What is an eating disorder? Many people don’t really know the answer. They typically have preconceived notions based on what they’ve seen in movies or television. However, eating disorders can be more complicated than you think.
What Is an Eating Disorder?
All eating disorders cause serious dietary problems. They manifest in numerous ways. For example, eating disorders can result in eating very small amounts of food. To the other extreme, they can also include overeating.
Nonetheless, any eating disorder puts your health at risk. These conditions usually start small but eventually grow into obsessions that begin to control your life.
Coexisting Disorders
In many cases, eating disorders exist with mental illness. The brain becomes more susceptible to disorders after the first one develops.
For example, people who suffer from anxiety or depression are more susceptible to eating disorders. Likewise, people with eating disorders are more likely to develop substance abuse problems or mental illness. It’s important to visit rehab centers that offer options for people who suffer from coexisting disorders, and offer dual diagnosis treatment.
Who Is More Likely to Develop Eating Disorders?
Studies show that both men and women can develop eating disorders. However, eating disorders are more common in women than in men. In terms of age group, teens and young adults are more likely to develop them.
When eating disorders occur at a young age, they can impair growth. Resulting health complications include fertility and development problems. People who suffer from eating disorders are more at risk for early death as well.
Types of Eating Disorders
There are many types of eating disorders. However, a few of them are more common than others, including:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating
- EDNOS
EDNOS stands for “eating disorders not otherwise specified.” In the medical field, doctors diagnose EDNOS in people who don’t have one of the other defined eating disorders. While more people know about anorexia and bulimia, doctors more commonly diagnose people with EDNOS than other eating disorders.
Get Help for Your Eating Disorder
At Steps to Recovery, we understand how hard it is to seek help for an eating disorder. Our goal is to help you overcome the disorder with the care and support that you deserve. We create custom treatment plans for all our clients using a mix of treatment methods. These include:
Don’t live another day at the mercy of your disease. Learn to overcome your eating disorder at Steps to Recovery. Contact us at 866-488-8684 for more information about our programs and services.
