Eating disorders for Poole

Eating disorders are extremely common, however can be serious and even life threatening if not treated appropriately. Millions of people are affected by eating disorders every year and unfortunately thousands of sufferers die because their disorder has gone unrecognised for too long. Approximately 1% of people aged between 10 and 20 suffer from anorexia each year and 4% aged 16 - 25 suffer from bulimia.

The main characteristic of an eating disorder is your obsession with your weight; these obsessive thoughts can lead to severe consequences in both your health and your actions.

Research has shown that females are much more likely to develop anorexia and bulimia than males. However, this is not the case with binge-eating disorders, which seem to develop in almost as many males as females.

Common Symptoms

• Dramatic weight loss or gain in a fairly short period of time.
• Obsession with weight
• Obsession with calories and fat content of foods.
• Loss of sexual desire
• Mood swings, feeling depressed and tired
• Insomnia or poor sleeping habits.
• Experiencing low self-esteem
• Experiencing suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide
• Obsessing about food and body image
• Isolation and fear of eating while others are around
• Unusual Food rituals and secretive eating patterns
• Hiding food in strange places to avoid eating or to eat secretly at a later time
• Feeling anxious, lonely or depressed

Types of eating disorders - Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an obsession with weight loss resulting in refusal to eat or irregularity in eating patterns It is not a loss of appetite but a serious perception disorder.

Anorexia nervosa affects approximately 60,000 to 200,000 people so if you are suffering from this condition, you are not alone.

Types of eating disorders - Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa Like anorexia, bulimia is a serious psychological eating disorder that can be life threatening if left untreated. Individuals with this condition live in constant fear of putting on weight and use unnatural ways to get rid of the food, such as intense exercise, taking laxatives or forced vomiting.

Binge-eating Disorder Binge-eating disorder is not as well known as the two others, but still affects millions of people all around the world. If you frequently eat large amounts of food and feel you are unable to control what you are doing, these are characteristics of the illness. Unlike Bulimia, sufferers of this illness do not vomit or use laxatives to relieve themselves, and you are therefore very likely to gain weight.

This eating disorder was only recognised a short while ago however is probably the most common of the eating disorders, affecting about 2% of all adults. Sufferers are usually obese due to the nature of the illness but people of a healthy weight can also be affected. Eating can make some people feel very depressed yet they turn to food to comfort themselves when they are feeling sad. Lots of sufferers of binge-eating disorder tend to feel guilty and shameful about what they're doing and therefore don't seek help because this means someone knowing about their secret.

There are many characteristics of a binge-eating session, such as eating the food quicker than usual, eating secretly in places where no one is around, feeling full up but continuing to eat, consuming foods that are seen as naughty and feeling they cannot control their habit. This is usually followed by intense feelings of regret and guilt.

How can I cope with an eating disorder ?

All you need to do is just click here to email us, or telephone us to make an appointment in complete confidentiality. You can discuss your issues with us in peaceful and relaxing surroundings at our therapy rooms.

Although we are based in Poole, we also cover the Bournemouth, Ringwood, Wimborne, Ferndown, New Milton, West Moors and the Purbeck areas.