Eating Disorders

Compulsive urges to overeat or gorge and purge may arise as a backlash to strict dieting or fasting, but is also the inadequate coping mechanism of many people whose lives are filled with stress and loneliness. Eating disorders are a sign of our dysfunctional society in which how a person looks is considered more important than what kind of person she is. And in today’s world, being extremely thin is the look that is desirable. The drive to achieve an unreasonable body shape and size creates the majority of eating disorders.There are three eating disorders: compulsive overeating, bulimia, and anorexia.

There are millions of compulsive overeaters, both men and women who can’t control their cravings. Compulsive overeaters eat large amounts of food when they are not hungry, eat without enjoyment, often gulping down food without tasting it, eat rapidly, and feel guilty, before during and after the binge. Most overeaters feel out of control and are not able to stop even when they feel uncomfortable. Many report feeling a sensation of a void that does not get filled.

Bulimics may be normal weight or overweight. They are preoccupied with their weight and attempt to control it by dieting. Like compulsive overeaters, they have recurring binges, often eat secretly, and feel depression and self-hatred for not being able to control themselves. Bulimics try to maintain their weight by ending overeating episodes by self-induced vomiting or by taking diuretics or laxatives to prevent gaining weight. They have great fear of being or becoming fat. Conflicts about food and weight dominate their lives.

Anorectics also fear fat. However, they have a distorted body image and always see themselves as fat. Anorexia Nervosa is a condition in which there is voluntary self-starvation to the point of losing 15% of body weight, which sometimes leads to death. Anorectics seem to have formidable self-control, determination, and will power.They follow incredibly punishing exercise regimens or deny themselves nourishment. Yet, in the midst of their starvation, they are obsessed with thoughts of food. Some anorectics binge and purge to stay thin while others starve themselves.

As a result of the punishing regime they impose upon themselves, they may suffer from a general slowing down of the metabolism that can lead to dangerous physical changes. The body begins to feed upon itself and the girl or woman becomes progressively weaker though she may continue to push herself to exercise to burn off calories.

Anorectics differ from bulimics and compulsive overeaters in that self-starvation leads to mental and emotional deterioration.Severe anorectics no longer think clearly or perceive reality in a normal way. Deep depression is a common state of mind. Anorexia must be treated both medically and psychologically.

Everyone who suffers from eating disorders will find that using energy psychology techniques like EFT, TAT, or Seemorg Matrix (AIT) can relieve the cravings and negative beliefs as well as treating the intense stress caused by dieting, purging, starving and the emotional problems of depression and anxiety.

 

Gloria Arenson is a Southern California based psychotherapist with a private therapy practice in Santa Barbara. She helps people to recover successfully from eating disorders, compulsive spending, anxiety, fears, phobias, PTSD, panic disorder and other problems. Gloria is a licensed hypnotherapist and is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychosynthesis, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She specializes in cutting edge energy therapies such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), an acupressure based therapy method, Thought Field Therapy (TFT), and Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT).