend to eat junk or unhealthy food. They feel loss of control when confronted with food that they like.

People with eating disorder cannot control their urges with regards to food. And many times they overeat because of emotional feelings that they are unable to cope with. Feelings of insecurity and depression can often lead people towards unhealthy eating habits.

There are three types of binge eating help that you can look for to stop this behavior. We will try and consider all of them so that at least you make a pick of the ones that would work for you.

The three kinds of help for eating disorder

i.You can seek psychological help to end eating disorder. This is referred to as counseling in other terms. This help would work for those who face depression, stress or anxiety. Because these can cause eating disorder, they would need to deal with them first.

ii.The second help for eating disorder is medical. There are medications that can be used to treat eating disorder. The medication has to be related to the problem that could be causing the eating disorder. It is therefore wise that they contact professionals who would diagnose the cause of the problem before the right medication is prescribed.

iii.The third help for eating disorder is actually done at home.

a. You would need to practice healthy eating habits such as eating only when hungry.

b. You would need to have a schedule of exercise so that at least you have more physical activity. This way, you will be able to prevent excess weight as you battle with the disorder.

c. Spending time with people who care would take away your attention and so you will not just eat carelessly.

d. Manage the stress that you have. If it is financial, try and plan well and stick to a budget. If it is family issues, sort yourself out.

e. Engage in your most liked leisure activity. It will also disrupt your attention away from just eating.

So, you see that there is help for eating disorder indeed. Many people are now living healthy lives. They know what it means to be healthy and they know how hard the battle of weight loss is.

They have chosen to eat healthy, fight the disorder and have nothing to do with weight loss. They are since happy with themselves. They have nothing to regret and they are comfortable.

You too can be like them when you use simple effective binge eating help to fight the disorder and have control of your eating habits once again.



Marcia

Lisa Collins asked:


Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a combination of prolonged behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors. It is a condition where food and the control of food are used in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem irresistible. People with eating disorder usually start dieting, bingeing, and purging as a way to cope with painful emotions and to feel in control of one’s life, but in due course, these behaviors damage a person’s physical and emotional health, self-esteem, competency and control over situations.

Among these disorders, the most common is the binge eating disorder. This refers to losing control over your portions, i.e. overeating in some cases. The characteristic of binge eating is consuming large quantity of food within a discrete period of time and not being able to control oneself or stop eating. People with binge-eating disorder experience frequent episodes of out-of-control eating; eating until feeling uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry; tendency of eating alone because you are embarrassed about how much you eat; feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating. Research are carried out to know the exact causes leading to binge eating and some foresee genetic link or insecurities involving body shape and weight as the possible reason. Binge eating disorder can also be triggered by excessive dieting, depression, anxiety, or even tension, which is believed to be calmed with binge eating. Unfortunately food binges usually come in the form of fatty snack foods like chips, pizza or cookies. Gorging yourself on said foods will likely lead to weight gain and obesity; dissatisfaction and a feeling that you lack discipline.

Individuals suffering from binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated with this illness can lead to bingeing again, creating a cycle of binge eating creating space for chronic diseases like obesity and related complications, as well as depression. Treatment for binge eating disorder includes psychotherapy and sometimes medications, such as antidepressants. People with eating disorders often do not recognize or admit their sickness. As a result, they may strongly resist getting and staying in treatment. Family members or other trusted individuals can be helpful in ensuring that the person with an eating disorder receives needed care and rehabilitation. Then there are also whimsical cases, which appreciate eating disorder and proclaim to be pro eating disorder. The moment they find people that will justify their actions they will begin the slide down into a habit-forming psychological disorder that will overtake their lives. So be practical in life and stay away from these bad eating habits to get on the fast track to a healthier life.



Harry

Juliet Cohen asked:


Eating disorders are serious behavior problems. Eating disorders can cause heart and kidney problems and even death. Eating disorders are not a sign that a person has a problem with food, rather eating disorders are actually only the symptoms of underlying problems in that person’s life. Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight. Researchers are investigating how and why initially voluntary behaviors, such as eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, at some point move beyond control in some people and develop into an eating disorder. Dieting to a body weight leaner than needed for health is highly promoted by current fashion trends, sales campaigns for special foods, and in some activities and professions. Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. These are also the three most common eating disorders. All three have severe consequences to a person’s immediate and long-term health and can cause death.

Eating disorders are characterized by an abnormal obsession with food and weight. Eating disorders are much more noticed in women than in men. Environmental factors have a large influence on developing eating disorders but more research is being performed on hormonal imbalances, brain lesions and their effects on eating disorders. Many types of eating disorder such as , anorexia nervosa , starvation diet ,binge eating disorder , bulimia nervosa , diabulimia and night eating syndrome. Girls and women are 10 times more likely than boys and men to suffer from anorexia or bulimia. However, eating disorders do seem to be getting more common in boys and men. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are more commonly known as anorexia and bulimia. The two disorders can be difficult to distinguish from each other because they have similar characteristics. Anorexics consider themselves to be fat, no matter what their actual weight is. Often anorexics do not recognize they are underweight and may still “feel fat” at 80 lbs. Anorexics close to death will show you on their bodies where they feel they need to lose weight.

Most people with eating disorders will try to avoid conflicts at all costs, so they usually don’t express negative feelings and try to wear a happy face all the time to try and please people. Treatment can include medical supervision, nutritional counseling, and therapy. Treatment of anorexia calls for a specific program that involves three main phases: (1) restoring weight lost to severe dieting and purging; (2) treating psychological disturbances such as distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; and (3) achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery. These medications also may help prevent relapse. The treatment goals and strategies for binge-eating disorder are similar to those for bulimia, and studies are currently evaluating the effectiveness of various interventions. Many parents worry about how to get their kids a healthy diet, and prevent them from becoming obese or overweight without giving them anxiety about food that might lead to an eating disorder. Take an active role in creating a healthy lifestyle for your child. Involve your child in the preparation of healthy, nutritious meals on a regular basis.

Eating Disorders Treatment Tips

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – emphasizes the relationship between thoughts and feelings by focusing on a person’s thought processes.

2. Interpersonal therapy – focuses on addressing difficult relationships with others

3. Rational Emotive Therapy – focuses on a person’s unhelpful beliefs

4. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy – focuses on a person’s past experiences.

5. Family therapy usually involves those who live with the person with the eating disorder, such as parents, siblings, and partner or spouse.

6. Group therapy provides a supportive network of people who have similar eating disorders.

7. Support groups are led by trained volunteers or health professionals.



Alex

Michael Sampson asked:


Thousands of women and increasing number of men look in the mirror everyday and **** what they see. The image that stares back at you in that mirror is not real as fairy tales are not real. You see in that mirror what your eating disorders want you to see as you are not seeing the true picture. Millions of people are made miserable by eating disorders while thousands will die from them yearly. The good news is that eating disorders can be beaten and be a prisoner no more to this. You have the power to beat such disorders and you will for sure. Although recovery may take lots of time and hard work, it is all worth doing. Finally, you will be free and you will love yourself. After the recovery, you will be able to look yourself in the mirror and it will be obviously the real you.

Many people misunderstand what causes their eating disorders and how dangerous it is and they deny that they even have a problem. When people hear of someone with eating disorders, they almost automatically assume the person has a problem with food. Eating disorders are not a sign that a person has a problem with food, to a certain extent disorders are actually only the symptoms of underlying problems in that person’s life. With proper treatment, that person may recover from the disorder.

While it has been found that some eating disorders sufferers have imbalances in certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite and digestion, potential biochemical or biological causes of eating disorders are still being examined by researchers In addition to biochemical or biological factors, several psychological factors, socio-cultural and interpersonal factors can be attributed as causes of eating disorders. A significant risk factor for the development of eating pathology appears to be represented by low self-esteem. The tendencies to be perfectionist and setting rigid standards for oneself may lead to some eating disorders. Depression, anxiety, emptiness or loneliness, anger and feelings of lack of control in life or feeling of inadequacy are other psychological factors that greatly cause eating disorders.

Socio-cultural factors could be cultural pressures placing extreme value on “thinness” and obtaining the “perfect body”. The cultural norms placing emphasis on physical appearance and not on inner strengths and qualities as well as defining beauty as extremely narrow including specific body weights and shapes greatly contributes to the development of eating disorders. Furthermore, media messages encouraging dieting likely lead to high rates of chronic dieting also has some part being played for the risk of having disorders. Eating disorders develop from a variety of causes and they are creating self-perpetuating cycle of physical and emotional destruction. Moreover, all eating disorders require professional help.

Some individuals who have difficulty expressing one’s feelings and emotions may add up to other causes that leads to eating disorders. Interpersonal relationships, family disharmony, history if being ridiculed based on body size or weight, history of sexual abuse and/or physical abuse and family factors such as obesity in the family, parental preoccupation with eating and weight, unrealistic expectations achievement are all interpersonal factors that develop eating disorders.

Lastly, the number one stepping stone to eating disorders is dieting and it is important that you put your bad dieting on trash. You have to be real by freeing your body from the possible impact that your dieting is about to give you after. Better off spend your money and your passion on something that really matters to your without you risking your health.



Julio

Nadine Ann asked:


“I could die if I don’t eat food.” “I could die if I do eat food.” Those two statements were a near reality for me as I silently tortured myself into thinking that food could take away my living hell.

Why do I want to write my story and share my personal details with the world? Because I have something important to say and I have learned that without speaking about healing binge eating disorder others who suffer from it might stay that way forever when they truly don’t need to.

My experience with eating disorders started with anorexia when I was 16 years old. Growing up I had always been self-conscious about my body even though I was of normal height and weight. But being “normal” doesn’t make a hill of beans if you don’t feel it on the inside. That’s just the outside. My grandmother used to tell me I would be fat if I ate those “bad” foods and those thoughts were the start of an unhealthy view of food. I adopted her belief that I would become fat so I feared food and I feared becoming fat.

As I got older I kept an unhealthy relationship with food at an arms length. At age 22 I was married and by 25 had my first daughter. At 27, I left my husband. I chose not to live a life filled with deception and corruption which is what my husband had gotten into. He was embezzling money from the police department he worked for and was blaming me for it. I couldn’t believe that my husband who claimed he would love me forever would blame me for his wrongdoings. Did he ever really love me?

Even though I was 3 months pregnant with my second baby, I took my 2 year old and left with a broken heart. He didn’t care about me, my 2 year old or my unborn child and my self-esteem hit rock bottom. In the three weeks that followed, I lost my job, I lost my grandfather, I lost my marriage and I lost my unborn child. My life would never be the same.

At first I used food as consolation. I had lost just about everything in my life that was important to me and food seemed to soothe my soul. I was depressed, angry, sad, hurt, and desolate. A few months had passed and I started to put myself back together for the sake of my daughter. I started exercising and dieting because in my twisted mind I thought that no man would want me unless I looked like a skinny model from a magazine. I was 27 years old, getting divorced and had a 2 year old. What man would want to be involved with a woman like me?

I started starving myself and compulsive exercising and the weight just melted off my body. Of course so did my muscles and immune system. But I didn’t care because my body was responding to the control I wanted to have over it. I couldn’t control what was going on in my life but I sure could control my own body.

My family was close to doing an intervention as I pushed my body beyond healthy limits. I was smoking cigarettes so I wouldn’t eat and still compulsive exercising. My lungs were screaming at me but I kept pushing. My knees finally gave out from overuse and it was then that I was forced to stop exercising compulsively. My body was trying to regain control over my brain and it was using methods to get me to stop. It finally worked. It amazes me now when I think about how brilliant the human body is and how it sends messages when the brain isn’t listening!

In the meantime, I began dating again and found that I was still attractive to men even with a child in tow. My self-esteem seemed to get a little better but food was still an issue. I hardly ate and still smoked. I had not dealt with the underlying issues of abandonment from my marriage so there was still emptiness in my heart.

A few years later I met my current husband. I was ready. I had waited 7 years after my divorce to meet him, had let go of the pain I felt inside, and he was like a fairy tale prince. It seemed that my life had turned for the better and I fell head over heels in love with him. We were planning our wedding and building a house at the same time so my stress level was enormous but I was on cloud nine.

Here is the interesting thing about eating disorders though. Even though you may feel euphorically happy, you can still have inner struggles that bring out those dormant eating disorder feelings. Because I didn’t deal with the issues, I began to binge eat. I used food to combat my stress. And of course as I became a full time binger I had to hide what I was doing. How ashamed and embarrassed I was that I had become this hideous person that hid cakes in the bottom of the refrigerator and stuffed myself so full that I could barely move after. And to top it all off, I started to gain weight.

After three years of hiding my binging, I “came out of the closet”. Binge eaters typically hide their pain and food intake from everyone so coming out is scary but liberating. Another thing that happened when I finally decided to stop hiding is that I wanted to heal my eating disorder as fast as I could. I needed a way out of this disorder and I was going to find it.

I attended Overeaters Anonymous meetings for some time but they were of no help to me whatsoever. My experience with OA was that a hand full of people got together at my local church and sat around complaining about how stressed they were. No one knew how to deal with binge eating. No one knew how to heal it. In fact, every time I went to a meeting I had to state my name and that I was a compulsive overeater. I just didn’t believe that was the truth. I wanted to say that I was cured. I also got tired of listening to other people complain. my next attempt at help was to call my primary doctor.

My PCP had no idea what binge eating disorder was. She suggested I join a structured eating program like Weight Watchers. She also thought I should try an anti-depressant. She sent me home with a prescription for pills and a huge dose of frustration. Didn’t anyone know how to heal this? What kind of options did I have? It turned out, not many.

That’s when I decided to study holistic health and nutrition. I realized that I had been sent on my path of eating disorders for a purpose and that was to help other people find options to heal their disorder when they finally reach the point of “coming out”.

Finding the help I needed was miraculous. My healing included: stress management, challenging my old belief systems, getting to the root cause of my disorder, learning meditation, visualization, and assertiveness training and coping skills. It all came down to me and no one else. All of my actions and decisions up until the time I began healing my disorder where focused on everyone else except me. It came down to realizing that I have a great deal of value and self-worth and I can participate in life by being true to myself.

I learned that anyone can have an eating disorder no matter what their background is or income is or color is. I learned that stress can literally put you over the edge and cause you to binge eat and not knowing how to deal with stress correctly is part of the problem.

I also know that with healing comes an obligation for me to speak out so that other wonderful individuals don’t go home with a prescription for something that only masks the problem and not solves it. I urge people to learn about the disorder, to find online or offline methods available for help and stick it out. Healing binge eating disorder is possible. I am living proof of it.

“My name is Nadine and I am a healthy, happy, beautiful person.”



Jean

Melanie Dawn asked:


I’ve spent the past 10 years recovering from an eating disorder and currently I feel like I am in a beautiful time of my life. Why do I feel my life is beautiful, you might ask? For the first time that I can remember, I am not obsessed with eating disordered rituals. I don’t feel like I need to explain those eating disordered rituals to you. If you’ve ever had an eating disorder, or known someone with an eating disorder, then you know what eating disorder rituals are. If you have never had an eating disorder and you want to know what eating disorder rituals are, go to www.google.com and do a quick search on the internet for “eating disorder symptoms”. You are apt to find an array of information regarding whether or not you or one of your friends have an eating disorder. Another place you can go is www.somethingfishy.org, a site geared for eating disorder resources and recovery information. What you’re not likely to find, is information on eating disorder recovery.

Not being able to find resources on recovery is a problem, a huge problem that is ignored by writers and researchers alike. The only people that appear to have an answer to my question are eating disorder recovery clinics. Many eating disorder recovery clinics state that they have programs for eating disorder recovery, what they do not provide is a definition for what eating disorder recovery is?

After spending large amounts of money and time on therapists, eating disorder programs and books, I have formulated a conclusion. My conclusion is that there is no formal definition for eating disorder recovery and that is why clinics can profess that they offer eating disorder recovery. A common problem I faced in my eating disorder recovery is that I would spend time and money on treatment and then my insurance company, Western Health Advantage or Pacificare, would inform me that I was recovered. The reason these insurance companies believed that I was recovered is because while I was at the hospital under extreme behavioral modification and under surveillance by health care professionals, I was not exhibiting eating disorder behaviors. What my insurance company did not take into account is that the moment I walked out of the hospital, the eating disordered behaviors magically resurfaced. They did not resurface because I was a loser that didn’t want to recover, but they resurfaced because I did not have the skills required for recovery. I wanted to recover more than anything else in the world, but there was a roadblock that continually stood in my way, I did not know what recovery looked like; I knew what an eating disorder looked like, but I did not know what being without an eating disorder looked like. After nine years of eating disorder treatment (in addition to more than a decade of eating disordered behaviors before recovery), I am finally starting to understand what recovery is. For this reason, I want to share my discovery with the world. I want to provide women and men that are struggling with an eating disorder, an example, a picture of recovery.



Ruben