Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse March 5, 2009
Posted by badbulimia in Blog.Tags: clinic, disorder, eating disorder, eating disorder clinic, eating disorder statistics, eating disorder support, eating disorder treatment, eating disorders
add a comment
Visit www.remudaranch.com today for more information about Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse treatment or call 1-800-445-1900 now for immediate assistance.
Anorexia and bulimia are disorders involving food, either radical restriction or extreme consumption. It is also not unusual for women and girls struggling with eating disorders to either abuse or become dependent on substances. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
Alcohol
Typically those with restricting anorexia do not consume alcohol, due to its high calorie content. However, for those with bulimia and a sub-group of those with anorexia who also binge and purge, alcohol is frequently consumed, then eliminated through vomiting.
Caffeine
This stimulant is often used by those with eating disorders. It is consumed in the form of black coffee or diet drinks to fill the stomach and stave off hunger. Caffeine also serves as a diuretic, and people with eating disorders confuse temporary fluid loss with actual weight loss. In addition, liquids in general are used by those with bulimia because self-induced vomiting is easier when the stomach is full of fluid.
Amphetamines and Cocaine
These drugs are more commonly used by those with bulimia, but also used at times by those with anorexia. These substances are used because they suppress appetite and provide energy in the absence of adequate food intake.
Nicotine
Nicotine is an appetite suppressant that can increase metabolism in females as much as 10%. It is not unusual for girls with eating disorders to take up smoking to control appetite in an effort to lose unwanted pounds.
Laxatives, Diuretics and Over-the-counter Diet Pills
Laxatives and diuretics, like so many over-the-counter medications, are intended to address a specific medical need during a delimited time-frame. And although laxatives and diuretics are not often considered drugs of abuse or dependence, individuals can become dependent on them. With prolonged use, these people develop both tolerance and withdrawal, and can experience serious medical consequences, including death. A study in 2003 found that in a sample of 200 bulimics, 31% used diuretics.
It may be a surprise to many people, including some healthcare providers, that over-the-counter products and supplements for dieting purposes are frequently abused by those with eating disorders. But in fact they are. For example, in the study mentioned above, a full 64% of eating disorder patients abused diet pills. The health consequences of diet pill abuse are enormous and include high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, thickening of the heart muscle, and kidney damage.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder along with substance abuse, please contact Remuda Programs for Eating Disorders at 1-800-445-1900.
For more information about womens and Eating Disorders and Substance problems, please go to http://sites.google.com/site/anorexiabulimiafacts/remuda-reddstone-eating-disorder-treatment-center
Anorexia is Bad for the Brain November 20, 2008
Posted by badbulimia in Blog.Tags: ana anorexia, anorexia, anorexia bulimia, anorexia nevosa, anorexia pictures, anorexia pro, anorexic, binge eating, bulemia, bulimia, bulimia anorexia, bulimia effects, bulimia nervosa, bulimia symptoms, bulimia treatment, eating, eating disorder, eating disorder clinic, eating disorder help, eating disorder statistics, eating disorder support, eating disorder treatment, eating disorders, effects, nervosa
add a comment
Medical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa
Click here for Anorexia Nervosa Information
The medical impact of anorexia is huge and includes:
Amenorrhea – Loss of Menstrual Cycle
This occurs in nearly all women with anorexia. The body simply shuts down its reproductive capacity because it is finding it difficult to sustain one life, let alone, two. Although a woman’s ability to bare children usually returns once sufficient weight is gained, that is not always the case. Anorexia, if engaged in long enough or at a critical time during adolescence, can contribute to infertility.
Anemia
Without sufficient nutrition, the blood is affected and anemia results. Fortunately, this condition is only temporary; blood health returns once food is reintroduced.
Dry Skin and Hair Loss
Dehydration causes the skin to drastically dry out and become flaky. The woman’s scalp, starved for protein and nutrients, often becomes bald or patchy. Paradoxically, extremely fine hair growth often occurs on other parts of the torso; this is an attempt by the body to keep itself warm.
Feeling Cold
Without protective fat stores to keep them warm, those with anorexia are usually cold. In fact, their body temperature is rarely at a healthy 98 degrees; it’s typically a couple of degrees less that normal.
Slowness of Thought/Brain Shrinkage
Although retardation of thought is temporary, due to lack of fuel to keep the brain functioning well, actual brain shrinkage, due to prolonged starvation, is not. Studies show a drop in actual IQ, which does not always return once the woman gets well.
Osteopenia/Osteoporosis
These degenerative bone conditions result from lack of calcium and other dietary deficiencies. Most bone loss is permanent, leaving even young women at severe risk of bone fractures and spinal curvature.
Heart Rhythm Abnormalities, Heart Attacks
Electrolyte abnormalities often trigger arrhythmias in the heart. This is a significant indication that the heart is undergoing stress. When a body is starving, it starts attacking its own muscle tissue in an effort to stay alive. The heart is a muscle and is not immune to this attack. In the case of extreme starvation, the heart simply stops.
If you, or someone you know, suffers from anorexia or bulimia then please seek treatment.
anorexia nevosa, anorexia pro, bulimia, anorexia bulimia, anorexic, eating disorders, anorexia how to, ana, ana anorexia, anorexia pictures, bulimia anorexia, bulimia nervosa, anorexia and bulimia, bulimia effects, eating disorder, bulimia treatment, bulimia symptoms, bulemia, eating disorder treatment, binge eating disorder, binge eating, eating disorder statistics, eating disorder support, eating disorder help, eating disorder clinic
tags:
I Needed Help for Eating Disorders November 20, 2008
Posted by badbulimia in Blog.Tags: ana, ana anorexia, anorexia, anorexia and bulimia, anorexia bulimia, anorexia how to, anorexia nevosa, anorexia pictures, anorexia pro, anorexic, anorexic bulimic, binge, binge eating, binge eating disorder, bulemia, bulimia, bulimia anorexia, bulimia effects, bulimia nervosa, bulimia symptoms, bulimia treatment, clinic, disorder, eating, eating disorder, eating disorder clinic, eating disorder help, eating disorder statistics, eating disorder support, eating disorder treatment, eating disorders, treatment
add a comment
Treatment for Anorexia
Click here for Anorexia Treatment
In the United States, eating disorders are far more than prevalent – they’re epidemic. Today, 10 million women and girls have eating disorders and up to one million of them will die from the disorder. That’s right: DIE. These diseases are not confined to a certain segment of society or age group. Anorexia and bulimia cross all racial, ethnic, cultural and religious lines and are now being diagnosed in children as young as six.
Anorexia, perhaps the most devastating of these diseases, is characterized by self-starvation. People suffering from this disorder literally starve themselves to a state of severe emaciation, and even, death. This disease impacts every facet of a person’s life; indeed, a woman can become so ill that she is unable to work or care for her family.
Professional care is usually required to break the compulsive behaviors and addiction. Outpatient therapy is usually the first approach to treatment. A patient can often make substantial progress with the support of a good therapist, especially one who specializes in treating eating disorders.
For the best possible outcome, a medical doctor and nutritionist or registered dietician should also be part of the team. For approximately 70% of eating disorder patients, this treatment will prove effective. However, for the other 30%, inpatient treatment at a residential center is often recommended.
Lasting recovery is the goal for every single patient. Toward that end, Remuda Ranch utilizes every cutting-edge therapy and innovative treatment approach. In addition to individual and group therapy, patients engage in experiential therapies such as art, body image, equine and challenge course.
A key and critical component of treatment is family involvement. Remuda Ranch wants family members to experience healing through growth, understanding and change. This is accomplished not only through therapeutic phone calls, but during an intensive Family Week, which occurs half-way through treatment.
Remember, anorexia is an extremely serious disease. Therefore, if you have a friend or family member who may be struggling with anorexia, please get help.
anorexia nevosa, anorexia pro, bulimia, anorexia bulimia, anorexic, eating disorders, anorexia how to, ana, ana anorexia, anorexia pictures, bulimia anorexia, bulimia nervosa, anorexia and bulimia, bulimia effects, eating disorder, bulimia treatment, bulimia symptoms, bulemia, eating disorder treatment, binge eating disorder, binge eating, eating disorder statistics, eating disorder support, eating disorder help, eating disorder clinic
The First Signs were Anorexia November 20, 2008
Posted by badbulimia in Blog.Tags: anorexia nevosa, anorexia pictures, anorexia pro, anorexic, binge eating, binge eating disorder, bulemia, bulimia, bulimia anorexia, bulimia effects, bulimia symptoms, bulimia treatment, disorder, eating, eating disorder, eating disorder clinic, eating disorder support, eating disorder treatment, eating disorders, treatment
add a comment
Anorexia Symptoms
Click here for Information on Anorexia
For most people, anorexia is extremely difficult to understand. It is not a diet gone too far or a game played by a young girl to get attention from friends or a member of the family. Anorexia is a psychiatric disorder, not unlike depression or anxiety.
Very simply defined, anorexia is self starvation. Those with this disorder literally starve themselves to a state of severe emaciation, or even death. And the thing is … once they start, it is very difficult to end the behaviors and go back to normal eating. This disease impacts everything: work, home, health, friendships … life.
Anorexia symptoms are physical, biological and behavioral. Because dieting is a key part of anorexia, many of the most common symptoms surround food and dieting. A female with anorexia diets obsessively, when she is not overweight. In fact, she may have experienced a recent rapid weight loss — 15% or more below her normal body weight. Yet, she will constantly complain that she feels “fat,” when this is clearly not a reality.
It is not unusual for a girl with anorexia to engage in strange food-related behaviors. These include cutting food into little tiny pieces, only eating one food at a time, or placing unusual condiments on food items. Episodes of binge eating can also occur, simply due to a loss of control. Remember, these individuals are hungry, so when they finally give in and eat, it is sometimes very difficult to stop.
Not eating is hard enough on the body, but the problem is, she may also exercise to an extreme degree. As a result of low nutrition and high levels of exercising, she will probably experience amenorrhea, which means loss of her menstrual period. Strangely, though the hair on her head may fall out, she may undergo unusual hair growth on her arms and legs; basically, this is an effort by the body to make itself warm.
Although she may try to convey that she is at the top of the world, depression is often a symptom of anorexia, as is slowness of thought and memory difficulties. Most people feel this way due to the brain’s inability to function without adequate nutrition.
If someone you know has anorexia, please encourage them to get help.
anorexia nevosa, anorexia pro, bulimia, anorexia bulimia, anorexic, eating disorders, anorexia how to, ana, ana anorexia, anorexia pictures, bulimia anorexia, bulimia nervosa, anorexia and bulimia, bulimia effects, eating disorder, bulimia treatment, bulimia symptoms, bulemia, eating disorder treatment, binge eating disorder, binge eating, eating disorder statistics, eating disorder support, eating disorder help, eating disorder clinic
