Everything we do, think and feel is recorded and encoded in the brain. Repeating patterns over time shapes and trains the brain.

If we become aware of this we will realize how important it is to be attentive to what is paid attention to and to what we dedicate time and space in our mind.

Our experiences leave their mark. If we are curious and strengthen the ability to stop for a while and pay attention to what is going on internally, we can transform the way we experience what we feel and the responses we give.

Eating Disorders, a response to a set of deep and difficult emotions that need to be understood in order to understand the role of ED in a person’s life. With curiosity and connection, helping the inner system, understanding it, and seeking to achieve internal transformation so that the ED stops doing what it does without it being by force

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food and feeling a lack of control over these same episodes. This binge eating is followed by behavior that compensates for overeating, such as forced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or diuretics, fasting, excessive exercise or a combination of these behaviors.
Unlike anorexia nervosa, people with bulimia nervosa generally maintain what is considered a healthy or normal weight, while some are slightly overweight. As people with anorexia nervosa, they often dread gaining weight, desperately want to lose weight, and are intensely unhappy with the size and shape of the body. Usually, bulimic behavior is done secretly because it is often accompanied by feelings of disgust or shame. The cycle of binge eating and purging occurs anywhere, several times a week, many times a day.

Other symptoms include:

– Chronic and inflamed throat pain
– Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw
– Enamel of spent teeth, increasingly sensitive and decaying teeth as a result of exposure to stomach acid
– Acid reflux disorder and other gastrointestinal problems
– Intestinal discomfort and irritation of laxative abuse
– Severe fluid drainage dehydration
– Electrolyte imbalance (very low or very high levels of sodium, calcium, potassium and other minerals) that can lead to heart attack.

What are the different types of Eating Disorders?

• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Binge Eating disorder

According to the DSM-5 criteria, to be diagnosed as having Anorexia Nervosa a person must display:

• Persistent restriction of energy intake leading to significantly low body weight (in context of what is minimally expected for age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health) .
• Either an intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat, or persistent behaviour that interferes with weight gain (even though significantly low weight).
• Disturbance in the way one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body shape and weight on self-evaluation, or persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current low body weight.

Restricting type:  this is the most commonly known type of Anorexia Nervosa whereby a person severely restricts their food intake.  Restriction may take many forms (e.g. maintaining very low calorie count; restricting types of food eaten; eating only one meal a day) and may follow obsessive and rigid rules (e.g. only eating food of one colour).

Binge-eating or purging type:  less recognised; a person restricts their intake as above, but also during some bouts of restriction the person has regularly engaged in binge-eating OR purging behaviour (e.g. self induced vomiting, over-exercise, misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas).

Many people with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight, even when they are clearly underweight. Eating, food and weight control become obsessions. People with anorexia nervosa usually weigh themselves repeatedly, weigh food and eat very small amounts of just certain foods. Some people with anorexia nervosa may also engage in binge eating, followed by extreme dieting, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting and / or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Some people who developed anorexia nervosa recover with treatment after only one episode. Others recover but have relapses. Still others have a more chronic or enduring form of anorexia nervosa, in which their state of health is at risk.

Other symptoms that may develop over time, including:

– Decreased bone mineral density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
– Fragile hair and nails
– Dry and yellowish skin
– Growth of fine hair throughout the body (lanugo)
– Anemia, muscle loss and weakness
– Low blood pressure, slower breathing and pulse
– Damage to the structure and function of the heart
– Multiorgan failure
– Low internal temperature of the body, making a person cold all the time
– Slow down, or feeling tired all the time
– Infertility.

What are the different types of Eating Disorders?

• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Binge Eating Disorder

Although we can try to characterize the humor physically, often what we see in the other, does not explain their difficulties internally. We can observe someone who presents characteristics related to good humor, however internally the feeling can be totally the opposite.

The humor is difficult to measure, hard to perceive and even difficult to define. At the level of good humor, although often deludes the exact definition is, even for the most distracted of the observers: raised head, facial smile, positive energy, right shoulders, light and calm step. As for the low mood: head low, facial features fall like head, energy is low and lack of glare in the look.

“… Since psychotherapy began, her mood has worsened. She cries often, feels guilty, says she hates us. This is not the daughter I know … “

It is very natural that you ask yourself and consider that maybe the treatment does not go well, right?

It turns out, however, that in the recovery of Eating Disorders, mood may not be an indicator of treatment efficacy. The most successful weight restoration is, for example, accompanied by the darkest mood. Most (but not all) young girls with anorexia nervosa report being afraid of getting well. You may want to, as long as it does not involve weight gain.
If on the one hand, losing weight promotes some kind of satisfaction to some internal part of the system, on the other hand, gaining weight is scary. So when a victim of anorexia nervosa excused some kind of action with the intention of losing weight, it can promote pleasure to some internal part of the system. And yet it is horrible. When weight restoration is needed, you may be sad, conflicted, depressed. And yet it is good.

I have often heard reports from parents describing how difficult it is to walk when a young woman is on treatment. The panic, the despair and the aggression come from a person who has always been docile, caring and gentle.
Task is not easy to observe that the son or daughter are in pain. In addition to despair, impotence and frustration, for parents, feelings of pain are also naturally

Who do we blame?

The disease.

Inevitably bring attention to facts, thoughts and feelings, but none of them is as powerful as being present in what is important with unconditional love and acceptance.

This is an extremely important topic when it comes to Eating Disorders. Nowadays, it is perceived as a positive effort by the media, in matters of fashion, magazines, advertising or other, to be more comprehensive and open with regard to different types of bodies. However, in this respect, it should be emphasized that little or nothing will be closely related to ED.

Sufferers are often advised to use Mindfulness as an aid in improving body image perception, actively working on self-acceptance, perceiving negative thoughts about the body, and finally “releasing” them and thinking positively.

If it were that easy, it certainly would not have been so many people to suffer from this arduous problem. It would only be superficial work, since it is very difficult and if not impossible, for a person with an ED to think more positively about his body. Seeking Mindfulness and thinking positively about the body when you hate it could result in increased frustration and irritation, bearing in mind that the focus would continue to be directed at the body, leaving aside all other components that together are in the form of ED.

Focusing on components internally in different parts and their functions, divert the attention of the outside, promoting curiosity and growth at the emotional level, in this way the way to achieve self-esteem is open.

It may sound like a reckless statement, it will be easy to think that Eating Disorders (ED) are only related to food, body weight and disgust.

I would like to encourage you to consider that this disturbance is much more complex than simply being unable to resist certain foods, not having the willpower or controlling in detail what you eat.
On the outside ED may not seem sensible, but to those who suffer there is an “internal logic”. Despite the difficulties caused by it, it may be difficult for someone to break free in as far as the ED intension will protect some deep feeling that can not be re-experienced and that to some extent has a number of protectors in the service.

Reinaldo Diniz