Myddfai Reiki: 5 Lesser-Known Eating Disorders
I myself have what has been defined as an eating disorder by some doctors. I am reluctant to say I have binge-eating disorder because others struggle with it far more than I ever have. However, when I am experiencing any kind of stress or I am in a depressive cycle I find myself going in and out of the pantry and refrigerator again and again seeking....what? Some kind of solace, apparently. I try to stay conscious of this, and reiki and meditation, as well as journaling help me greatly, as does the constant love and support of my husband. This list only identifies these lesser-known eating disorders; it does not offer advice on treatments or possible cures. I am posting it here to help bring awareness to this very real health issue, and I urge anyone who experiences some of these behaviors to please, please talk to someone you love and trust, and seek out help. You do not have to be alone.
Night Eating Syndrome
Unlike those with binge-eating disorder, individuals who experience night eating syndrome express their loss of control over food intake less as a symptom of how much they eat and more as a symptom of when it feels safe to eat. At the core of NES are altered hormone levels that unwind one’s circadian rhythm, or the inborn 24-hour “biological clock” indicating when to sleep, when to wake and when to eat. NES sufferers are often pre-diagnosed with depression and/or sleeping dysfunctions and are, in turn, more likely to eat not during the day, but when they cannot sleep, are bored or are emotionally restless.
Rumination Syndrome
Like pica, rumination syndrome is an eating disorder directed by subconscious behaviors, not self-aware decision-making. Individuals with this disorder chew, swallow, and then shortly thereafter, regurgitate their food. This behavior usually takes place every day, at every meal, at which time individuals either re-chew and re-swallow their food or remove the contents of their mouths into their napkins.
Because the disorder is so often displayed in children, concerns remain that the behavior is a sign of deep-seated problems between young people and their primary caretakers; rumination has been reported as a self-soothing behavior or a means of gaining attention, especially when food is spat out in more eye-catching displays.
Diabulimia
Diabulimia typically affects individuals with Type 1 diabetes who cannot produce their own insulin hormones. These individuals purposefully restrict their insulin doses, which affects the presence of blood sugars in the body. This behavior is carried out with the expressed purpose of losing weight, as calories are “purged” through insulin restriction, not unlike other indviduals’ attempts to do the same by over-exercising, intentional vomiting or refusal to eat.
Like many eating disorders, diabulimia is potentially fatal: Those with diabulimia can fall into diabetic ketoacidosis wherein the body produces toxic organic compounds known as “ketones.” In turn, diabulimia increases the chances of other serious diabetic complications including blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and the need for limb amputation.
Orthorexia
Defined as the “fixation on righteous eating,” orthorexia is observed in individuals who have an obsession with consuming only “healthy” foods. While one might consider such aspirations favorable to the body, the operative word in understanding orthorexia is “obsession,” which can lead those with the disorder to become fixated on proportions, nutritional labels and the consequences of “mistakes,” such as eating foods that are not absolutely “pure” and untainted (like organic items). These mistakes can sometimes lead to self-punishment, such as over-exercise, purging or even direct self-harm.
Like anorexia, orthorexia is seen by many with the disorder as a badge of honor for remaining “in control” of one’s impulses — a sign both of physical and even spiritual health — although the effects can eventually not only leave one malnourished, but removed from the company of loved ones who maintain more balanced diets.
- By: Rebecca Bauman
- February 25, 2016
Simply put, an eating disorder is any severe and lasting
disturbance to the way a person eats. The reasons why one might
participate in these behaviors can be complex and difficult to
establish, even on a case-by-case basis. The most well known disorders,
however, are arguably anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, all of which deliver a variety of serious injuries both to the mind and body.
Still, while there are a handful of reasons why some lesser-known eating disorders, although well-documented by medical experts, might seem unfamiliar to most, they stand as a continuation of examples of how human brains express personal pain or trouble through their owners’ diets.
Pica
Pica prompts the regular consumption of materials that offer no nutritional value — chalk, dirt, paint, sand, paper, clay and even animal feces. Unlike many patients diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia, those with pica can rarely express motivation behind their compulsions. However, the disorder is linked in both children and adults (especially pregnant women) to medical phenomena such as anemia, intestinal blockages, digestion of toxic bacteria and other causes of nutritional imbalance. Some individuals with pica even report being drawn to the mouthfeel and texture apparent when eating particular, otherwise inedible substances.
Still, while there are a handful of reasons why some lesser-known eating disorders, although well-documented by medical experts, might seem unfamiliar to most, they stand as a continuation of examples of how human brains express personal pain or trouble through their owners’ diets.
Pica
Pica prompts the regular consumption of materials that offer no nutritional value — chalk, dirt, paint, sand, paper, clay and even animal feces. Unlike many patients diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia, those with pica can rarely express motivation behind their compulsions. However, the disorder is linked in both children and adults (especially pregnant women) to medical phenomena such as anemia, intestinal blockages, digestion of toxic bacteria and other causes of nutritional imbalance. Some individuals with pica even report being drawn to the mouthfeel and texture apparent when eating particular, otherwise inedible substances.
Unlike those with binge-eating disorder, individuals who experience night eating syndrome express their loss of control over food intake less as a symptom of how much they eat and more as a symptom of when it feels safe to eat. At the core of NES are altered hormone levels that unwind one’s circadian rhythm, or the inborn 24-hour “biological clock” indicating when to sleep, when to wake and when to eat. NES sufferers are often pre-diagnosed with depression and/or sleeping dysfunctions and are, in turn, more likely to eat not during the day, but when they cannot sleep, are bored or are emotionally restless.
Rumination Syndrome
Like pica, rumination syndrome is an eating disorder directed by subconscious behaviors, not self-aware decision-making. Individuals with this disorder chew, swallow, and then shortly thereafter, regurgitate their food. This behavior usually takes place every day, at every meal, at which time individuals either re-chew and re-swallow their food or remove the contents of their mouths into their napkins.
Because the disorder is so often displayed in children, concerns remain that the behavior is a sign of deep-seated problems between young people and their primary caretakers; rumination has been reported as a self-soothing behavior or a means of gaining attention, especially when food is spat out in more eye-catching displays.
Diabulimia
Diabulimia typically affects individuals with Type 1 diabetes who cannot produce their own insulin hormones. These individuals purposefully restrict their insulin doses, which affects the presence of blood sugars in the body. This behavior is carried out with the expressed purpose of losing weight, as calories are “purged” through insulin restriction, not unlike other indviduals’ attempts to do the same by over-exercising, intentional vomiting or refusal to eat.
Like many eating disorders, diabulimia is potentially fatal: Those with diabulimia can fall into diabetic ketoacidosis wherein the body produces toxic organic compounds known as “ketones.” In turn, diabulimia increases the chances of other serious diabetic complications including blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and the need for limb amputation.
Orthorexia
Defined as the “fixation on righteous eating,” orthorexia is observed in individuals who have an obsession with consuming only “healthy” foods. While one might consider such aspirations favorable to the body, the operative word in understanding orthorexia is “obsession,” which can lead those with the disorder to become fixated on proportions, nutritional labels and the consequences of “mistakes,” such as eating foods that are not absolutely “pure” and untainted (like organic items). These mistakes can sometimes lead to self-punishment, such as over-exercise, purging or even direct self-harm.
Like anorexia, orthorexia is seen by many with the disorder as a badge of honor for remaining “in control” of one’s impulses — a sign both of physical and even spiritual health — although the effects can eventually not only leave one malnourished, but removed from the company of loved ones who maintain more balanced diets.
Thank you for this article!! I found if very interesting, informative, and well written. <3
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome :)
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