Eating disorders may affect as many as two percent of all women aged 15 to 40. Anorexia with its shocking images of near starved fashion models is the best known, or at least the most publicized eating disorder. Less obvious than the gaunt anorexic, but greater in number, are bulimia nervosa sufferers who generally maintain a normal body weight and appearance by alternating binge eating with purging.
Eating disorders are complex and serious medical conditions that should be treated as soon as possible by a health professional. Not uncommonly, however, sufferers may suspect or know they have a problem but do not consider it out of their control, and they delay or resist professional treatment.
There are a few self-help measures that may be taken at home when professional help is avoided. These measures are not enough to cure or even treat the most serious of these disorders, but they can be helpful in controlling the condition while professional counsel is being contemplated or arranged. If the eating disorder has progressed to the point that health consequences become obvious, immediate steps must be taken to ensure that the patient receives professional medical attention.
For patients suffering from anorexia nervosa, here are some guidelines that can help control the condition. For most professionals the first piece of advice is that anorexics should completely avoid fad dieting. Fad diets are unhealthy anyway, but they present a special danger to the anorexic, who will use the diet to avoid the personal responsibility of healthy food choices and portions.
A regular, light exercise routine should be established, but limited to roughly three to five times per week. Each session should last for about thirty minutes. Rigorous exercise or extensive exercise sessions should be avoided entirely. The patient should seek out activities that are enjoyable and which put an emphasis on fun and movement. Competitive or rigorous activities are best avoided.
Anorexia patients should also seek out the company of a close, supportive network of family and friends. Eating disorder patients are often ashamed of their body and their condition, and will strive to keep an eating disorder a secret. Patients should find someone they trust and speak to them about their condition. For reassurance, it can help for the patient to ask a close friend or family member about their weight and body image. A trusted friend can help to put things into proper perspective, and can offer comfort and guidance.
For patients suffering from bulimia, it is recommended that they avoid letting their feelings control how they treat their eating patterns. If the patient feels angry, frustrated, depressed, or lonely, it is best to accept these feelings. Accepting one's current state of mind can often help overcome the desperation and frustration that often come at these moments. The patient should not eat alone but eat regular meals with trusted family members or friends. Eating with others may avoid a situation that could trigger an emotional binge and purge episode. The practice of keeping a food diary is recommended for patients suffering from bulimia. This can help the patient identify emotional triggers that may lead them to a binge and purge session. This is often the first step in learning to deal with these feelings in a healthy manner.
Other tips for dealing with an eating disorder include getting enough sleep, ideally at least seven hours a night. Getting rest can often help alleviate the anguish associated with depression, anger and other powerful emotional states. The patient should also try to stay busy on pleasant and rewarding activities, particularly if they involve other people. Researchers believe that solitary activities can trigger a relapse of some kind of emotional eating. Dieting should be avoided. The idea of deprivation can also trigger emotional eating patterns.
Self help is not a substitute for professional attention, but it may provide enough incentive for the patient to recognize that professional held is needed.
