There are many ways, both positive and negative, in which you may see yourself and your body image. These could also be affected by how others see you and the internal message you take from this.
These reflections of what you see or what you believe others to think, may affect how you feel emotionally about yourself on a daily basis. In turn this could lead you to experience impactful negative emotions causing you to struggle and suffer with an eating disorder.
If you have an eating disorder of any kind, you could be feeling lonely, isolated, misunderstood and unseen, wanting to numb out and dull your emotions.
With an eating disorder you may also experience feelings of guilt, embarrassment, shame and disgust at your behaviour around food. You could even be hiding your behaviour from others, because you are worried about what they may think and that they will judge you.
Eating disorders and disordered behaviours around food are where food is used as a means of providing temporary relief from some internal or external stressor.
Do you identify with any of the disordered behaviours around food listed?
- Eating too much – Overeating Disorder
- Binge eating – Binge Eating Disorder
- Denying or restricting food to the point of starvation – Anorexia Nervosa
- Stress or Emotional Eating
- Yo-yo dieting or Disordered Eating
- Making yourself sick – Bulimia Nervosa
- Using exercise compulsively to manage food intake
If you struggle with your behaviour in relation to food, or suffer with an eating disorder you may experience a feeling of control in your life around food, with a numbing down of your emotions when they overwhelm you.
On the opposite side of the coin, you may also feel out of control, disgusted and ashamed with yourself for experiencing a lack of control.
Although you may not like either behaviour, do you sometimes have a sense of a feeling of comfort, strength and power (even if short lived) and does food offer you a coping strategy to get you through your stressed filled day?
If you are struggling with an eating disorder the affects could be serious, not only to your emotional wellbeing, but also to your physical health long-term.
If you are suffering in silence and feel helpless, if you know someone who could do with support and you’re worried about them, then please get in touch for understanding and therapeutic help.