| Eating DisordersEating disorders are serious and widespread conditions, that cause both physical and emotional damage. Eating Disorders can affect men and women, the young and the old. Eating Disorders have no boundaries! Contrary to popular belief, Eating Disorders are not really about food or about weight, but rather they are attempts to control or avoid any emotional and stress-related issues, that has being bottled up or suppressed over a period of time. These feelings of control or avoidance are then expressed through either starvation or by the binge and purge / vomiting cycle or through compulsive or secret eating.
It may seem like there’s no escape from your eating disorder, but remember you are not alone in your struggle. Millions of girls, women, boys, and men all over the world struggle with Eating Disorders, and manage to recover. With treatment, support from others, and smart self-help strategies, you can overcome your Eating Disorder and gain true self-confidence. Myths about Eating DisordersMyth #1: You have to be underweight to have an eating disorder.
People with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. Many individuals with eating disorders are of average weight or are overweight.Myth #2: Only teenage girls and young women are affected by eating disorders.
While eating disorders are most common in young women in their teens and early twenties, they are found in men and women of all ages.Myth #3: People with eating disorders are vain.
It’s not vanity that drives people with eating disorders to follow extreme diets and obsess over their bodies, but rather an attempt to deal with feelings of shame, anxiety, and powerlessness.Myth #4: Eating disorders aren’t really that dangerous.
All eating disorders can lead to irreversible and even life-threatening health problems, such as heart disease, bone loss, stunted growth, infertility, and kidney damage.
How I can help with Eating Disorders. I use a specialist combination of both Analytical Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy, as I have found from past experience when dealing with Eating Disorders, that it is an excellent tool to use, as it treats the root cause of where Eating Disorders stems from in the first place. Once the root cause has been discovered, then it can be challenged, changed or got rid of, in order to move on forward. As Eating Disorders tend to be very deep rooted, you would be looking at around 8-12 weekly Therapy sessions. Ultimately, all Eating Disorders are linked to your own Self Esteem and feelings of Self Worth, in one way or another. To overcome an Eating Disorder, the very first step is actually admitting that you have a problem. Once you have admitted you have a problem, you will then need lots of determination and motivation, and a real feeling of desire and a real commitment to follow Therapy through to the end, in order to overcome your Eating Disorder for ever. ... so remember ... Eating Disorders aren’t about food. They’re about using food to cope with painful emotions such as anger, self-loathing, vulnerability, and fear. Disordered eating is a coping mechanism – whether you refuse food to feel in control, binge for comfort, or purge to punish yourself. But you can learn healthier ways to cope with negative emotions. The first step is figuring out what’s really eating you up inside. Remember, “Fat” is not a feeling, so if you feel overweight and unattractive, stop and ask yourself what’s really going on. Are you upset about something? Depressed? Stressed out? Lonely? Once you identify the emotion you’re experiencing, you can choose a positive alternative to starving or stuffing yourself. Listed below is some more information on the most common Eating Disorders: 
Bulimia Bulimia is an illness in which a person binges on food or has regular episodes of overeating and feels a loss of control. Many (but not all) people with bulimia also have anorexia nervosa. Many more women than men have bulimia. The disorder is most common in adolescent girls and young women. The affected person is usually aware that her eating pattern is abnormal and may feel fear or guilt with the binge-purge episodes.In bulimia, eating binges may occur as often as several times a day for many months. People with bulimia often eat large amounts of high-calorie foods, usually in secret. People can feel a lack of control over their eating during these episodes. Binges lead to self-disgust, which causes purging to prevent weight gain. There are many warning signs that may help you determine if someone is suffering from Bulimia. A Bulimic may exhibit one, some, or all of the following:
*Binge eating and unable to voluntarily stop.
*Obsessive concern about weight.
*Guilt or shame about eating.
*Frequent use of the bathroom after meals.
*Stress eating.
*Menstruation cessation or irregularities.
*Emotional changes around food.
*Relying on the scale to determine the tone of the day.
*Feeling that their body is the only thing they have control over.
*Obsession with calories, fat, food, and/or weight.
*Isolating.
*Several pound weight shifts that cannot be explained.
*Vomiting Blood, stomach aches.
*Broken blood vessels in the eyes.
*Chronic sore throats/swollen glands.
*Low self-worth/low self-esteem.
*Purging.
*Feelings of worthlessness after binging or gaining weight.
*Recurring Headaches.
*Hair loss.
*Broken, brittle nails.
 Anorexia Nervosa People with anorexia have an intense fear of putting on weight and severely limit the amount of food they eat to reduce their body weight to an unhealthily low level. The direct translation of the medical name 'anorexia nervosa' means loss of appetite for nervous reasons. But in fact you don't lose your appetite if you have anorexia - you just don't allow yourself to satisfy your appetite. If you have anorexia, you develop a distorted idea of your body shape and size. You try to stop or limit eating and may over-exercise. This makes you very underweight. Anorexia is most common in teenage girls, although you can develop the illness at any age. About one in 250 women and one in 2,000 men get anorexia at some time in their lives.
Binge Eating Disorder Binge eating disorder is characterised by compulsive overeating in which people consume huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and powerless to stop. The symptoms of binge eating disorder usually begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet. A binge eating episode typically lasts around two hours, but some people binge on and off all day long. Binge eaters often eat even when they’re not hungry and continue eating long after they’re full. They may also gorge themselves as fast as they can while barely registering what they’re eating or tasting.
Compulsive OvereatingCompulsive Overeating is a variation on binge eating when you will eat at times when you are not hungry. This may happen all the time, or it may come and go in cycles. Most people who are compulsive eaters are overweight, and may use their weight or appearance as a shield they can hide behind to avoid social interaction, others hide behind a happy or jolly façade to avoid confronting their problems. Sufferers often have great shame at being unable to control the compulsion to eat. Compulsive overeating is a serious condition and needs professional support to ensure long term recovery.
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