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INTRODUCTION:

Eating Disorders are mental disorders that can be caused by parental neglect, extreme bullying, body shaming, etc. Eating disorders are also genetically associated. That means, if anyone in the family previously suffered from such disorders, there is a higher chance that infants/ children may also suffer. People with these disorders generally have low self-esteem, self-hatred, and anxiety. Eating Disorders can broadly be categorised into three: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder respectively.

ANOREXIA NERVOSA:

  1. Symptoms: Irregular sleeping habits (inability to sleep-insomnia), frequent dizziness, malnutrition, hair thinning, weak body immunity, stomach ache, etc
  2. Treatment types:
    Individual Therapy
    Family Therapy
    Group Therapy
  3. To help those close to you: This Disorder is usually self-diagnosable and it's very important for people to know that acceptance generally plays a huge role in such cases. The patients will never by themselves disclose this information despite knowing it because they either normalize their habits or they don’t feel comfortable enough to share something like this. Please be observant and if you notice anyone close to you suffering from the above symptoms, seek immediate help.
  4. Relapse: Relapse is something that is not uncommon when eating disorders are considered and that’s important to avoid it at all costs. It’s something people suffering from an ED do, they go back to disordered eating habits while in recovery.

POEMS (SELF-WRITTEN) FOR AWARENESS OF SUCH CONDITIONS:

1.

And if I can stop eating all together,
tell me mirror,
do you think I'll look pretty?
preety enough so that
I'm not just an embarrassment anymore,
So what if I can't stop counting calories
and voices in my head are getting louder day by day,
So what if I can't sleep on an empty stomach
and have lost count of all the sleepless nights I've spent,
So what if weighing scales terrify me
and anything I ever eat tastes like giving up,
So what if I run an extra mile to look beautiful
and throw up every time I feel that I'm ugly,
It's all fine if I become skinny,
After all beauty is pain, isn't it?

2.

Looking in the mirror
comparing myself
with all those beautiful girls,
voices crawl inside my mind
telling me that even I can be pretty,
just need to be empty from within,
Sleepless tired eyes & shaking belly,
urges are strong but I can fool my mind,
just suppress them and I'll be fine,
Weighing scales and calories are all decreasing day by day,
But the mirror is a lie,
cause looking in it,
all I see an ugly girl on the other side.

REAL-LIFE CASES AND CURRENT STATS:

a) CASES:

  • Bella Hadid: Developed anorexia in high school and it’s also associated with using a calorie counting app. She also mentioned that looking at herself in the mirror seems to be the most difficult task, even to this day.
  • Zayn Malik: He was once a member of a renowned band, one direction. He developed the disorder while was in the band and stated that his eating habits got to a point where he would go for days, maybe two or three without eating anything at all. He lost so much weight that he became seriously ill.
  • Demi Lovato: She is one of the celebrities who was treated for anorexia and bulimia in 2010. She talked about she never believed that she can live up to age 21. She also talks about relapse in one of the documentaries.

b) STATS:

  • Common: More than 1 million cases per year (India)
  • At least 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from an eating disorder, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

CONCLUSION:

Eating disorders are usually considered the highest fatality rate among all the other mental disorders. It takes months, even years to be able to recover from such disorders. Dear all, please understand the gravity of these conditions and support anyone going through it. It is the point where they need your faith and support the most. In the end, I would like all the readers to take care of themselves. Love yourself and always believe in yourself because I believe in you.

HELP-LINE CONTACT:

DRAMA & SONG REFERENCES:

Eating disorders also gain the attention of people through dram series/ songs. Awareness of these is very crucial in today’s society. Some of them which were a part of making me aware are as follows:

  • Tomorrow-Korean Drama: It shows Shin Ye-Na suffering from an eating disorder in Episode 7. She was once fat and bullied by her schoolmates which led to her present-day habits of skipping meals and overly-conscious thoughts about a healthy body. It is also shown how she is captivated in the vicious cycle of eating and throwing up by her own self. I personally loved the part where she is shown letting go of her inner voice by the key that was actually in her own hands all this while.
  • The Good Bad Mother-Korean Drama: It shows a boy suffering from disordered eating habits because of his mother’s constant nagging to eat less in order to achieve higher work efficiency. He, at later stages of life finds himself not being able to eat enough even when his mother urges him to do so. I love the part where they portray this show from a parent’s point of view as well, hence its title. It shows great character development and self-realisation on the mother’s part and slows yet sure recovery on the son’s part. I also like the part where they show a boy suffering from an ED, which shows that it's uncommon even in boys.
  • Empty-Song (Boyinaband, Jaiden): This song is truly a mentally- healing song. At the start, it mentions the start of the disorder and its symptoms. Followed by their consequences on our mental and physical health ending with a soft plea/ realization on the patient’s part: that it's okay to seek help and they are not suffering this alone. I personally love its ending because it signifies hope like a ray of light in darkness.

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REFERENCES:

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