Anorexia is a dangerous eating disorder that, caused and fueled by psychological, cultural and physical distress, can lead people to fast to the point of death. Among women aged 15-24 it has a higher mortality rate than that of all other causes of death. Furthermore, although the majority of people suffering from anorexia are female, 10-15% are male. To manage this eating disorder requires strength, courage and endurance, but with the right attitude and good external support, it is possible to find the path to recovery.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Learning to Manage Anorexia
Step 1. Write what you are feeling in a journal
By keeping a healing journal, in which you record feelings and sensations, you can become aware of your ailment. It will help you observe how you feel throughout the day, especially at times when you are faced with your food problems.
Try to go deeper into your feelings. For example, if one day you write that you feel "good", ask yourself what you mean by the word "good". This way you will be able to better examine your state of mind
Step 2. See your doctor
Anorexia can lead to serious health complications, such as anemia, loss of bone density, gastrointestinal problems, heart disease, and even death. It is important to see your doctor if you suspect that you have this eating disorder so that you can get the treatment you need to get back to health. If you have the following symptoms, don't hesitate to see your doctor:
- Significant weight loss due to food deprivation;
- Fear of being fat, even when many people see you as thin;
- Restricted diet and excessive physical activity;
- Anxiety, mood swings or hyperactivity
- Difficulty sleeping
- Lack of sexual desire
- In women, menstrual irregularities or amenorrhea;
- In men, difficulty lifting weights.
Step 3. Set achievable goals
If you set yourself unrealistic goals, you will have much more difficulty because you will struggle to reach them and you will very soon throw in the towel. Instead, try to set smaller goals at first, and once you get past the former, you can get in gear to tackle the harder ones. If you are realistic and concrete, you will be able to find the right balance with other aspects of life. By doing so, you will be able to understand if they are reachable or not. If your goals take a lot of time and energy from you that leave no room for fun and other responsibilities, perhaps you should reconsider them.
- For example, if you are currently only eating once a day, try adding a small snack. You don't have to eat three meals a day out of the blue.
- Here's another example: If you check your weight more than 10 times a day, try to decrease to 8. It would probably be foolish not to weigh yourself at all, but with a little effort you can reduce the number of times you step on the scale.
- Be aware that if anorexia is at a life-threatening stage, you may be hospitalized and undergoing treatment that will lead to rapid weight gain to avoid life-threatening complications. However, you can commit to regaining a healthy weight by sticking to small, attainable goals.
Step 4. Be aware of triggers
In this case, a trigger is everything that upsets you and leads you to assume the wrong eating habits. If you know how to identify it, you will be able to control yourself in situations and in front of people who arouse anorexic behavior in you. Once you know who and what stresses you, you can set up a plan in advance to address these challenges. Here are some triggers to consider:
- Stressful family interactions;
- Stressful work situations;
- Images or events that generate body image problems;
- Special foods that it costs you to think about.
Step 5. Learn about intuitive eating
It is a food system designed by dietician Evelyn Tribole and nutrition therapist Elyse Resch. It can teach you to listen to signals transmitted by your body, for example when you are hungry or full. It can also help you develop alternative coping mechanisms that are calming and do not involve eating food. Here's what intuitive eating can involve:
- Allow yourself to start enjoying food;
- Get yourself to respect your body or your "genetic structure";
- Help you reject the typical mindset of diets.
Step 6. Accept physical diversity
Beauty translates into a variety of physical constitutions. If you have difficulty accepting your body, observe how many types of physique exist in the world to realize how each of them is unique and special. You can notice this diversity by going to an art museum and observing the classic paintings which show how in the past the body was valued differently than today. Also try to read some news on the various canons of physical beauty by clicking here.
Step 7. Speak optimistically if you feel like anorexia is taking over
Whenever you feel stressed and don't intend to give in to bad eating habits, use a positive phrase to revolutionize your mood. Try to be your own instructor.
- For example, you can say, "I may feel bad, but still choose to take a different and healthier direction."
- You could also say, "It's difficult and unpleasant, but it will pass."
Part 2 of 3: Getting Professional Help
Step 1. Go to therapy
To recover from an eating disorder such as anorexia, outside help is usually needed. Few things you can do alone. In addition to consulting your doctor, the first step is to find a good psychotherapist. It will help you change your relationship with your body and food, but it will also help you examine your mental patterns and beliefs about life. Here are some psychotherapy paths to rely on:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy. It is the most studied method for dealing with eating disorders. It allows you to modify your mental and behavioral patterns regarding the relationship with food.
- Interpersonal psychotherapy. It focuses on improving the relationships present in the patient's life so that the symptoms of anorexia disappear spontaneously. If social relationships become healthier and more solid, they will also have a positive effect on anorexia.
- Search for a psychologist by clicking here.
Step 2. Consider hospitalizing
Based on the severity of the anorexia, there are several professional treatment options. Hospital treatment involves hospitalization in a facility where it is possible to receive more decisive help: doctors keep the body's nutritional levels under control, it is possible to contact the ASL psychologist and resort to pharmacological therapies.
This process is especially necessary if the patient is seriously malnourished and severely underweight
Step 3. Find out about the treatment at the ASL psychologist
The treatments are less intense than those received during hospitalization. These are meetings at an eating disorder center, which allow you to continue living alone or with your family. Here are some advantages:
- If you are in the early stages of anorexia, you can get help without compromising your independence.
- You can still attend school and continue living with the family, receiving their support.
- The psychological service does not involve large expenses because it is enough to pay the ticket requested upon presentation of the referral from the attending physician.
Step 4. Contact a dietician
Although anorexia is based on psychological components, nutrition is also an important aspect. In fact, according to some research, before they can fully recover from this disorder, patients must physically recover from severe malnutrition. Therefore, a dietician can point out what the body needs and put them on the right track.
Step 5. Consult your primary care physician for medications
Psychiatric drugs help manage the symptoms of anorexia in daily life. Antidepressants can improve mood and mainly prevent you from falling into depression. Anxiolytics, on the other hand, serve to limit compulsive worries and behaviors. These drugs can be especially useful if anorexia is accompanied by anxiety or depression, a disease common among many people with eating disorders.
Part 3 of 3: Getting Help from Friends and Family
Step 1. Get help
It is an important step in being able to heal. Surround yourself with positive people you can trust and rely on. It can be scary and embarrassing to ask for help with an eating disorder, but support from a friend, family member, spiritual guide, school counselor, or co-worker you can trust is the first step many take to recover.. According to some research, social relationships are an important factor in the healing process.
For example, if you have worked with your dietician to create a meal plan, ask a friend or family member to help you follow it
Step 2. Find a support group
In order to overcome anorexia, it is essential to receive strong social support. There are support groups scattered throughout the country thanks to which you have the opportunity to talk about what you are feeling and the difficulties you are facing. You can join a group led by professional therapists, but also by volunteers. The latter are usually managed by someone who has managed to overcome an eating disorder.
To find a support group, try contacting the eating disorder hospitals on this list
Step 3. Use the Internet
If you are unable to join a support group and need someone to talk to, there are chat rooms and forums online where you can find people who can understand you. Since social intercourse is extremely important in overcoming an eating disorder, consider visiting these websites. Be aware that many users can go through the same problems as you. Here are a couple of alternatives:
- Forum Psychologists Psychotherapists Blue Pages.
- Smile Young Phone.
Step 4. Surround yourself with friends and family
Many people with eating disorders are tempted to isolate themselves from loved ones because they are usually convinced that there is something wrong with them. No matter how persuaded you are to deal with anorexia by moving away from the rest of the world, absolutely avoid this attitude. Isolation will only make your problem worse. In order to recover, allow your family and friends to be around you.
Step 5. Avoid malicious websites
Unfortunately, there are websites on the net dedicated to the spread of anorexia and other eating disorders, defending them as real lifestyles, regardless of how harmful, painful and even deadly they are. Usually, they are called "pro-ana" or "pro-mia". Avoid dating them so as not to be negatively influenced.
Advice
- Remember you can improve! It may seem difficult right now, but many people are completely cured of anorexia. Don't give up on the first sign of relapse.
- Connect with people who have beaten anorexia by listening to their stories.
