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It may seem difficult to comprehend but Individuals diagnosed with
eating disorders are suffering from very severe mental illnesses.
Often, the seriousness of these disorders is overlooked and the
blame is put on the individual for not being able to understand
what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. Eating disorders, like
other illnesses such as PTSD, OCD or Alzheimer’s, should be taken
very seriously and all actions should be taken to help nurture the
patient back to health.
One of the biggest misconceptions of eating disorders is that every
illness is the same. A person diagnosed with an eating disorder
isn’t necessarily skipping meals and eating next to nothing every
day. In fact, it can be just the opposite.
Most people classify eating disorders into two categories – bulimia
and anorexia. And while many individuals are quick to classify the
two illnesses, few people actually know how to identify which is
which.
Below you will find some of the major differences between bulimia
and anorexia:
1. Anorexic individuals are likely to skip meals and refrain from
eating while bulimic individuals are prone to binge eating and purging
afterwards.
2. Individuals suffering from anorexia will appear weak, with physical
characteristics such as frail bones and sunken-in cheeks while bulimia
sufferers are more likely to have swollen cheeks and rotten/extremely
unhealthy looking teeth.
3. Studies show that anorexia usually occurs in teenage girls while
bulimia tends to affect women in their early to mid-twenties.
4. Individuals with anorexia are likely to appear much smaller than
individuals suffering from bulimia. Generally, anorexic women lose
the most weight (because they become obsessed with their appearance)
while bulimic individuals are less obsessive about their weight
but still scared of gaining extra pounds.
5. Anorexia is much more difficult to treat than bulimia. Often,
anorexic individuals must undergo hospitalization and intensive
suicide watch while being treated for this disease. Countless hours
of therapy and counselling are generally needed to restore the individual
back to stable health. Therapy and counselling is also recommended
for individuals suffering from bulimia, but hospitalization if often
rare. Antidepressant medication is sometimes prescribed in order
to help the person refrain from binge eating.
If you have anorexia or bulimia or know someone who does, it’s important
to seek help. There are many organizations dedicating to helping
individuals overcome these illnesses.
Adella Klein is an advocate of positive Mental
Health. She is very knowledgeable on all aspects of healthy
living but specializes in helping individuals overcome Eating
Disorders. In her spare time, she frequently contributes her
knowledge to OneHealthyLifestyle.com.
Article Source: articlecity.com:
Leading Differences between Anorexia and Bulimia
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