Eating disorders have been constantly increasing, especially in the last 20-30 years. Eating disorders can be seen in women, men, children, adults, adolescents, in short, in everyone and at every stage of individuals. Especially with the influence of the media, eating disorders are more common in societies that accept the thin appearance of women and the more structured appearance of men. Eating disorders are examined under several headings because they are seen in different ways and in different situations in people.
Bulimia nervosa is among the eating disorders, and the person experiencing this eating disorder experiences eating attacks, but also experiences relief by taking foods that can be obtained and consumed quickly. As a result, he feels uncomfortable with the excessive amounts of food he consumes and tries to cope with the feeling of regret. He/she tries to compensate for this situation by following a very strict diet or exercise after the eating attack. Eating attacks usually occur when the person is alone. The most common symptom in bulimia nervosa is that the person voluntarily vomits after eating attacks. In some cases, people may prefer to use laxative medications instead of vomiting. Compensatory behaviors that occur after eating attacks are related to the person's aim to maintain weight control, prevent weight gain and have a thin appearance. People with bulimia nervosa are slightly overweight or of normal body weight. Therefore, it is very difficult for people with this eating disorder to be noticed by those around them. Although they are thought to have a healthy physical appearance, heartburn and throat irritation are common in people with this eating disorder. It is very important to receive psychotherapy in the treatment of other psychological disorders that generally accompany bulimia nervosa. For example, people with bulimia nervosa have personality disorders, depression, bipolar, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders, being a perfectionist, being obsessive, being ambitious, being shy, lack of self-confidence, etc. can be seen. During the psychotherapy process, as the mental disorders that cause the individual's eating disorder are resolved, the eating disorder also begins to improve in the process.
Another type of eating disorders is anorexia nervosa. Some of the symptoms seen in bulimia nervosa are also seen here. For example, individuals worry about gaining weight and not looking slim enough. There is an extreme restriction in food intake, so individuals with anorexia are easily noticed by those around them because they are very thin. In this respect, it differs from bulimia nervosa. Problems such as menstrual interruption are observed in female patients. Anorexia patients look in the mirror for a long time due to their fear of weight and continue their difficult diets, assuming that they are fat even though they are very thin. For an anorexia patient, self-worth and self-esteem are measured by weight and body appearance. While weight gain causes them to lose their self-esteem, weight loss causes them to gain their self-esteem. That's why weight loss continues constantly in anorexia patients. If weight loss continues continuously, people begin to experience some physiological disorders. These include heart problems, weakness, increased sleep, tooth decay, dry skin, hair growth, brittle hair and nails, constipation, anemia, low body temperature and other biological problems due to low potassium. While anorexia patients are reluctant to start treatment, they also appear to be unresponsive to the warnings from their environment. The first goal of treatment in anorexia nervosa is to help the patient increase his or her very low weight to healthier levels. If people do not accept treatment, compulsory hospitalization is recommended, especially in cases of serious problems. Internal medicine physicians pay close attention to the patient's nutrition during hospitalization. The most prominent mental distress accompanying anorexia patients is depression. That's why psychotherapy has a very important place in the treatment process. Obsession with weight, the idea of measuring one's self-worth by being thin, becoming fat becomes an extreme fear, etc. It is resolved during the psychotherapy process, and as these situations are resolved, people are able to switch to a healthy diet instead of following heavy diets. It is stitched.
Binge eating disorder is another type of eating disorders. Recurrent episodes of binge eating are observed here, that is, the attitude of eating more food than one can clearly eat. The predominant feeling is that the person has a feeling of losing control over eating, that the person cannot stop eating, and that he cannot control what or how much he eats. This situation has common features with the eating attack periods of bulimia nervosa. People with binge eating disorder eat much faster than usual, eat until they feel uncomfortably full, eat excessively even when they are not physically hungry, eat on their own because they are ashamed of how much they have eaten, and then feel disgusted with themselves, depressed, or feel great guilt. behaviors are seen. The difference between bulimia and eating attacks is that people with binge eating disorder do not vomit or engage in compensatory behavior by going on heavy diets. Psychotherapy has a very important place in the treatment of people with binge eating disorder. This is because individuals with binge eating disorder cannot cope with negative emotions and exhibit excessive eating behaviors due to feeling stressed or sad. Since overeating is in most cases a result of underlying emotional problems, psychotherapy is seen as an important treatment approach.
In summary, eating disorder is a serious disorder that can be seen in every individual. Eating disorders are closely related to feelings of worthlessness, lack of acceptance, and perfectionism, especially in young individuals, from their families. In this sense, family relationships are very important. Apart from this, there is a high probability that eating disorders will occur in young women who try to fit into socially accepted patterns and become attached to unrealistic role models created by the media. Especially for individuals in adolescence, it is of great importance to receive the approval of the social environment and the opposite sex, therefore, after a while, people who do heavy diets and sports experience a disorder in their physical perception. People's normal diet Nutritional problems such as overeating or restricted eating are observed due to disruption of the eating pattern.
Psychotherapy has a great place and importance in the treatment of eating disorders. Some mental disorders experienced by people can cause nutritional problems. For example, when a person feels sad and learns to tolerate it through eating behaviors, after a while an eating disorder occurs, or in cases where the person is not at peace with himself and has low self-esteem and self-worth, he resorts to heavy diets and sports in an effort to gain the approval of the society. Repetitive behavior in this direction causes nutritional problems in the person. Eating disorders especially occur in adolescents who cannot stand strong against the unrealistic stereotypes of the media and try to fit into those stereotypes. Psychotherapy tries to address and solve all the mental problems that cause the eating disorder. At the point where psychological problems are resolved, eating-related problems disappear.
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