When February rolls around, everyone usually celebrates Valentine’s Day. Every store sells candy, chocolate, stuffed animals, etc… This month is full of love for one another.
But what if this is not the case for everyone? What if some people are sitting in the darkness of their homes, slowly fading away? What if some people are slowly killing themselves by starvation?
Well, this took a dark turn real quick, did it not? This is because February is not just about Valentine’s Day. February is Eating Disorder Awareness Month.
The three most common eating disorders found among the general population are anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder.
The most common causes or “triggers” for eating disorders range from wanting to lose weight, wanting to slim one’s body shape down, bullying about weight, etc.
The first disorder, which can be deadly, is anorexia. People who suffer from this disorder try to control their body weight and calories by limiting calories, or to the fullest extent refusing to eat any food.
The common result of this disorder is a sharp drop in body weight to an unhealthily low weight. Other health defects are slow loss of hair, pale skin, muscle weakness, low energy, brain fog, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
How do I know so much about this disorder? It is because I suffered from anorexia last school year. I starved myself because I was ashamed of my weight, and I was terrified of gaining weight.
It started with cutting out certain meals, and then it got to the point where I did not eat at all for long periods, and when I did eat, I barely ate a snack. This lasted close to a month, and I was very physically and mentally sick.
I was getting the results I wanted, but I was severely depressed and lost my desire to live because although I was dropping weight by the week, I was physically very weak.
I did not have as much strength as I used to, and I could not do things such as put my clothes away, make my bed, do homework, etc., because my energy was so low. My skin became so pale, and my hair so unhealthy that when I looked in the mirror, I did not recognize myself. I was always freezing no matter how many layers of clothing I wore, and it is important to remember that it was springtime when this took place so it was fairly warm outside. I could not focus in class, and my grades started to drop quickly.
Even after all of this began to be recognizable, I still was able to hide it from teachers, friends, and family except for one friend who knew me too well to know that I was not healthy.
This friend did not give up on me, even when I wanted to give up on myself and just let my body die of starvation. This friend did the hardest thing any friend would have to do, which was report me to the guidance counselor.
The process after was hard. I would sit at the table until I ate; I would cry, and it was a very hard time, and things only got worse, but my family and friends were persistent, and they never gave up on me. Now, I am back to my normal health, mentally and physically.
Although I did not have the two other most common eating disorders, I still researched them so I can make you all aware of what people suffer from.
Bulimia is very serious and causes serious regurgitation and acid reflux issues. People who have bulimia binge eat large amounts of food for a short period, and then afterward they either starve themselves or purge.
Purging is when you physically cause yourself to throw up, and people who suffer from this eating disorder do so because they are ashamed of themselves; they try to get rid of calories or they have an intense fear of gaining that weight so they try and beat the system by getting it all out of their system.
The link below and later in this column offer more information about eating disorders.
Those who suffer from bulimia will begin to notice weight changes, dental problems, swelling around the cheek and jaw area, heart-related problems, low blood pressure, fainting or dizziness, fatigue and sleep problems, muscle loss, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/bulimia-nervosa
The final major eating disorder is the binge-eating disorder. Similar to bulimia, those who suffer from this mental disorder binge eat large amounts of food, sometimes beyond the feeling of being full in a very short time. They lose control of their bodies because of how mentally sick they are.
Instead of purging, people who suffer from binge-eating disorder starve themselves for long periods out of shame, guilt, and embarrassment. This cycle becomes muscle memory, to the extent of which people can not control their eating, then their starvation.
Once again, the common trend in the “triggers” for all of the eating disorders is shame, guilt, and embarrassment of weight and body shape. Any of these disorders can begin with criticism, one mean comment, or continuous bullying mentally, and maybe even physically about one’s weight. So we must all be cautious as to how we talk to one another.
We must all be kind and encouraging, and we must always reflect on how one small word even though it may not sound mean, could alter someone’s life in large, dangerous ways.
The sad part about eating disorders is that they are a mental sickness in which those who suffer begin to lose all control over their situation because of their unhealthy cycles, whether that cycle is starvation, binge eating leading to purging, or binge eating leading to starvation, they all become an addiction that is extremely hard to break.
Signs to look for in someone you believe who is suffering from an eating disorder:
- Skipping meals
- Making excuses for not eating
- Having a limited diet, that is not prescribed by a doctor or trainer
- “Making their meals” or eating separately from the rest of the family
- Frequent complaints or worries about being unhealthy, talk of losing weight
- Frequent checks in the mirror to point out flaws in oneself
- Calluses on one’s knuckles from reaching into one’s mouth to induce vomiting
- Problems with loss of tooth enamel, which is caused by excessive vomiting
- Leaving during or right after meals to “use the toilet”
- Talk of depression, shame or guilt, or disgust with one’s eating habits
- Eating in secret
Those who suffer from eating disorders begin to become too weak to care for themselves, acknowledge they have a problem, seek help, or desire to get better, so that is why it is important to look for signs and symptoms of various disorders and seek help for your family member or friend who is suffering.
One of the monumental blessings of my severe mental battle was when my friend went to guidance and reported me for starving myself. I was too weak and too far into denial to accept my disorder and seek help. If this person had not sought that help for me I may not have made a full, healthy recovery.
If we do not look out for our loved ones, they will let themselves slowly die, allowing their bodies to shut down. We may not be able to issue the mental and physical treatment that those who are suffering need, but we can be the ones who begin that healing process by making an authoritative figure aware of what is going on and getting them the help they need.
Those people will look back and be thankful that we stepped in and got them help. We can be the hope and support they need, and we can be the people who brought light into their dark times. We can be the people who kept them alive by seeking help for them.
Socials