Eating Disorders

Are your thoughts constantly focused on food? Do you feel uncomfortable in your own body, or are you unhappy with your weight and figure? Maybe you sometimes wonder if your eating habits are healthy? If you think something isn’t right, get help. The sooner, the better. Here’s where you can turn for help.

Eating disorders are serious illnesses. They can have many triggers and often begin during puberty. The most common eating disorders are anorexia (anorexia nervosa), bulimia (binge-purge disorder), and binge eating disorder. However, mixed forms are also common.

Only doctors or psychotherapists can make a reliable diagnosis. For an initial self-assessment, the following warning signs may indicate an eating disorder:

• When I look in the mirror, I feel too fat.
• I’m dissatisfied with myself and often unhappy.
• I’m afraid of eating too much and gaining weight.
• I constantly think about my appearance, my figure, and my weight.
• I constantly check my weight.
• If I gain a few grams, I react to it immediately.
• I feel guilty when I eat sweet or fatty foods.
• I think about food all the time.
• I categorize foods into “allowed” and “forbidden.”
• I can’t tell if I’m hungry or full.
• I often eat out of frustration, boredom, disappointment, or sadness.
• I often lose control over how much I eat.

On the psychenet website, you can take a self-assessment. The questions can give you an idea of whether you have an eating disorder.

Yes, eating disorders have very serious consequences. Constant starvation leads to severe nutrient deficiencies. Being severely overweight is also unhealthy. Both can cause lasting damage to your body: These include, among other things, high blood pressure, fainting, hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities—including the absence of menstruation in girls—permanent organ damage, and depression.

Very few people with an eating disorder are able to recover on their own. That’s why it’s absolutely essential that you seek help as early as possible to break the cycle of secrecy. The sooner you acknowledge that you may have an eating disorder and begin therapy, the better your chances of recovery.