There are many signs and symptoms to look for when diagnosing someone who is either anorexic or bulimic. Below we have complied the most common warning signs of an anorexic and the most common warning signs of a bulimic. It is important to note that these warning signs are not the same for every person. Becoming anorexic or bulimic is a different process for everyone and not everyone will be affected in the same.

When dealing with someone who is anorexic or when trying to figure out if a loved one is anorexic there are a few warning signs or symptoms you can look for. Being anorexic usually involves sudden weight loss, and an obsession with weighing one’s self. Someone who is anorexic will also have a distorted body image and avoid social eating at all costs.  Another thing to look for is if the individual is obsessed with the idea of becoming fat and has a preoccupation with food. When trying to diagnose someone as anorexic it is also important to take note to and obsessive exercising practices. Also if there is a sort of hair loss and intolerance to cold. As previously stated these are by no means the only warning signs, nor are they definitive symptoms for someone who is anorexic.

Warning signs for someone who is bulimic include frequent use of the bathroom after eating and dramatic fluctuations in athletic performance. Other signs someone you know may be bulimic are discolored teeth, swollen extremities and fluctuating weight. Someone who is bulimic may also experience feelings of depression, guilt and shame about food and eating. Some other physical symptoms of a bulimic are blood shot eyes and swollen glands. A bulimic person may also attempt suicide and dabble with drugs.

It is important if you know someone and think they may be bulimic or anorexic, that you notify someone immediately. Treatment and therapy are necessary. Being bulimic or anorexic is not something that will fix itself. It is a disorder that is most likely affecting your loved one physically, emotionally and mentally.

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The road to successful anorexia treatment and bulimia treatment is first being able to admit you have a problem. It will be a bumpy road but full recovery is possible. It can be scary and sometimes embarrassing seeking out anorexia treatment or bulimia treatment, but it is important that you get the treatment you need. The first step is admitting you need help. Every step after that will be easier than the last.

An important step to getting anorexia treatment or bulimia treatment is finding a doctor or therapist who specializes in anorexia and bulimia. Find someone that makes you feel comfortable and safe. When looking for a doctor or therapist for anorexia treatment, or bulimia treatment you can ask your regular doctor for a referral or go to your local hospital and ask for a listing of doctors who specialize in eating disorders. You can also call the national eating disorders association on the toll free hotline, 1-800-931-2237 when looking for options for anorexia treatment of bulimia treatment.

When beginning your anorexia treatment or bulimia treatment it is important that you note any health problems you may be experiencing. Besides having the eating disorder itself you may also have developed other medical issues because of the anorexia or bulimia. In order to fully recover from your disorder you will need to fully examine all areas of yourself in order to receive a complete anorexia treatment program or bulimia treatment program. Nothing is more important than your well being.

You will need to make long term plans for your anorexia treatment or bulimia treatment. You will need to a medical treatment team including medical doctors and therapists, as well as a solid support system. You will need to come up with meal plans with your therapist. The road to recovery will be a long one. But anorexia and bulimia are treatable. Remember admitting you have a problem is the first step to being healthy.

Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness that causes impulsive behaviors, sever mood swings and an overall incapacity to have normal relationships causes a skewed perception of self worth. People with borderline personality disorder usually do not only suffer with the mental illness alone. Depression, substance abuse and eating disorders are usually involved as well. Everyone has problems with emotions or behaviors sometimes. However,  if you have borderline personality disorder, the problems are severe, repeat over a long time, and disrupt your life. This mental illness has many symptoms that coincide with it.

Some of the most common symptoms of a borderline personality are Intense emotions and mood swings, a irrational  fear of being left alone, aggressive behavior and impulsive activities including binge eating and reckless driving.  Some of the other symptoms of this mental illness may include feeling suspicious or leery of other people for no reason, violent tantrums, a feeling of emptiness, and suicide attempts.

Borderline personality is a mental illness that affect approximately 2 out of every 100 people. There is no exact cause known as of yet for having a borderline personality. Research has indicated however that this mental illness does run families. While there is no cure for borderline personality disorder there are ways of controlling the symptoms. Long term counseling is essential when treating this mental illness. In addition to counseling there are certain medications that can help calm the symptoms. Treatment for borderline personality disorder is hard. Over time border line personality can be maintained. Please note this is a serious mental illness and does require attention by a medical professional.

Bipolar disorder is an extreme influx in emotions. One minute you are insanely happy the next in the depths of despair. These highs and lows are called ups and downs when talking aout bipolar disorder. With bipolar disorder these ups and downs will most often be too much for a person to take, have a great impact of the person’s and at times can be dangerous to the person suffering with bipolar disorder and those around them. Bipolar disorder can be hard to detect. Some people suffer with bipolar disorder for 10 years before they are even diagnosed. Once diagnosed with bipolar disorder there are treatment options. There are three main components to living with bipolar disorder. The first is too take medicine prescribed by your doctor. Taking the wrong medicine can make your bipolar disorder worse. Second therapy and counseling. When living with bipolar disorder it is extremely important to put yourself in a therapy situation where you can talk and be amongst others who are also battling bipolar disorder. Lastly learn everything you can about bipolar disorder. The more you educate yourself the easier it will be for you to live with bipolar disorder.

OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder is an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts and to repeat certain actions over and over again. Obviously we all have rituals and routines that we practice everyday, however people living with OCD have rituals and routines that get in the way of their daily living.  For a long time OCD was though to be a very rare disorder. However now studies have shown that there are approximately 3 million Americans who suffer from OCD at any given time. OCD effects both men and women equally. No one can determine what causes OCD. Some studies show that it might have to do with a lack of serotonin in your brain, however this is not conclusive. OCD can be brought on by people who have high levels of anxiety and panic attacks, as well as in people who have extreme phobias. There are medicines people can take to help regulate OCD. Also going to behavioral therapy will help calm the OCD tendencies one experiences.

There are many eating disorder treatments available to you. Group therapy is just one option. Other eating disorder treatments include psychotherapy. Depending on the person psychotherapy sometimes proves to be an excellent eating disorder treatment because it helps you or your loved one explore the deep rooted reasons as to why you developed an eating disorder. Another viable eating disorder treatment is nutritional counseling. Nutritional counseling works well as an eating disorder treatment because you can develop eating plans with a nutritionist, set dietary goals, and achieve a healthy weight in a way that you feel comfortable with. This eating disorder treatment allows to progressively work your way up to a healthy diet.

Group therapy works extremely well as an eating disorder treatment because it provides a safe environment for you or your loved to share your battle and be with people who completely understand what you are going through. Group therapy allows you to communicate your concerns, with peers and professionals. Group therapy also helps you to avoid placing blame or guilt on yourself because you are surrounded by people who are in the same boat as you. Group therapy also helps you see there is light at the end of the tunnel, that your struggle is not permanent. You are able to have this hope because group therapy will have people in all different stages of their recovery. While there are many eating disorder treatments, and what you choose will depend on you or your loved one, there is a lot to be said for group therapy.

Eating Disorder

According to the National Eating Disorders Association the average women is 5’4 and 140 pounds. Statistics and facts like these are what need to promoted in order to allow young women and men to have a better body image. Voicing the right information will help the fight against eating disorders and let individuals begin to accept and embrace their own body and no that not every body image is the same. The Unites States especially has a social and cultural view on body image and extreme thinness. In the United States women define themselves by what they look like and what type of body image they are portraying. This pressure and need for acceptance is a main indicator in women developing eating disorders.

The main thing anyone looks for as a young adult is acceptance. The media makes it very hard for young people to embrace and accept their own body image if it is not close to when it portrayed on TV and in magazines. Eating disorders are preventable.

Individuals battling anorexia usually have a deeply rooted fear of becoming overweight. When dealing with anorexia individuals have a very distorted view of their own body. Everyone looks better then them according to an anorexic. A person who is twice the size of the individual battling anorexia could walk by them on the street, and they would think “if only I could look like that.” “Why do I have to look this way.” Proving anorexia is not only a physical disorder but a mental disorder as well.  People with anorexia usually limit their in take a food to next to nothing, or just starve themselves. Anorexia is a serious disorder that requires a treatment and recovery process. It is important to notify someone immediately if you think someone you no is struggling with anorexia

Bulimia is similar to anorexia in the sense that individuals suffering with bulimia have a warped perception of their bodies and live in constant fear of being overweight. However with bulimia a person will binge eat, or eat large amounts of food and then try to compensate for it by throwing up, taking laxatives, or extreme exercising. The person suffering with bulimia typically feels powerless to stop the eating and can only stop once he or she is too full to eat any more. Most people with bulimia then purge by vomiting, but may also use laxatives or excessive exercise. Although anorexia and bulimia are very similar, people with anorexia are usually very thin and underweight but those with bulimia may be a normal weight or even overweight.

Fortunately, people with anorexia or bulimia can get well and gradually learn to eat normally again. Anorexia and Bulimia involve both the mind and body. Because of this medical doctors, mental health professionals, and dietitians will often be involved in a person’s treatment and recovery for anorexia or bulimia. Therapy or counseling is a critical part of treating anorexia and bulimia. In many cases, family therapy is one of the keys to eating healthily again. Parents and other family members are important in helping a person see that his or her normal body shape is perfectly fine and that being excessively thin can be dangerous. Treatment options depend on each person and their families, but many options are available to help you overcome an bulimia and anorexia. Therapy can help you feel in charge again and learn to like your body, just as it is.

Binge eating is the act of consuming large amounts of food in a small period of time. Binge eating has been documented as typically lasting 2 hours but can be something someone does on and off all day. Some key features in binge eating are frequent episodes of uncontrollable eating, feeling extremely distressed or upset after binge eating, feeling guilt, disgust, and depressed over the consumption of food. Binge eating when linked to bulimia will usually result into purging or vomiting after the binge eating has taken place.

Starvation effects all areas of the body when a person battling anorexia. Extreme starvation practices can lead to many potentially deadly side effects. One extreme side effect of starvation is developing heart conditions. When using starvation practices with anorexia you are risking the chance of developing a heart condition. Starting and stopping starvation rituals will also weaken your heart and put you at risk of your heart just stopping all together.

Binge eating and Starvation practices are just one element of two very common eating disorders. It is important that if you know someone who has been struggling with either of these two disorders that you help seek treatment immediately.