Eating Disorders
Eating disorders come in many forms. Around 1.6 million people in the UK are effected, but as many eating disorders go undiagnosed, the true figure could be much higher, estimated to be as high as 4 million people.
Not all eating disorders are related to being under a healthy weight, for some people its the opposite as they have no control over the food they eat and maybe binge eat the wrong foods.
Common Eating Disorders
Here are some of the signs and symptoms of common eating disorders:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Intense fear of gaining weight
- Distortion of body image
- Severe restriction of food intake
- Low body weight
- Amenorrhoea (absence of menstruation)
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating (eating large amounts of food in a short period of time)
- Purging (methods to get rid of the food, such as vomiting, laxatives, or excessive exercise)
- Normal or slightly above average body weight
- Preoccupation with weight and body image
- Binge eating disorder
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating
- No regular purging behaviors
- Feeling out of control during binges
- Eating large amounts of food even when not hungry
- Feeling shame or guilt after bingeing
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy are extremely effective in changing the relationship you have with food and increasing body image confidence.
ARFID
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a condition that is characterised by an extreme fear of certain foods or food groups. This fear can lead to the avoidance of certain foods, which can result in malnutrition and other health problems.
ARFID can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- Sensory sensitivities: People with ARFID may be sensitive to the taste, smell, texture, or appearance of certain foods. This can make it difficult or impossible for them to eat these foods.
- Anxiety: People with ARFID may experience anxiety around food. This anxiety can be triggered by a number of things, such as the fear of choking, the fear of vomiting, or the fear of trying something different.
- Past negative experiences: People with ARFID may have had negative experiences with food in the past, such as a bad reaction to a food or a food poisoning. This can lead to a fear of eating certain foods.
ARFID can affect people of all ages, but it is most common to start in children around the ages of 2-3 years old for early onset Arfid. Some children may experience late onset at around the age of 12 when they start secondary school. Symptoms of ARFID can vary from person to person, but some common signs and symptoms include:
- Avoidance of certain foods or food groups
- Restricting food intake
- Eating very slowly
- Eating only certain foods in certain ways
- Feeling anxious or stressed about food
- Losing weight
- Malnutrition
- A fear response at mealtimes
- Disgust of some foods
- Brand loyalty to foods
- Sensory issues
- Going hungry rather than eating foods that are unfamilier
- Not allowing foods to touch each other
If you are concerned that you or someone you know may have ARFID, it is important to seek help from your GP. With the right treatment, people with ARFID can recover and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. This is the most complicated food disorder and requires intervention from multi agencies.
Although Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy are extremely beneficial in reducing anxiety around the condition and increasing confidence for both the sufferer and the parents, its is not a stand alone cure. I would work alongside your treatment team to compliment the recovery, giving support to the sufferer and the parents. Please contact me for a consultation to see if I could be of support.
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