Eating Disorders

Brisbane/Gold Coast – Recovery Support Specialist

Eating Disorders come in all shapes and sizes and all varying levels. They are characterised by excessive concerns about shape and weight leading to a number of harmful, damaging and often obsessive weight control behaviours.

The Australian Centre for Eating Disorders has been set up to provide a network of dedicated and knowledgeable practitioners who are trained to identify and work with the many complexities of Eating Disorders.

Charmaine Dunn is a Practitioner trained and registered with The Australian Centre of Eating Disorders for Eating Disorder, Obesity & Bariatric Surgery Support. If you or someone you know needs assistance please feel free to contact me on 0414303719.

Healing and recovery is possible.

acfed Eating Disorderswww.acfed.com.au

 

Recovery is stated as:

Recovery is when the person can accept his or her natural body size and shape and no longer has a self-destructive or unnatural relationship with food or exercise. When you are recovered you do not use eating disorder behaviours to deal with, distract from, or cope with other problems. When recovered, you will not compromise your health or betray your soul to look a certain way, wear a certain size or reach a certain number on the scales

(Costin, Monte Nedo Treatment Centre, 2008).

 

What are the Eating Disorders?

Did you know that eating disorders can present in many different forms? Following is a brief outline of the different types of eating disorders.

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating DisorderDid you know that Binge Eating Disorder is the most common type of eating disorder? Approximately 50% of those who would be labelled obese/morbidly obese will report frequent binge eating episodes.
Binge Eating is categorised by

  • Frequent and recurrent episodes of eating large volumes of food in a short space of time. These binges are accompanied by a loss of control over eating and an inability to stop the binge.
  • Eating very quickly, eating without being hungry and eating to a level of significant discomfort beyond the point of full.
  • Feelings of guilt and shame about the amount of food consumed and how the food was eaten. Secretive behaviours around food, often choosing to eat alone.
  • Binges often occur at times of high emotion e.g. stress, anger, overwhelm.

Binge eating tends to result in weight gain, which sets off a path of sporadic fasts, cleanses, chronic yo-yo dieting & restriction, which almost always leads to more binge eating. This cycle may continue for years without ever being diagnosed.

 

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is characterised by recurrent bingeing (large quantities of food) followed by purging or other compensatory behaviour.
A person living with Bulimia Nervosa may be an average weight or slightly above or below the average weight for height. Unfortunately, many people, including some health professionals, to incorrectly assume that unless a person  is underweight they cant have an eating disorder; because of this, Bulimia Nervosa is often missed and can go undetected for years.

Dieting and restriction often lead to the destructive cycle of bingeing and purging. The more ridged the diet becomes, the more likely deprivation and inadequate nutrition will trigger an obsession with food. An overriding urge to eat then follows; this is the body’s way of balancing out; it demands nutrition. As hunger and deprivation build, the compulsion to eat becomes too powerful to stop; the binge occurs, followed by guilt and self-loathing, then a compensatory behaviour – vomiting/laxatives/excessive exercise, etc., desperate need to wipe the slate clean.

A repeat of weight-loss dieting often follows, leading to a binge/purge/exercise cycle that becomes more compulsive and uncontrollable over time. 

Orthorexia

Whilst not currently formally recognized in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), Orthorexia is increasing as “clean eating” has become more popular.

Orthorexia, while having some similarities with anorexia nervosa, is an excessive obsession with “clean”, “pure”, or “healthy” food, although what this means will differ from one person to another.

For some, it means avoiding certain social situations because of concern that food is not going to be “clean”, it can mean removing whole food groups or cutting food out that is seen as unhealthy, unsafe or bad, without medical precedent. It can mean feeling highly anxious and/or guilty when the “right” food is not available or when deviating from the strict guidelines they conform to. It can mean an obsessive concern over the relationship between food choices and health issues. When “clean eating” becomes obsessive, and somebody is beginning to change their behaviours to focus on the obsession and away from a balanced approach to life, there is a problem. 

Night Eating Syndrome

Night Eating Syndrome forms part of the EDNOS (eating disorders not elsewhere specified). Night Eating Syndrome includes recurrent episodes of night eating (75% of calories eaten at night). It may consist of excessive food consumption after the evening meal or excessive food consumption after waking during the night.

In some cases, the excessive eating occurs in a trance/sleep state with little to no memory of the episode the next day. 

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterised by self-starvation, excessive weight loss and an obsessive fear of gaining weight.

Please note: Charmaine does not work with Anorexia Nervosa as it requires treatment by multidisciplinary team. Please find following a list of resources if you or your loved one is in need of support:

Australia Wide

The Butterfly Foundation – 1800 334673

Brisbane 

Eating disorders QLD – Phone 3844 6055 – eatingdisordersqueensland.org.au

Centre for Integrative Health – Phone – 3172 5851 – info@cfih.com.au

Gold Coast

Robina Private Hospital – 07 5665 5100 – robina.admissions@aurorahealth.com.au

Disordered Eating

Disordered eating are patterns of behaviour that does not meet the diagnostic criteria of an eating disorder but may include similar features. Long-term disordered eating may or may not lead to an eating disorder.

Common disordered eating behaviours include:

  • Fasting or restrictive eating
  • Binge eating
  • Skipping meals
  • Self-induced vomiting
  • Chronic yo-yo dieting
  • Unbalanced eating (eg restricting/removing whole food groups)
  • Laxative, enema or diuretic abuse
  • Steroid use
  • Diet Pills/Other drugs (Prescription or otherwise)

Long-term disordered eating causes many issues physically, mentally and emotionally, it may or may not lead to a diagnosed eating disorder. Whatever your relationship with food; recovery is possible…

Regardless of the food/eating/body/weight issue you have, support is available. Please contact Charmaine for further information or to discuss your specific circumstances.

CONSULTATION:

Initial Consults & Assessment Sessions are approx. 90 minutes -$190.00

4 & 6 Session packages are available just ask.

Subsequent Consultations of 60 mins are $145.00 or 90 min are $190.00

Contact Us to organise your session
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