Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders refer to serious mental health conditions that affect one's relationship with food, body image, and self-esteem. Adolescence can be a vulnerable time, and these disorders may manifest as restrictive eating, binge eating, or purging behaviours. The impact can be severe, leading to physical health complications, emotional distress, and social isolation.
There are many types of eating disorders that are prevalent in adolescents:
Anorexia Nervosa
Characterised by extreme restriction of food intake, leading to significant weight loss and a distorted perception of body image.
Common Symptoms include:
- Extreme Weight Loss: Significant and rapid reduction in body weight due to strict food restriction or calorie counting.
- Intense Fear of Weight Gain: Adolescents may express an overwhelming fear of gaining weight, even if they are already underweight.
- Distorted Body Image: Anorexia nervosa often involves a distorted perception of one's body shape or size, leading to a belief of being overweight despite evidence to the contrary.
- Obsessive Behaviour: Adolescents may become preoccupied with food, calories, and exercise, often engaging in excessive workouts to burn off minimal caloric intake.
Interventions at Marga:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: CBT helps challenge distorted beliefs about body image and food, promoting more realistic perceptions and developing healthier coping strategies.
- Family-Based Treatment: Involving the family in treatment encourages support and understanding, as they work together to help the adolescent overcome anorexia nervosa.
- Mindfulness Techniques: Teaching mindfulness practices helps adolescents become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, enabling them to manage anxiety and stress associated with the disorder.
Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder are also eating disorders.
Bulimia Nervosa
Involves episodes of binge eating followed by purging behaviours, such as self-induced vomiting or excessive exercise, to compensate for the consumed calories.
Common Symptoms include:
- Recurrent Binge Eating: Adolescents may frequently consume large amounts of food within a short period, feeling out of control during these episodes.
- Compensatory Behaviours: To avoid weight gain, they may engage in self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives or diuretics.
- Fear of Weight Gain: There is an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming overweight, leading to the cycle of bingeing and purging.
- Secretive Behaviour: Adolescents with bulimia nervosa often hide their bingeing and purging behaviours due to shame and guilt.
Interventions at Marga:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: CBT helps adolescents identify and challenge distorted beliefs about body image and food. By replacing negative thought patterns with healthier coping strategies, they can break the cycle of bingeing and purging.
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching mindfulness practices helps adolescents become more aware of their emotions and triggers, empowering them to manage stress and anxiety without resorting to harmful behaviours.
- Consultant Therapy: Our repertoire of visiting consultants can walk us through various aspects and dimensions of mental health, engaging in psychoeducation and better preparing us to face any and all issues we may encounter.
- Group Therapy: Participating in group therapy sessions with peers facing similar challenges creates a supportive environment for adolescents to share experiences and gain encouragement.
Anorexia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder are also eating disorders.
Binge Eating Disorder
Involves recurring episodes of uncontrollable overeating without compensatory behaviours, leading to feelings of guilt and shame.
Common Symptoms include:
- Recurrent Binge Eating Episodes: Adolescents frequently consume large amounts of food in a short period, feeling a lack of control during these episodes.
- Emotional Eating: Binge eating often occurs in response to negative emotions such as stress, sadness, or boredom.
- Eating Rapidly and in Secret: They may eat rapidly and in isolation, feeling ashamed or embarrassed about their eating behaviour.
- No Compensatory Behaviours: Unlike other eating disorders, there are no compensatory behaviours, such as purging or excessive exercise, after binge eating episodes.
Interventions at Marga:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: CBT helps adolescents identify triggers for binge eating and develop healthier coping strategies to manage emotions and stress.
- Mindful Eating Practices: Teaching mindfulness techniques during meals helps adolescents become more aware of their hunger and fullness cues, reducing the likelihood of binge eating.
- Emotion Regulation Skills Training: Equipping adolescents with emotion regulation skills helps them address negative emotions without turning to binge eating as a coping mechanism.
- Self-Compassion and Body Positivity: Fostering self-compassion and promoting body positivity helps adolescents develop a more positive relationship with their bodies and reduce shame surrounding eating.
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are also eating disorders.
