Eating Disorder & Psychologists on Gold Coast

It is one of the most common health issues these days. More and more new cases of eating disorders have been recorded so far. They don't seem to stop anytime soon. If anyone in your family is suffering from an eating disorder, it is a medical emergency. Treatment is necessary before it's too late.

What is an Eating Disorder?

The general definition is that an eating disorder is a type of irregular eating habits and severe distress about body weight or shape. It can be related to eating excess or eating less with a fear to gain weight. The most common forms of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Bing Easting Disorder. It may affect both males and females. Usually, females suffer from the disorder more than males. It is a kind of mental disorder that needs help from a licensed psychologist  on  Gold  Coast. The type of disorder can develop during any stage in life but typically appear during teenage or young adulthood. It is also known as a medical illness that can cause death.

Eating disorders commonly comprise other conditions such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse.

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa

Any male or female suffering from the disorder has an obsessive fear of gaining weight. They refuse to maintain a healthy body weight and can make an unrealistic perception of body image. They consume a small amount of food. The health condition makes them underweight, reduce their metabolism, increase depression and bone loss. Some major health issues are brain damage, multi-organ failure, and infertility.

Bulimia Nervosa

The eating disorder is characterized by repeated binge eating. It is a kind of overeating that may affect your body and mental health. Overeating can cause forced vomiting, excessive exercise or extreme use of laxatives. Those who suffer from health problems have a fear of weight gain. They are not so happy with their body shape and size. It creates a feeling of shame and guilt.

Binge Eating Disorder

Individuals who are going through the problem may lose their control over their eating. Those who suffer from the disorder may feel guilt and embarrass about their eating patterns.

Treatment of Eating Disorder

The treatment involves four things- medical care, nutrition, medication, and therapy.

The high concern of the treatment is monitoring the patient's eating habits, If there is any health issue causing an eating disorder, it needs to be identified through medical care or checkup.

It includes addition nutrition to the food slowly for weight restoration. Various types of effective diet plans are followed considered the type of eating disorder.

Medications are recommended to stabilize the mood and anxiety-related symptoms.

Medications cannot be effective until it is provided with therapy. Here a psychologist plays a prominent role. Different forms of psychotherapy are combined to treat the patient such as CBT, IPT, RCT and many more.