Understanding Eating Disorders By Kazuko Takeuchi, Psy.D. Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States. Almost 50% of them meet the criteria for depression, and eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The death rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the mortality rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old. Definition An eating disorder is an unhealthy relationship with food and weight that interferes with many areas of a person’s life. DSM-IV recognizes 3 main eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa – A person may have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. S/he may practice unhealthy behaviors such as: restricting calories, only eating specific foods or skipping meals frequently. Bulimia Nervosa – A person may be intensely afraid of becoming fat or gaining weight. S/he may eat large amounts of food (binge) and then eliminate the food and calories by making themselves vomit (purge). One may engage in compensatory behaviors, such as excessive exercise or use of laxatives, diuretics or diet pills. Eating Disorder NOS (aka Binge Eating Disorder) – A person may frequently eat very large amounts of food (to the point of feeling sick or uncomfortable). When binge eating, s/he feels like s/he cannot stop eating or control what or how much is eaten. Gender Studies: •Women are much more likely than men to develop an eating disorder. 95% of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25. • Only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia are male. • Due to the perception that eating disorders are “women’s issues,” men are less likely to seek treatment for eating disorders General Principles of Treatment: • Building a therapeutic relationship that is authentic and close. Therapist’s role is active, balancing between a stance that supports and confronts. • Using food, eating, weight as a metaphor- listen carefully to language of need and hunger. • Assisting clients to give up control to gain control • Helping clients to deal with painful feeling and not avoiding them through relationship with food • Understanding the meaning of the symptoms, what they do for the person. If you seek to an eating disorders therapist, please call Susan Moran at MPC at 978-921-4000 ext 14.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:23:02 +0000
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