TW: Eating Disorders

!!!TW!!!

I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL PHYCHIATRIST: THIS BLOG IS TO SPREAD AWARENESS TO EATING DISORDERS!!!

I saw a post talking about how eating disorders are not just starving, which is extremely true. Yet, all the comments on this post were talking about not eating or not wanting to eat. As Anorexia Nervosa (starving yourself) is a very real struggle that effects many people (not just thin people), there are many other food related struggles that do not get talked about enough. I am here to spread awareness to eating disorders and make people who struggle with food feel seen. 

THE HIDDEN STRUGGLES WITH QUANITIES: BINGE EATING DISORDER (BED) & BULIMIA NERVOSA

Binge Eating Disorder: Binge Eating Disorder is as serious as any other eating disorder. Binging is eating very large amounts of food in a short amount of time usually accompanied by a sense of isolation or eating alone due to embarrassment. This happens to many people of all sizes and is a real struggle. People who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder often eat until nauseous, eat when not hungry, and eat very fast. They have a loss of control and often feel very guilty or ashamed afterwards. People with all body types can have Binge Eating Disorder and this is not just a wrestle for overweight people.

Bulimia Nervosa: Bulimia Nervosa is similar to Binge Eating Disorder but has one clear difference: purging. People with Bulimia Nervosa binge-eat (which is, as I explained earlier, eating unusual amounts of food in one sitting.) and often worry about the size, shape and weight of their body. After their binge, they feel extremely ashamed or overwhelmed about gaining weight and purge. Purging is self-induced vomiting, abusing laxatives or other medication, fasting afterwards, or excessive exercise. Bulimia is a very serious eating disorder that many suffer from, even people who are not underweight.

THE STRUGGLES WITH "WHAT" WE EAT: ARFID, ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA, & PICA

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID):  ARFID can be mistaken as "picky eating" but it is much more severe than that. ARFID is most common in autistic individuals although, you can have ARFID without having Autism. ARFID is avoiding food due to lack of interest or upsetting smell, texture, appearance and other reasons. People with ARFID can experience weight loss or nutritional deficiency because people with this disorder usually undereat. People with ARFID sometimes avoid rooms with food, restaurants or anything involving food in general. They also fear eating in front of others. This is a hard battle for many and is very rarely talked about but still as dangerous as any other eating disorder.

Orthorexia Nervosa: Orthorexia Nervosa is when taking care of your body and being healthy oversteps. It turns into an obsession and is an intense fear of not eating "clean". Orthorexia is not trying to lose weight but rather eating pure food. It is anxiety, planning and desire to be healthy. People with Orthorexia chose to eat clean food or not eat at all, and this causes extreme health problems. This is a serious disorder and is not recognized enough.

Pica: Pica is a craving for non-food objects driven by compulsive behaviors. People with Pica can eat things like dirt, chalk, clay, paper, paint, and many other things with no nutritional value. Eating things that are not food can be caused by nutrient deficiencies or other disorders, like an intellectual disability, Autism, OCD, and more. Pica is very dangerous and can be severe because eating non-food items can cause intestinal blockages, choking, tearing of the stomach lining, or severe poisoning.

THE DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS: OSFED & DIABULIMIA

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED): OSFED is when someone has an eating disorder that looks like a different eating disorder without perfectly matching the description. Some examples of OSFED are Atypical Anorexia (starving and losing weight and need for control over body but remaining within or above a normal weight range), Purging Disorder (following the same purge cycle as someone with Bulimia Nervosa but without binging first), and Night Eating Syndrome (excessive eating but only in the middle of the night). All of these disorders have something in common with another disorder but don't fit every aspect of that specific eating disorder and because of that it is not recognized  as much and isn't very well-known. OSFED is very common and people with OSFED struggle just as much as other people with eating disorders.

Diabulimia: Diabulimia is an eating disorder that affects people diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when they stop injecting their insulin. People do this usually to prevent gaining weight or to lose weight. When someone with Type 1 Diabetes stops injecting their insulin, their body cannot process glucose and because of that the body cannot absorb calories. This basically means they can eat whatever they want, not inject insulin and therefore not gain any weight, but this causes extreme physical suffering. This is one of the most dangerous eating disorders ever yet it barely gets talked about.

All of the eating disorders I mentioned and explained are very important and I hope this helped anyone who read this learn more about eating disorders that don't get talked about enough. If you or anyone you know struggle with an eating disorder I encourage you to reach out for help.

PLEASE CALL A HELPLINE IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING

NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR EATING DISORDERS: 1-866-662-1235