Anorexia and Bulimia are Profound Emotional Problems

An eating disorder is an illness that adversely affects all facets of each sufferer's life, is brought on by various emotional factors and influences, and has profound effects on sufferers and their loved ones. In this article we will take a closer look at Anorexia and Bulimia. Anorexia is a unique reaction to a variety of external and internal conflicts, such as stress, concern, unhappiness and feeling as if life is out of control. Anorexia is a negative way to cope with these emotions. An Anorexia sufferer may be abnormally sensitive about being overweight, or have a deep fear of becoming fat - though not all Anorexics have this fear. They may be afraid of losing control over the amount of food they consume, accompanied by the craving to take stringent control of their emotions and reactions to their emotions. This makes them turn to obsessive weight control and starvation as a way to control not only their weight, but what they feel and how they react. Some also feel that they do not merit pleasure out of life, and will stay away from situations connected to pleasure, including eating. Typical behavioral signs are: calorie and fat gram counting, starvation and restriction of food, obsessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, the use of weight loss pills, diuretics or laxatives to attempt controlling weight, and a constant concern about the body image. Men and women who suffer from Bulimia seek episodes of binging and purging - they cannot stop themselves from eating too much and then vomit in order to control their body weight - since they feel overwhelmed in handling their emotions, or to punish themselves. Bulimia sufferers may seek episodes of binging and purging to avoid and let out feelings of tension, anger, concern or depression. Recurring episodes of overeating followed by tremendous guilt and purging (laxatives or self-induced vomiting), a feeling of lacking control over eating behaviors, engaging in strict diet plans and exercise on a regular basis, the misuse of diuretics or laxatives, and/or weight loss solutions and a constant concern with the body image can all be warnings someone is having Bulimia. The two eating disorders have a lot of similarities, the most common being the cause. They are complicated emotional problems. Though they may seem to be nothing more than a dangerously obsessive body weight concern on the surface, for most people having an eating disorder there are more profound emotional conflicts to be resolved.