I
Think I May Have An Eating Disorder
Coming to an understanding that you may have
disordered eating patterns or an eating disorder takes courage
and insight. Well done for making this first move!
The information here will help you better understand what
you are going through. Eating disorders are about much more
than food and losing or gaining weight – they also involve
your thoughts and feelings.
You may feel awkward or embarrassed about seeking treatment.
It might help to remember that there are many people who,
at some time during their lives, deal with disordered eating
or an eating disorder.
Another important fact is that no matter how long you have
had an eating disorder, you can benefit from treatment. Recovery
can begin at any age and any stage.
Basic Information
Some basic information on eating disorders can be found on
this site under the following links:
Where should I go from here?
Talking to someone you trust is an important part of recovering
from an eating disorder. This may be a challenge if you have
become used to covering up symptoms and disguising what you
eat and how you feel.
You may have trouble exploring this difficult issue by yourself,
and you may also have difficulty believing that some of these
things are happening to you. That is very normal. You may
find it helpful to print off the following questions and discuss
them with a trusted family member, friend, school counselor
or teacher.
Eating- and weight-related behaviours
Do you…
- think about food constantly
- weigh yourself frequently (ex: daily or more often)
- vomit or take laxatives after eating
- avoid social interactions involving food
- cancel social outings if you feel fat
- avoid eating certain foods (ex: high-fat or high-carbohydrate)
- know the caloric value of all the foods you eat
- stop eating for long periods of time following a binge
- punish yourself for eating more than you intend
- exercise to burn off calories
- read diet books or magazines
- go on fad diets
- find yourself becoming very secretive (especially around
what you have or haven’t eaten)
- fear that secretive food and weight behaviours will be
discovered
- have difficulty with money because you spend lots on
food
- shoplift food or laxatives or steal money to buy food
Food and weight-specific thoughts and feelings
Do you…
- have a preoccupation with your weight, especially fear
of being fat
- fear losing control over your eating
- feel unhappy with your current size or shape of body
- wish you were thinner and spend a lot of your time thinking
about this
- equate how you feel about your body with how you feel
about yourself
- feel very guilty and shameful about eating
- have black and white thinking about food (ex: ‘good’
food & ‘bad’ food)
- feel very anxious around food and meal times
- think in extremes (ex: if I'm not thin, I'll be really
fat)
General thoughts and feelings
Do you …
- have trouble feeling good about yourself
- often feel ineffective
- try to be perfect
- struggle with periods of depression
- have trouble concentrating
- have trouble sleeping through the night
- feel hopeless and out of control
- have a decreased interest in activities you used to enjoy
Are you…
- very sensitive to criticism from others
- very critical of yourself
Physical signs of eating disorders
Have you noticed that …
- our energy is low
- you feel physically unwell
- you sometimes/often feel dizzy
- your weight fluctuates a lot
- you feel physically cold no matter the climate
- the hair on your head is thinning
- you have fine raised hair on your body (lanugo)
- you feel bloated
- your face is puffy from vomiting
- your skin is pale, dry or yellowed
- under your eyes are reddish purple
- your menstrual periods are irregular or have stopped
all together
- you have stomach cramps and/or irregular bowel patterns
- your hands and feet look blue/purple some/most of the
time
It is important to remember that these questions cover a
range of eating disorders. You do not need to have all of
them – or even most of them – in order to have
a problem with disordered eating or an eating disorder.
Perhaps the key consideration is that after answering these
questions, you realize that your focus on what you eat and
what you look like is interfering with your day-to-day functioning
and seriously decreasing your enjoyment of life. If your answers
indicate that this is the case, then you may wish to think
about talking to someone and seeking help.
What are the elements of a successful recovery
process?
Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and compulsive eating
are all treatable illnesses. However, it is helpful to remember
that the development of an eating disorder takes time, and
so does recovery.
Research into what works best for individuals with eating
disorders consistently shows that, while treatment may vary
somewhat from person to person depending upon their needs,
the following are some of the elements that are beneficial
to the recovery process:
- A respectful collaborative approach.
A collaborative relationship with health care professionals
has been found to be a great help to the recovery process.
You will need to play an important role during treatment
because recovery requires that you be involved in the process.
A successful treatment approach will make you feel that
you are a valued participant in your recovery, not a passive
recipient.
- An emphasis on building self-esteem, developing
coping skills and resilience. Research has shown
that improving self-esteem and coping skills can be very
helpful to the recovery process.
- A multi-disciplinary approach. Depending
upon the complexity and severity of your eating disorder,
treatment may be multi-disciplinary (ex: medical treatment,
psychological counseling, nutritional counseling, creative
expressions) so that it can successfully address the physical
and underlying emotional and psychological aspects. You
may receive a combination of supportive therapies such as:
- medical assessment and monitoring of your physical
health status
- individual counseling to help you address core issues
(ex: trauma and difficult relationships) and express
your feelings, especially those of anger and sadness
- nutrition counseling
- support groups
- family counseling
- prescribed medications to reduce depression, anxiety
and impulsive behaviour
- hospitalization may be required to address medical
issues
- creative expressions (ex: art, dance) to help you
express yourself in non-verbal ways
Self-help may also be a useful addition to treatment,
particularly in less complicated cases of bulimia and binge
eating disorder. However, it is not recommended as a replacement
for other treatment.
If you decide to get help, your family doctor may
be the best place to start. If your doctor is knowledgeable
about eating disorders, he/she may be able to help you work
toward recovery. If your doctor is less familiar with treating
eating disorders, you can request to be referred to another
doctor or health care practitioner with expertise in this
field.
Your treatment plan will depend upon your situation
and may include any of the following:
- support and medical monitoring from your doctor while
you maintain everyday responsibilities (ex: school, job)
- self-help resources in addition to monitoring by your
doctor
- other therapies such as individual and/or family counseling,
nutritional counseling.
- referral to a specialist or program with expertise in
disordered eating and eating disorders
If more in-depth treatment is required, you may be referred
to a specialized program offering more intensive supports
(ex: residential treatment). Hospitalization may be required
if your health is seriously compromised.
If you don’t have a family doctor, you can
be connected with a family physician living in your area by
phoning the Family Doctor Connection Phone Line at 1-866-690-8260.
The Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Service
and the Adult Eating Disorders Program will also provide referrals
to physicians. The child and adolescent program can
be reached at 1-204-787-7218 and the adult program can be
reached at 1-204-787-3482. For information on available programming,
you may also contact the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s
(WRHA) Disordered Eating Program Specialist at 1-204-940-2653.
Where can I find out more about eating disorders?
The following are some websites that provide information
on body image, disordered eating and eating disorders:
Where can I get treatment in Manitoba?
Manitoba Health has compiled an inventory of treatment resources
in Manitoba, organized by regional health authority at:
www.gov.mb.ca/health/mh/ed/inventory.html
| For
more information about the roles and responsibilities
of Manitoba Health in the mental health system, please
contact: |
Manitoba
Health
Mental Health and Addictions Branch
300 Carlton Street
Winnipeg MB R3B 3M9
Phone: (204) 786-7101 |
|
