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Eating DifficultiesFood is essential for our health and development. We all vary in the foods we like, how much we need to eat, and when we like to eat. It's not unusual to experiment with different eating habits, perhaps deciding to become a vegetarian or changing your diet to improve your health. However, some eating patterns can be damaging for some people. An eating difficulty is marked by extremes. It is present when a person experiences severe disturbances in eating behaviour, such as extreme reduction of food intake, extreme overeating, or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape. A person with an eating difficulty may have started out just eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, but at some point, the urge to eat less or more spirals out of control. Eating difficulties are not only marked by the extremes of over or under-eating but also can take the appearance rigid selective eating patterns that are driven by food phobias and food rituals that prevent an individual from acquiring the necessary nutrition for health and cause extreme psychological distress.  Eating difficulties are real, treatable illnesses with complex underlying psychological and biological causes and they frequently co-exist with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. 
Who do eating difficulties affect and when?Anyone can develop eating difficulties, regardless of age, sex, cultural or racial background, although the people who are more likely to be affected tend to be young women, particularly between the ages of 15-25. It is not unusual, however, for eating difficulties to appear in middle age. There has been a recent surge in the presentation of anorexia in the 16-28 year-old gay male demographic. Men and boys generally account for an estimated 5 to 15 percent of patients with eating difficulties and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder.
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What causes eating difficulties?Research shows that our genetic make-up may have a small impact upon whether or not you develop difficulties with food and eating. Even the attitude of other family members towards food can have an impact. A key person such as a parent or relative may unwittingly influence other family members through his or her attitude to food. In situations where there are high academic expectations, family issues or social pressures, you may focus on food and eating as a way of coping with these stresses. Traumatic events can sometimes trigger difficult relationships with food, which can mirror an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa, bulimia and overeating, such as:
Problems can begin when food is used to cope with boredom, anxiety, anger, loneliness, shame or sadness. Food becomes a problem when it is used to help you to cope with painful situations or feelings, or to relieve stress - perhaps without your even realising it. If this is how you deal with emotions and feelings and you are unhappy about it, you should try to talk to someone you trust. Bottling your feelings up is not helpful to you or those around you, and it won't make you feel any better. The problem is unlikely to go away on its own. It is also unlikely that an eating difficulty has a single cause. It is much more likely to be a combination of many factors, events, feelings or pressures which lead to you feeling unable to cope. These can include:
Often people with eating difficulties say that the eating difficulty is the only way they feel they can stay in control of their life. However, as time goes on it isn't really you who is in control, it is the disorder that is in control, and your relationships with food and eating. Some also find they are affected by an urge to harm themselves or misuse alcohol or drugs. You may find that, like many other people, you experience feelings of despair and shame. You may have a feeling of failure or lack of control because you cannot overcome these feelings about food on your own. |
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Signs and symptoms |
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Compulsive Undereating
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Compulsive Overeating/Binge Eating Disorder
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How we treat eating difficulties:We treat you, not your addiction. Our goal is to address all the issues that have derailed your life, family, relationships and your health. At our residential addiction rehabilitation clinic we treat you as a whole person and help you to develop the tools you need to get your life back on track. If you have difficulties with food, we can support you and your family to stabilise and normalise your eating and, more importantly, help you to develop a healthy relationship with food. Getting help or treatment for eating difficulties:If you suffer from or know someone who suffers from eating difficulties call us for a confidential and informal chat. 
Contact us today
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