Living with an eating disorder is not a trend or a stage that anybody is going through. It has nothing to do with acquiring attention nor “losing a few pounds.” When someone is diagnosed with an eating disorder, they have totally lost control.
It’s starting off like a control issue. When all turns out to be out of control in your life, diet is something most survivors of eating disorder say is the easiest to control. It begins as a control mechanism in the turmoil of daily life. Then one day, it ends up controlling you.
Its not about nurturing their bodies and keeping hunger at bay anymore. Food will act as their salvation for one moment and as their greatest nightmare for the next, leaving them totally out of control of their bodies, their mind, and their whole life. This is exactly what it’s like to deal with an eating disorder.
- The Most Basic Act Of Eating Is Torture
Most people see eating food as an enjoyable moment of the day. But For people diagnosed with an eating disorder, the simple act of eating becomes stressful. The start thinking how that slice of pizza on their plate can damage their body and deteriorate their health. They become nervous over how they would look and the way people will see them, only to start to suffer more.
“I’ve been through periods of my life when I feel physically ill as I sit down at the dinner table. My palms sweat, my heart rate skyrockets, and my vision even get a little blurry. It’s more than just a concern that floats around in the back of our heads.”
- Thoughts Of Food Consume The Mind Most Of The Day
According to the National Centre for Eating Disorders in the UK, to “think and anguish about food all the time” is a primary characteristic of BED and other similar eating disorders.
Food is the lens via which they view the universe. They can’t do much during the day without worrying about food and eating at the same time. They can’t concentrate on the problems at hand and often fail to do the easiest things they’ve got to do.
- They’re Always Hyperaware Of What The People Around Them Are Eating
One of the reasons those with eating disorders are so anxious about eating in public is that they are nervous about their food consumption relative to others. They grow unhealthily obsessed with what others want to consume. That’s why they prefer to eat just when there are none around. That way, nobody will mock them or make them feel like they’re weirdos.
- They Secretly Want To Try Every Diet Fad You Encounter
An unhealthy body image and an eating disorder almost always go hand in hand. Influenced by the media, an obsession over the way they look makes them believe they need to change their bodies in order to suit what they see on their TV screens. And being highly insecure about that triggers you to be hyperaware of how people around you look like.
This is why people with eating disorders often secretly feel forced to try out every new diet program. Deep down they realize it’s all a sham, but their current relationship with food is ruining their lives.
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