The Many Types Of Eating Disorders

Disclaimer authors note 

I am in no a professional of any kind. I am strongly against self-diagnosis, and encourage my audience to please seek the professional advice of their own trusted medical professional and any other trusted professional depending on the topic at hand. The Abler Blog ONLY PROVIDES LIMITED GENERAL INFORMATION, and  ALWAYS CITES WHERE THEY FIND THEIR RESOURCES AND OR INFORMATION,

Jessica Niziolek, 

Founder Of The Abler Blog, and online community.

**Trigger warning** Material May be a trigger for some who are reading this post. 

The following Information has been provided from the following site: 

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

Found here: https://anad.org

 How Do You Know If You Have An Eating Disorder? that

Ask yourself how much of your day is spent on food, body image, and weight? If these thoughts consume you so much, that it prevents you from functioning or living a happy life. You would be encouraged to get professional help with this issue. 

Eating disorders are broken down into the following list according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (May, 2013) of The American Psychiatric Association. 

Anorexia Nervosa: Is where the person is under their body weight because of the lack of calories that the person should be consuming daily. The person will also have an intense fear of gaining weight and becoming fat. Even if the person is aware that their weight gain is dangerously low, and that they need to get the help their fear of weight gain and getting fat becomes too great. This is because their body and image and shape become so vital to their evaluation of themselves so much so where they come to rely on it. 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder(BDD)

This is a condition where the person(s) obsesses with an imaginary defect in the physical appearance they believe they have. Or they may have an extreme concern about something small appearance-wise that others may not see as extreme. People with this condition have misconceptions about their body image. Their misconceptions mainly deal with the most common parts of the body. For example, both men and women can see misconceptions in things like their hair, teeth, and skin. For further information on BDD, you can visit the following: https://anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorder-types-and-symptoms/body-dysmorphic-disorder/ This article was written by The Center of Discovery: https://centerfordiscovery.com

Bulimia Nervosa 

Where the person(s) has reoccurring episodes of a binge with compensating behaviors. Definition of what binge eating is: eating a large amount of food, larger than most people would typically eat within a 2-hour period. They also feel a loss of control during an episode, or they feel like they cannot stop eating during an episode. The compensating behaviors a person with this disorder may do are things like fasting, making themselves vomit, excessive exercise, the use of diuretics. A person with Bulimia is also very concerned with their weight or shape. 

For assistance on the proper dental care for people with Bulimia please visit: https://anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorder-types-and-symptoms/dental-health/

Binge Eating Disorder

What is binge eating? This condition is defined as reoccurring episodes of over-eating. This includes eating a large amount of food that on average a person would think is not typical for someone who doesn’t have this condition. The episodes happen within a 2-hour period. The person can also eat a fast and or rapid pace. The person also eats until their uncomfortably full, eating even when they don’t even feel hungry. They often eat alone because they feel embarrassed. After an episode, the person often feels disgusted with themselves, depressed, and very guilty afterward. 

Pica 

What is pica? Pica is when someone eats substances that have no nutritional value for at least a time period of a month. For example, someone could be eating cotton or clay. This is considered pica. 

Rumination Disorder

This is where the person is repeatedly regurgitating their food. This can occur for about a month. This also includes: re-chewing, re-swallowing, and respiting out food. 

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder((ARFID) 

This is an eating or feeding disturbance where the person isn’t meeting their nutritional or energy needs. Some signs of this condition are as follows: significant weight loss, or struggling to keep up with their expected weight gain for growth, nutritional deficiencies, reliant of supplements. This condition also interferes with the person’s psychosocial functioning.

What is Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder

When you meet some of the criteria for an eating disorder, but not all, you may find yourself in the category of OSFED: There are 5 categories of OSFED:

Atypical Anorexia Nervosa: meeting all of the symptoms of Anorexia with weight at or above the normal range

Binge Eating Disorder that is less frequent or did not occur as long as needed for the full diagnosis

Bulimia Nervosa that is less frequent or did not occur as long as needed for the full diagnosis

Purging Disorder is when a person purges without bingeing

Night Eating Syndrome: this occurs when a person consumes at least 25% of their daily intake after the evening meal. Waking up after going to bed in order to eat may also occur.

Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder is for disorders that do not meet the criteria of any of the above disorders, but still cause great emotional upset or interferes with daily life.

If you, or someone you love is struggling you can use ANAD’s hotline for help and guidance. https://anad.org/our-services/eating-disorders-helpline/

There is also information on support groups found here: https://anad.org/our-services/about-our-support-groups/

You can also find several other types of resources on the ANAD’s site that include a blog and Youtube channel found here : https://anad.org/education-and-awareness/youtube-recovery-channel/

I AM IN NO WAY CERTIFIED IN ANY CAPACITY THEREFORE I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU  TO CONSULT WITH YOUR OWN TRUSTED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I AM ALSO STRONGLY AGAINST SELF-DIAGNOSIS.

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