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Psychology behind eating disorders
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Written by Austin Woodard, Staff Writer
“I would just die to have that figure,” a young woman declared. Little did she know that three years later she would be doing just that as a victim of anorexia and bulimia.
Dr. Douglas Dunnell, a psychologist at the Renfrew Center of Connecticut, described the dangers of eating disorders to the Wingspan staff.
“An eating disorder statistically has a greater chance of killing you than any other psychiatric illness,” he said. “So these are very significant illnesses, and we know that there is a significant risk even if they don’t kill them that it will be a chronic illness and really lower their quality of life.”
Studies have shown that it is common for habitual actions of people with eating disorders to be similar. These range from minute actions to significant behaviors.
“I have witnessed that patients may have a tendency of compulsive behavior. Also it is not uncommon for them to constantly try to change their appearance to be more ‘beautiful,’ avoid social events and become very withdrawn,” Dunnell said.
Also there is thought to be a similar pattern of history among victims of eating disorders.
“Often patients that I encounter may have anxiety disorders, depression, parents with eating disorders and/or low self-esteem,” Dunnell said.
Many people wonder what the reasoning is behind this self-mutilation and self-destruction.
“A common reasoning for this is that they can’t control other things in their life, but they can control what they eat. Or they may be thinking that if they are thinner then the other problems in their life will be resolved,” Dunnell said. “Research shows that there is a genetic piece to this, but society plays a key role.”
Additionally there are some stereotypes and misconceptions that tend to be coupled with eating disorders.
“The most dangerous myth is that they are not serious. That continues to be the popular image. I think it has changed a little, but you can still hear that they are just bad habits or that the girls can choose to have one; it is a question of will power,” Dunnell said. “The second myth is that parents cause eating disorders. That is still a popular myth.”
As it is with many psychological disorders, eating disorders tend to begin as something that is quite harmless, but then escalate into a frightening downward spiral.
“When the person feels that they can’t stop the dieting,” Dunnell said, “or when the goal of thinness becomes the most important factor in determining self-worth and self-esteem, there is a problem. On a physical level, it is when someone has lost enough weight for physical consequences to occur.”
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