If you’re suffering from an eating disorder, it’s important to be able to recognize the top symptoms. Keep reading to uncover 5 eating disorder signs today.
Nearly 8 million Americans have an eating disorder. Are you one of them?
It’s common to experience a denial when if comes to a disorder. Many people feel embarrassment or shame when they realize they have a problem.
But having a disorder is not something to be ashamed about. Being honest with yourself and others is the first step to any kind of recovery. There is always hope. Programs like the Prescott House Addiction Treatment Program are always there to change your life.
And yet, knowing whether you have an eating disorder can sometimes be hard to determine. So, set your mind at ease, let’s look at five signs you have an eating disorder.
1. Experiencing Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem is a symptom of deeper psychological problems. Your body can be “perfect” according to society, and yet you feel you need to lose weight. And once you fall into the vortex of an eating disorder, the lack of nutrients and calories worsens your feeling about yourself. If you have a hard time looking people in the eye, walk around with slumped shoulders, or find yourself suddenly unhygienic, you might suffer from depression.
2. A Fine Layer of Extra Body Hair
If you’ve ever held a baby, you’ll notice a fine layer of body hair. This is called lanugo. Usually, after a newborn sheds this hair layer, they don’t grow it back. But people with eating disorders will grow this fine layer because of a severe lack of nutrition. This lack of nutrition results in a lack of body fat, and a lack of body fat means extra hair is needed to warm the body. Thus the body grows lanugo.
3. Yellow Colored Teeth
Anorexia is an easy disorder to see. People with anorexia are typically extremely underweight. But bulimia is much harder to spot. Someone with bulimia can actually be a little overweight. The best way to tell if someone has bulimia is by their teeth. Stomach acid corrodes teeth. Of course, if you’re constantly throwing up your food after meals, you either have stomach problems or you have bulimia. It really depends on if you’re making yourself throw up or you just throw up automatically.
4. No More Periods
If you restrict your calories too much and you’re a woman, you can stop having periods. If you stop having periods and you aren’t pregnant or menopausal, you might want to consider your eating habits. Starving yourself can cause this. And if you’re eating little to nothing every day and your periods have stopped for no other reason, you should seek help.
5. Sudden Change in Appearance
Of course, if you grow hair, long teeth, and claws, run for the hills. But if you lose weight rapidly or rollercoaster in your weight, check your eating habits. Facebook and Instagram are great tools for gauging changes in appearance. If you look a lot thinner than you did a few months ago and you don’t need to lose weight, check your eating habits.
There Is No Shame
Admitting that you need help isn’t shameful. It might save your life. If you suspect you have a problem, seek a professional for help right away.