Inpsyc

Eating Disorders Basic Facts

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:51:50 +0000

Eating disorders are psychological problems related to concerns about eating, body shape and weight. Individuals affected by eating disorders tend to be pre-occupied with their eating and exercising habits, and how these affect their body shape and their weight. Some of the general warning signs of an eating disorder are:

Excessive worrying about body image and weight
Abnormal fear of weight gain
Belief that being thin will solve all one’s problems
Excessive dieting or very restrictive eating patterns
Purging (getting rid of food by use of vomiting, laxatives, diuretics or exercise etc.)
Binges, in which one eats an excessive amount of food, accompanied by a feeling of loss of control over eating
Strict or excessive exercise regime
Letting food and eating overshadow all other activities

The four main types of eating disorders are:
Anorexia is a focus on restricting eating and maintaining a low body weight.
Bulimia is associated with binge eating, followed by purging (such as by vomiting, excessive exercise or laxative use).
Binge-eating is distinguished by eating large amounts of food at a single sitting, with an experience of feeling out of control.
EDNOS (or eating disorder not otherwise specified) refers to eating problems which cause distress, but do not fit into the other categories. One example is orthorexia, where there is a focus on eating only the ‘right’ or ‘healthy’ food.

Exercise in Recovery from Eating Disorders

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:58:56 +0000

Healthy Exercise in Recovery from Eating Disorders
by Althea Sherry, Counselling Psychologist

If you flip through any health or women’s magazine, there’s often a strong message that exercise is extremely healthy and that we should all be doing more of it – and, in general, that’s true. However, for many people who have problems with eating and weight (such as anorexia, bulimia and compulsive over-exercising), exercise can be anything but healthy.

So, when is exercise unhealthy? People suffering from eating disorders often use exercise for weight loss, self-punishment, or as a form of control. Exercise often becomes both compulsive and unenjoyable. During an eating disorder, exercise seems to be about pushing yourself to lose weight, and not caring what it takes to get there, which is anything but healthy. Unhealthy exercise includes ignoring your body’s signals of pain and fatigue. While the “mind over matter” approach to exercise is generally no longer popular, it’s often still very much a part of the eating disorder mindset, and affects a large number of people with eating problems.

Is your exercise unhealthy?
If you struggle with eating and weight, it could well be that your exercise is more on the unhealthy side. Think about what it feels like when you exercise, and see how many of these questions you answer “yes” to:

Do you force yourself to keep going even when you’re tired?
Are you exercising to lose weight, burn fat or calories?
Does exercise feel like a punishment?
Do you do the same exercises over and over?

If you answer “yes” to some of these questions, it may be time to think about a new approach to your exercise routine.

On the other hand, moving away from an eating disorder and into recovery often leads to a change of attitude regarding exercise. People find that they start to exercise for health and relaxation, rather than to lose weight. Exercise becomes about taking care of their health and body, rather than for control and just to burn calories.

As usual, with recovery from an eating disorder, there’s no quick fix to exercising healthily. It involves treating your body in a more caring way and changing the way you feel about exercise and the way you engage with it. This can be a frustratingly slow process, so below are some tips to help you keep exercising healthily:

Tips on exercising healthily:

Exercise for health, not weight loss. Focus on feeling genuinely healthier, rather than on control and burning calories.
Don’t be too repetitive. Cycling for hours everyday at gym, or running on a treadmill can lead to that control-based mindset. Try different types of exercise rather than the same thing each session.
Make exercise fun – exercise out of doors, with a friend or by dancing at a club to make exercise more fun. Toss a balloon at a friend. Take your dog for a walk.
Connect with your body. During eating disorders, we often cut ourselves off from our bodies. Getting reconnected to your body will help exercise to be more healthy. This can be scary at first, but it’s an important part of healthy exercise.
Don’t push too hard. Do enough exercise, but not too much. It may take a while to get the balance right, but over time it should start to fall into place. If you feel sick, sore or dizzy, then you know you’ve pushed it too far.
Do mindful exercise that helps you connect. Examples are yoga, pilates and tai chi. All these focus on the body in a slow and careful way, so that you learn more about how your body moves and how to move it well.
If exercise starts to feel like it’s moving towards “unhealthy” mode, take some time out and think about what you really want to gain from exercise, and how you can approach things in a healthier way.
It’s not so much what you do, as how you do it. It’s about enjoyment, rather than just about doing the “right” type of exercise. Yoga can be unhealthy too, if you push yourself too far.

Written for www.recoveryspace.org, and reprinted with permission here and on www.health24.com.

Anxiety

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:41:58 +0000

Anxiety
We all feel anxious, afraid or worried at some point in our lives, and it’s a normal part of living. However, when that worry comes in the form of out-of-the-blue panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, an inability to let go of things and relax, intense self-consciousness or an overwhelming phobia – then an anxiety problem may be present.

Unlike fear which lasts for only a short while, anxiety lasts for a long time, and the symptoms (such as a pounding heart, sweating and racing thoughts) can be incredibly exhausting. For many people anxiety may start in childhood or during their teens, but it can also surface later on in one’s life.

Treatment for anxiety
Psychotherapy for anxiety focuses on exploring emotions, and understanding the causes of anxiety. This includes exploring the triggers and roots of the anxiety, as well as the scientific explanations for some disorders, and on-the-spot anxiety reduction techniques, if needed. Information on relaxation techniques and exercises may also be helpful for some people. In some cases, anti-anxiety medication may also be helpful. This medication either targets serotonin levels in the form of anti-depressants, or specific anti-anxiety medication is prescribed. Depending on the individual’s needs, these two forms of treatment can either be used separately or together.

Who suffers from anxiety?
Anxiety that reaches an unmanageable level is fairly common, with more women than men struggling with anxiety symptoms overall. Individuals who have experienced a traumatic event are also likely to experience anxiety problems, so given the levels of trauma in South Africa, this type of anxiety is fairly common.

What causes anxiety?
Anxiety may be caused by a large number of factors, such as stress, a difficult experience (such as divorce, break-up or death of a loved one), or a history of low self-esteem. A traumatic incident may also set off an anxiety episode, and major life changes (such as starting school, university or immigrating) may also trigger an anxiety.

Psychologist or Psychiatrist?

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:54:27 +0000

What’s the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

The terms “psychologist” and “psychiatrist” are often used interchangeably, but while both these types of mental health care professionals work towards assisting people experiencing emotional or psychological distress, their approaches and training are quite different.

Psychologists receive in-depth training in order to practise psychotherapy, which involves talking and exploring around emotions, relationship patterns and interpersonal dynamics in order to help reduce psychological distress. Psychologists (including counselling, clinical and educational registration categories) have no medical training and are unable to prescribe any medication.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors, who complete a degree in general medicine before receiving further training as a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists use appropriate medication to help alleviate psychological distress, and may prescribe drugs such as anti-depressants, mood-stabilisers and anti-anxiety medication. Some psychiatrists may provide counselling as well, but their training is primarily medical in nature.

When it comes to exploring your emotions, relationships and dynamics that are at the root of your difficulty, then psychologists are the appropriate choice of health care professionals. If you feel that you may need medication to help reduce your symptoms, then psychiatrists are the appropriate choice. In some cases, both psychological and psychiatric input is necessary in order to achieve mental health and well-being, and input from both fields can achieve a higher rate of treatment success.

Both psychologists and psychiatrists are registered as health care professions with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, and those practising in these fields must receive at least a Masters degree and the relevant theoretical and practical training before being able to practice.

Depression

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:53:40 +0000

Depression is an emotional state which is accompanied by feelings of sadness, dejection or emptiness. While everyone feels down from time to time, depression lasts for a longer time (more than a few weeks), and can disrupt daily activities at work, school or in social relationships.

Symptoms of depression

Everyone experiences slightly different symptoms of depression. The list below details some of the more common signs and symptoms of depression:

depressed mood (feeling sad, empty, down or “blue”)
feelings of worthlessness
low self-esteem
tearfulness
dejection
prolonged mourning
loss of pleasure or interest in everyday things
changes in appetite (over or under eating)
insomnia, or excessive sleeping – sleep disturbance
low energy levels
difficulty concentrating
thoughts of death and suicide
often accompanied by anxiety

Treatment for depression

The two most common types of treatment for depression are psychotherapy and anti-depressant medication. Psychotherapy focuses on exploring emotions, and understanding the cause of depression. Anti-depressant medication boosts serotonin levels in the brain, so that depression symptoms are alleviated. These two forms of treatment can either be used separately or in conjunction. The earlier treatment is received, the easier it will be for the depressed person to return to their previous levels of functioning.

What if my partner or family member is depressed?

Having a depressed partner or family member can be incredibly draining. Offering support and a space to talk about their feelings is a good way to support your loved one. However, treatment by a professional is also needed, so encourage your partner or family member to find a treatment option that suits them.

Who suffers from depression?

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, with up to around 20% of the population experiencing depression at some point in their lifetime. Depression can be experienced from childhood into late adulthood. While many people experience their first bout of depression in their 20′s, this also an extremely common disorder in teens and older age groups. Slightly more women than men suffer from depression, although it is common in both genders.

What causes depression?

Depression is often triggered by a major life event such as the loss of a loved one, losing a job, divorce, a break up or during other difficult situations. Early life experiences and a family history of depression can also play a role.

Links

Helpguide.org on depression