Eating disorders
Csenge Gersei: Based on the presentation "Eating Disorder" (2023 Resilience Conference)
Eating disorders are increasingly common and can occur as early as 8 years of age, regardless of gender.
When it develops, people are initially unhappy with one part of their body and start to pay more attention to it. Their attention narrows and they constantly scan themselves. They do everything they can to become thinner, while constantly experiencing distress (negative stress). This is what they try to reduce by controlling their meals and exercising excessively. As this becomes the focus of their attention, they are only concerned with the body part they don't like seeing, which they continue to see as they don't want it to be. Although they have lost weight, they still see themselves as fat, so dissatisfaction turns into body image disturbance.
The eating disorder itself is "just" a symptom. Many factors contribute to its development. The person's ability to control emotions is low, they have no control, the world is an uncertain place for them, and they try to control it to create a sense of security. They also see their human relationships as insecure, they want to fit in, to be similar to others, family relationships are also complicated, and there are often unresolved family traumas in the background.
Attitudes to eating and body image in the family play an important role. If they diet a lot at home, try to lose weight and eat less, this will be an example for the child to follow. In addition, social media also has a big influence on young people. Most famous influencers look "perfect", thin and muscular, so they become role models for the average young person.
Peers can also play a role in the development of an eating disorder. If a child puts on a little weight, others will tease them. This child experiences being ostracised for being "fat", which is the reason they are not acceptable. Then they start dieting, exercise more, start losing weight. They are affirmed by their peers, they are accepted, they experience being a part of the group of their peers. This positive reinforcement can lead to not stopping the diet. The more they want to lose weight, the more positive feedback they will get.
At this point, body image disturbance makes them see themselves as fat all the time, regardless of what they actually look like.
It is usually noticed that something is wrong when the person with an eating disorder is abnormally thin, or often faints, has hair loss, damaged nails or teeth. That's when they look for a solution.
The treatment of eating disorders is complex. Usually, by the time a person sees a doctor, they have serious physical damage (e.g. abnormal malnutrition, organ damage caused by stomach acid). This is why several specialists are working to treat them. Meanwhile, people with eating disorders are supported through individual and group psychotherapy. Family therapy also helps a lot in recovery.
At first, people with eating disorders may find it hard to believe that they can benefit from recovery. Their thoughts revolve around the fact that they will never be so thin again. If they give up control, they lose security. Other people are wrong and they are right.
In the meantime, there is a part of ego that wants to heal and has to deal with the negative thoughts that arise.
As a result of healing, they experience the ability to love and accept themselves, to give themselves what they need. In difficult life situations, under stress, they may even remember how much easier it would be to control themselves and therefore the situation through diet and exercise. Therefore, it is important that they have new, learned and practiced ways to regulate and cope with their emotions, which years of therapy can help them with.
For a deeper insight into the life of a person with an eating disorder, we recommend "To the bone" (2017), a film about a 20-year-old girl's struggle with anorexia.
If you feel you have a problem with eating, your weight, whatever you do, you are never satisfied with yourself, others praise you in vain, you still see yourself as fat, you eat too little or too much, you exercise too much, you self-induce vomiting, or you notice it with a friend, visit an eating disorder clinic immediately:
https://semmelweis.hu/klinikai-pszichologia/betegellatas-es-szakmai-profilok/betegtajekoztatok/eveszavarok/
http://nygy-opai.hu/altalanos-informaciok/betegellatas/osztalyok/87-d-pszichiatriai-osztaly