Purging definition eating disorder
Purging Disorder: Symptoms, Treatments, and More
Purging disorder is an eating disorder that involves “purging” behavior to induce weight loss or manipulate body shape. Purging can mean a number of things, including:
- self-induced vomiting
- misuse of laxatives or medications
- excessive exercise
- fasting
While it’s not as well-known as other eating disorders, purging disorder is a recognized eating disorder. It’s categorized as an “Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder.”
It’s critical to remember that eating disorders are among the deadliest mental health conditions. They can cause significant harm to both physical and mental health.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, remember that you aren’t alone and help is always available.
Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that often occurs in a cycle of binge-eating behavior followed by a period of purging.
While bulimia and purging disorder can both share purging behaviors, the main difference between the two is that there’s a compulsion to binge eat with bulimia.
Purging disorder is defined as engaging in purging behaviors without it being in response to a binge-eating episode.
As a recognized eating disorder, purging disorder can be identified by many of the same symptoms as other eating disorders. Symptoms might include:
- recurring episodes of purging behaviors to lose weight, including:
- self-induced vomiting
- laxative or diuretic misuse
- misuse of enemas
- fasting
- excessive exercise
- significant emotional distress or disruption to social, work, or personal life
- fear of gaining weight or obsession with losing weight
- self-esteem issues heavily influenced by body shape or weight
You can be any shape or size and have an eating disorder. This is why it’s important to recognize the symptoms before your health is damaged.
If you think you or a loved one may have an eating disorder, you can take an online-self assessment to determine if you have any behaviors that could potentially result in an eating disorder.
However, it’s important to note that these assessments don’t qualify as a diagnosis. If you think you have an eating disorder, speak with your doctor.
Eating disorders like purging disorder can affect anyone, regardless of:
- age
- sex
- race
- ethnicity
- sexual orientation
Stereotypes that eating disorders only affect teenage girls are both incorrect and damaging. This idea can often discourage people from seeking treatment.
What the research says
There are certain factors that might contribute to higher rates of eating disorders among certain people.
Sexual and physical abuse, or participating in appearance or weight-focused sports, are potential risk factors.
While studies suggest that eating disorders are more common during late childhood and adolescence, it’s possible for eating disorders to occur at any time in life.
Men are also at risk for eating disorders. A recent review concluded that at least 25 percent of people with eating disorders are male.
Plus, eating disorders like purging disorder are actually increasing at a faster rate among males than females.
People who have an eating disorder are also more likely to have another mood disorder at the same time. One study concluded that as many as 89 percent of individuals with eating disorders often have concurrent mood disorders, such as:
- anxiety
- depression
- impulse control issues
- substance use
Eating disorders are a serious mental health condition, not a choice. There’s no shame in getting help.
Treatment for purging disorder can vary based on each person. Some people may benefit from more intensive inpatient treatment and recovery programs, while others might prefer outpatient therapy options.
Inpatient treatment is more common in cases that require medical monitoring or daily assessments. Outpatient treatment might include psychotherapy and nutrition counseling.
Medications aren’t used to treat purging disorder.
Rather, they may be prescribed to treat concurrent mood disorders that may be causing additional stress or making it harder to cope with recovery. Talk with your doctor about medication options.
Purging disorder can cause many serious side effects to your health, including:
- feeling faint
- tooth decay
- throat swelling
- facial swelling
- mood swings
- irregular heartbeat and other heart problems
- scarred hands
- pregnancy complications
- kidney failure
- digestive issues or constipation
- dehydration
- nutrient deficiencies
- electrolyte or chemical imbalances
Self-induced vomiting can also lead to severe damage to other areas of your body over time, including your:
- teeth
- esophagus
- digestive system
- cardiovascular system
If you or someone you know has purging disorder, you can:
- Call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline for resources, treatment options, and support.
- Get free or low-cost support options for anyone who may not have access to inpatient treatment or therapy.
Remember that eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, not a question of willpower. Don’t feel ashamed to seek treatment or additional help, and know that you’re not alone.
Recovering from an eating disorder is possible, but it takes time. Be patient with yourself over the course of your recovery. Everyone is different, and healing is an ongoing process.
Consider continuing therapy, journaling, or joining a support group to help as you recover. Relapses might happen, but you’re not a failure if they do. Help is always there to get you back on track.
Purging disorder is a serious mental health condition caused by repeated cycles of purging in order to manipulate weight or body shape. Purging can take many different forms, which can cause serious nutritional and metabolic imbalances and lead to lasting damage to your health.
It’s important to seek professional treatment for purging disorder as soon as possible, whether that’s joining a support group or seeking more intensive therapy.
While recovery from an eating disorder is an ongoing process, it’s absolutely possible to live a happy and healthy life. The goal is to restore your relationship with food and your body. Remember, the first step to breaking the cycle of purging is to reach out for help.
Purging Disorder: Symptoms, Treatments, and More
Purging disorder is an eating disorder that involves “purging” behavior to induce weight loss or manipulate body shape. Purging can mean a number of things, including:
- self-induced vomiting
- misuse of laxatives or medications
- excessive exercise
- fasting
While it’s not as well-known as other eating disorders, purging disorder is a recognized eating disorder. It’s categorized as an “Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder.”
It’s critical to remember that eating disorders are among the deadliest mental health conditions. They can cause significant harm to both physical and mental health.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, remember that you aren’t alone and help is always available.
Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that often occurs in a cycle of binge-eating behavior followed by a period of purging.
While bulimia and purging disorder can both share purging behaviors, the main difference between the two is that there’s a compulsion to binge eat with bulimia.
Purging disorder is defined as engaging in purging behaviors without it being in response to a binge-eating episode.
As a recognized eating disorder, purging disorder can be identified by many of the same symptoms as other eating disorders. Symptoms might include:
- recurring episodes of purging behaviors to lose weight, including:
- self-induced vomiting
- laxative or diuretic misuse
- misuse of enemas
- fasting
- excessive exercise
- significant emotional distress or disruption to social, work, or personal life
- fear of gaining weight or obsession with losing weight
- self-esteem issues heavily influenced by body shape or weight
You can be any shape or size and have an eating disorder.
This is why it’s important to recognize the symptoms before your health is damaged.
If you think you or a loved one may have an eating disorder, you can take an online-self assessment to determine if you have any behaviors that could potentially result in an eating disorder.
However, it’s important to note that these assessments don’t qualify as a diagnosis. If you think you have an eating disorder, speak with your doctor.
Eating disorders like purging disorder can affect anyone, regardless of:
- age
- sex
- race
- ethnicity
- sexual orientation
Stereotypes that eating disorders only affect teenage girls are both incorrect and damaging. This idea can often discourage people from seeking treatment.
What the research says
There are certain factors that might contribute to higher rates of eating disorders among certain people.
Sexual and physical abuse, or participating in appearance or weight-focused sports, are potential risk factors.
While studies suggest that eating disorders are more common during late childhood and adolescence, it’s possible for eating disorders to occur at any time in life.
Men are also at risk for eating disorders. A recent review concluded that at least 25 percent of people with eating disorders are male. Plus, eating disorders like purging disorder are actually increasing at a faster rate among males than females.
People who have an eating disorder are also more likely to have another mood disorder at the same time. One study concluded that as many as 89 percent of individuals with eating disorders often have concurrent mood disorders, such as:
- anxiety
- depression
- impulse control issues
- substance use
Eating disorders are a serious mental health condition, not a choice. There’s no shame in getting help.
Treatment for purging disorder can vary based on each person. Some people may benefit from more intensive inpatient treatment and recovery programs, while others might prefer outpatient therapy options.
Inpatient treatment is more common in cases that require medical monitoring or daily assessments. Outpatient treatment might include psychotherapy and nutrition counseling.
Medications aren’t used to treat purging disorder. Rather, they may be prescribed to treat concurrent mood disorders that may be causing additional stress or making it harder to cope with recovery. Talk with your doctor about medication options.
Purging disorder can cause many serious side effects to your health, including:
- feeling faint
- tooth decay
- throat swelling
- facial swelling
- mood swings
- irregular heartbeat and other heart problems
- scarred hands
- pregnancy complications
- kidney failure
- digestive issues or constipation
- dehydration
- nutrient deficiencies
- electrolyte or chemical imbalances
Self-induced vomiting can also lead to severe damage to other areas of your body over time, including your:
- teeth
- esophagus
- digestive system
- cardiovascular system
If you or someone you know has purging disorder, you can:
- Call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline for resources, treatment options, and support.
- Get free or low-cost support options for anyone who may not have access to inpatient treatment or therapy.
Remember that eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, not a question of willpower. Don’t feel ashamed to seek treatment or additional help, and know that you’re not alone.
Recovering from an eating disorder is possible, but it takes time. Be patient with yourself over the course of your recovery. Everyone is different, and healing is an ongoing process.
Consider continuing therapy, journaling, or joining a support group to help as you recover. Relapses might happen, but you’re not a failure if they do. Help is always there to get you back on track.
Purging disorder is a serious mental health condition caused by repeated cycles of purging in order to manipulate weight or body shape. Purging can take many different forms, which can cause serious nutritional and metabolic imbalances and lead to lasting damage to your health.
It’s important to seek professional treatment for purging disorder as soon as possible, whether that’s joining a support group or seeking more intensive therapy.
While recovery from an eating disorder is an ongoing process, it’s absolutely possible to live a happy and healthy life. The goal is to restore your relationship with food and your body. Remember, the first step to breaking the cycle of purging is to reach out for help.
Eating disorders | Tervisliku toitumise informatsioon
Eating disorders are psychiatric illnesses that damage a person's physical and mental health and impair their overall quality of life - relationships, work and personal development suffer.
Eating disorders disrupt the connection with one's own body, resulting in highly problematic eating behavior. Weight and body shape are overemphasized, underweight is idealized, and various methods are used to lose weight or prevent weight gain.
Approximately 8% of women and 2% of men will develop an eating disorder during their lifetime. Eating disorders occur in any population, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
However, they are most common in girls and young women.
Eating disorders are a group of diseases that are distributed differently in different classifications. The most common eating disorders are anorexia ( anorexia nervosa ), bulimia ( bulimia nervosa ) and compulsive overeating ( binge-eating disorder ).
The term "eating disorder" is often erroneously used as a synonym for selective eating disorder, as both are associated with eating disorders. However, the reasons for them are different: an eating disorder is caused by a desire to control weight, while in a selective eating disorder, eating certain foods causes anxiety or fear.
Other eating disorders
Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders are the three most common and well-known eating disorders. However, often not all of the symptoms of a person with an eating disorder correspond to one specific disorder. In such cases, these disorders are referred to as "atypical" or "other eating disorders".
A common myth is that in such cases the course of the disease is milder and treatment is treated more lightly. However, this is erroneous, since the name of the disease indicates only its diagnostic criteria, and not the severity or course.
All eating disorders, no matter how they are called or classified, are dangerous conditions that impair quality of life and require treatment.
Causes of Eating Disorders
There is never one single cause of an eating disorder. These are complex diseases, in the development of which a combination of many factors plays an important role. Genetic, biological and environmental factors always play a role. Modern social representations, including the culture of diets and the cult of slimness, contribute to the development of psychological vulnerability, which can become a fertile environment for the formation of eating disorders. Probably for the same reasons, a higher incidence of eating disorders is observed in sports in which weight is of great importance, and among representatives of professions focused on appearance.
However, it should be emphasized that browsing social networks or playing a certain sport does not contribute to the development of the disease. There are many factors involved in the development of the disease that are usually beyond the control of the individual. However, it is often more practical and even more important to identify the factors that support the disease, since changing them is associated with better treatment outcomes.
Treatment Options for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can be life-threatening illnesses with a long and chronic course; they have one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness. Treating eating disorders is often a lengthy and complex process. However, early intervention is paramount to achieve a good treatment outcome.
Diagnosis and treatment of an eating disorder usually begins with the family physician. Family sisters can provide advice on healthy eating. Psychiatrists are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders as a psychiatric illness.
The participation of a clinical psychologist or psychotherapist is also important.
There are two centers in Estonia that specialize in the treatment of eating disorders: the Department of Eating Disorders of the Mental Health Center of the Tallinn Children's Hospital treats children and adolescents, and the Department of Eating Disorders of the Psychiatric Clinic of the Tartu University Hospital treats adolescents and adults.
For more information about eating disorders and advice on what to do if you suspect a loved one has an eating disorder, visit peaasi.ee.
Eating Disorders - Symptoms and Treatments for Anorexia and Bulimia Articles EMC
Eating disorders such as anorexia - restriction of food intake, and bulimia - episodes of overeating, are increasingly common in today's society. Right now we can talk about an epidemic of eating disorders.
Eating disorders such as anorexia - restriction of food intake, and bulimia - episodes of overeating, are increasingly common in modern society.
Right now we can talk about an epidemic of eating disorders.
Anorexia and bulimia tend to occur in girls during adolescence. They can be primary when they develop as a primary disease, and secondary when they occur against a background of depression. As a rule, eating disorders occur when a teenager is unhappy with their appearance and wants to change. He tries to solve the problem with weight loss.
One must always remember that food restrictions are a very pleasant state of lightness, flight, which helps teenagers cope with anxiety and bad mood. Therefore, in many cases, when teenagers openly declare their desire to lose weight in order to be like their idols, there is a desire to manage their emotions or cope with anxiety behind this.
Symptoms to look out for
- child eats small meals;
- goes to the toilet immediately after eating;
- sports excessively;
- is often weighed, counts calories;
- dramatically loses weight;
- is fixated on his appearance, considers himself fat, even if the weight is below normal.
When these symptoms are present, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible, because the further the eating disorder progresses, the more difficult it is to help the patient, especially when physiological disorders begin. In girls, the menstrual cycle is disturbed, edema appears, general metabolic disorders, and damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Eating disorders lead to severe endocrinological disorders and can cause infertility.
Bulimia is the other side of anorexia. It is expressed in episodes of uncontrolled overeating, after which, as a rule, adolescents cause vomiting. Overeating helps to cope with anxiety and emotional stress. Children often don't feel guilty about eating too much afterwards. Regular vomiting is dangerous. It leads to metabolic disorders, to irreversible disorders of the intestinal tract. Therefore, if you notice a sharp increase in weight in a child, you see that immediately after eating he goes to the toilet, find hidden food in his room, while at the same time he can be fixed on his appearance, you need to get expert advice.
Additional causes for concern may be sleep disturbances, mood swings, irritability.
Each family has its own traditions and eating habits, sometimes adults instill in adolescents diets that they themselves adhere to. Against this background, an eating disorder in a child may not be pronounced. Sometimes parents' adherence to strict diets can provoke eating disorders in children.
It is wrong to focus on the idea of the right weight or the right amount of food that a person should eat. For example, in a restaurant, parents can make a remark to a teenager when he asks for dessert or fix it on his appearance, on his weight, compare him with someone from a mutual friend or with his mother. This usually has a very strong effect on girls who have a predisposition to eating disorders.
Treating anorexia and bulimia is a long process
It must be remembered that food restriction is a subjectively pleasant condition, teenagers become addicted to it, so they limit themselves again and again.
Treatment of anorexia and bulimia is recommended to start in a hospital under the strict supervision of clinic doctors. It is rarely possible to cope with an eating disorder on your own with the joint efforts of the family, so it is better not to take risks and contact a specialist as soon as possible.
The main goal of treatment is to relieve the patient of excessive fixation on his appearance. This is a long-term treatment, it includes many stages. But it always begins with the solution of physical problems: the restoration of the menstrual cycle and metabolism. An eating disorder is a life-threatening condition and at a critically low weight, the changes may be irreversible and the patient cannot be saved. Parents should remember this. The advantage of EMC is that the psychiatry clinic is part of a somatic hospital, where all types of diagnostics and doctors of all specializations are presented. A correction plan for each patient is developed jointly with endocrinologists, therapists, pediatricians, and gastroenterologists.
Thus, a high efficiency of treatment is achieved.
The European Medical Center (Moscow) uses pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy to treat anorexia and bulimia. Drug therapy is aimed at correcting the emotional disturbances and anxiety that occur against the background of an eating disorder. Pharmacotherapy, including helping to regulate hunger and control appetite. In parallel, a massive behavioral therapy begins, which helps the patient change his lifestyle. Patients learn to adequately perceive their weight, work is being done on motivation, changing eating habits, learning to live without overeating and limiting themselves to diets.
The psychotherapist also works with parents, teaches them to support the child, to respond correctly to painful behavior. This becomes the key to a supportive environment in which adolescents return after inpatient treatment and continue outpatient treatment.
The main prevention of eating disorders is the correct attitude to nutrition and perception of appearance in the family.
