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Eating Disorders and the Possible Causes

What causes eating disorders? That question has been pondered for decades. And the truth is that eating disorders are not caused by a single factor, it is complicated and there are many factors that contribute to the making of an eating disorder, as well as the severity of that disorder. Things such as stress, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, as well as genetic and biological factors all contribute to the development of this serious disorder, just how much is up for debates. It is also true that issues like low self-esteem and dependency problems are common to people with eating disorders.

Anorexia

Avoidant and dependent personality disorders are most commonly noted in patients with anorexia. The most common symptoms exhibited in such disorders are perfectionism, being perceived as being "good", non-rebellious, and being emotionally or sexually inhibited. People with these disorders are terrified of being let down, humiliated or criticized. Another common characteristic associated with anorexia is depression, which is usually more severe in the winter months.

Bulimia

Borderline and histrionic personality disorders are most commonly found in patients with bulimia. The characteristics that are present with many bulimic patients are obsessive fears, inability to be alone, anger control issues, impulse control problems, and unstable moods and thought patterns. They often use temper tantrums, suicide threats and anything else that will have manipulative effects. As a general rule, bulimia appears to be a harder disorder to treat than anorexia, possibly because of the roots it stems from.

It has been estimated that 69% of patients with anorexia and 33% of patients with bulimia have been diagnosed with OCD tendencies. Generally speaking, women that suffer from anorexia together with OCD may become obsessed with exercise, dieting, and food. The most common compulsive rituals to expect in this case would be weighing the food before eating it, cutting it up into bite size pieces and packaging it into tiny portions. Patients with bulimia tend to suffer from things like phobias, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorders.

It is important to know that an eating disorder is not normally cured by treating and relieving depression alone. It is known that social, psychological and even biologic factors can cause dysmorphic disorder. People with this disorder have a distorted view of their body and anorexic or bulimic behavior is often the result.

Lastly, it is commonly known that negative influences and an insecure family life can contribute to eating disorders. Children that have been criticized for things throughout their childhood have a much greater chance of developing eating disorders. According to recent studies, mothers of bulimic patients are often critical and detached, as where mothers of anorexic patients tend to be over-involved in their child's life. It is also common for people with eating disorders to have parents with an alcohol or substance abuse problem. Another interesting find is that psychiatric disorders are typically present more often in parents with bulimic children and the same is true for sexual abuse, the instance is higher in bulimic patients as well.