Monday, April 7, 2008

Personality Disorders causing Eating Disorders

There are many causes of eating disorders. Some of these causes are well known and others are not so obvious. One cause of eating disorders are personality disorders. These consist of mood disorders, body dismorphic disorder, and addictive personality disorder.

In last weeks blog I briefly discussed addictive personality disorder. This disorder causes the person to become addicted to a certain aspect of their life. Alcoholics are addicted to alcohol, shopaholics are addicted to shopping, and people with eating disorders are addicted to eating and the eating process. People suffering from anorexia and bulimia obsess about the process of eating. A process that to many is very enjoyable becomes unbearable to those with this disorder. Addictive personality disorder becomes very in obese people. They become so addicted to the feeling they get by eating that it masks their emotions and is seen as an escape. Many people suffering with obesity choose to under go gastric bi pass surgery in hopes to lose weight and body fat. Before having the surgery the patient must meet with a counselor. These counseling sessions are meant to address the reasons a patient is overeating. Counseling is a very important step in the surgery process. In many cases after the surgery the patient transfers their addiction. Since they are no longer able to hid behind eating they transfer their addiction to something else. There have been many people that become alcoholics, abuse drugs, or work out excessively. The reason counseling is so important is that the addiction is addressed and hopefully diminish the transfer.

Mood disorders are also seen as a cause of eating disorders. These mood disorders are bipolar and depression. They effect people suffering from obesity as well as anorexia and bulimia. The phrase "comfort food" can be taken to extremes. These foods are basically junk foods that make you "feel better." When people are depressed they spend time comforting themselves with food that in many cases leads to obesity. Bipolar disorder is similar to depression. Unlike depression bipolar disorder causes periods of extreme mania. This mania makes the person feel on "cloud nine." While in this state of mania the person will indulge in a lot of different foods in large amounts. When they begin to slip into the other state of bipolar, depression, they begin to feel guilty and about the recent eating habits. To then punish them self they will withhold food and starve.

The last disorder is more specific to the people with anorexia and bulimia. Body dismorphic disorder is hard to under by those who are not suffering from it. Imagine stepping on the scale and reading 100 pounds but then looking in the mirror and seeing someone weighing a significant amount more than that. People with this disorder will makes comments about being overweight. These comments are not meant to receive extra attention they truly see them self as being over weight. They will dress in over sized clothes believing that the clothes fit there body type. Seeing an overweight person looking back at them in the mirror in turn makes them think that constantly need to watch what they eat. And usually taking it to extremes

These disorders are not the cause of all eating disorders. I wanted to take a look at the causes that are not as openly discussed.

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