Anorexia
For the anorexia sufferer feelings of hunger and deprivation help to fill an emotional void. Different foods become “feared” or “trusted” to different degrees, and a fixation with nutrition and calorie values rules what to eat and what to avoid. Controlling the intake of food becomes paramount, and this impulse to control reflects a deep emotional need on the part of the sufferer to control all feelings.
Have you experienced any of the following in relation to your food?
- Restricting certain foods or drastically reducing how much you eat
- Pretending to eat or lying about eating
- Excessive trips to the bathroom or the regular use of laxatives
- Frequent weigh-ins and over-attention to tiny fluctuations in weight
- A compulsion to check in the mirror for body flaws and complaints about being fat
- Excessive and/or compulsive exercising
- Apathy, moodiness, low energy and withdrawal from social life
- Feeling cold all the time
- Dry, lifeless hair, brittle nails or poor skin tone
- In women, missing three consecutive menstrual periods
Bulimia
Those who suffer from bulimia often eat large quantities of food in a relatively short period of time, then will take laxatives or make themselves throw up to prevent gaining weight. Excessive eating triggers feelings that are powerful, overwhelming and shameful. The cycle of bingeing and purging helps to control these feelings, and also avoids the anger and guilt that are buried at the heart of the eating disorder.
Have you noticed any of the following?
- Poor body image
- Low moods and feelings of depression
- Eating unusually large amounts of food with no apparent change in weight
- Craving binge foods (especially sugar and white flour products)
- Purging (throwing up)
- Losing weight through laxatives or over-exercising
- An excessive, rigid exercise regimen
- Tooth and mouth problems
- Irregular or nonexistent menstrual periods
Over-eating
Compulsive over-eaters find tremendous comfort in food. It enables them to feel soothed and safe in a way they may never have truly experienced in their relationships with family or friends. Becoming overweight from eating large quantities of food can also be a way of coping with feelings of not being “good enough”, or of not feeling wanted by another, and helps to avoid the risk of rejection.
Have you experienced any of the following in your relationship with food?
- Eating alone or in secret
- Hiding food from friends, family and others
- Feelings of guilt and shame about bingeing
- Eating until uncomfortably full or even when not really hungry
- Planning your day around times for secret bingeing
- Eating when stressed or faced with emotional challenges
- Panicking if there are no binge foods in the house
- Measuring one package of food against another for larger fillings and size
