People with eating disorders need to feel accepted and needed in
their community. This need becomes focused on food. Often they have been abused either
mentally, sexually, or physically, as children and need to feel in control with at least
one area in their life.
Lack of parents attention in early years can also be a trigger to an eating disorder. The
relationship with food and even the associated problems can give people a sense of
identity. It is something of their own and it is particular to them.
Images presented by the media, actresses or actors, can also contribute to the problems
they have. As young women are growing up they are loaded with images of supermodels and
Hollywood glamour. These looks are unattainable for most of the common people and yet
these glamorous people are our idols.
Depression goes hand-in-hand with eating disorders. It is one of the main causes of eating
disorders. You can be depressed because of your eating disorder, and you can also develop
an eating disorder because you are depressed. You usually develop an eating disorder as a
way to deal with a problem or conflict in your life. An example of this would be sexual
abuse, although it is very different for every person effected. An event like this can
trigger both depression and an eating disorder. When a person cope with life, it pulls you
down. Also many people with eating disorders feel unworthy (a trait of Confirmed
Negativity Condition) and that they are not deserving of food, and indeed most
"luxuries." You feel sad and unhappy all the time, and believe that you deserve
to feel this way.
The good news is that depression is very curable. This is done
through counseling and/or therapy or medication, or a combination of both.
Anti-depressants (like Prozac) can help increase seroton in levels and therefore improve
mood. Therapy involves talking to people about your problems and why life seems so hard.
It is a big step to admit that you need help, but it is also the best thing you'll ever
do. You don't have to feel this way, you do not have to feel sad and lonely all the time.
Help is out there. It is just up to you to take advantage of it.