Psychological Causes Of Eating Disorders And Binge Eating Problems
Causes of eating disorders are extremely varied, and psychological factors have to be taken into consideration.
Although our website is primarily focused on solutions and causes of BINGE EATING, such psychological difficulties can play an important part in ALL types of eating problems.
Psychological and emotional factors that may potentially be causes of eating disorders can include:
- Depression and anxiety: Many sufferers with eating disorders also have problems with depression and anxiety. However, these could either be contributing factors that help lead toward an eating disorder, OR could RESULT from the problem.
- Impulsive behaviour: including addictive behaviour. A sub-set of people with eating disorders
also take part in risk-taking behaviour such as excessive alcohol
or drug use, permissive sex, and other ways of acting without thinking
of, or necessarily caring about the consequences. A specific link
with excessive alcohol use has yet to be proven.
picture by James Jordan on Flickr.com
- Emotional triggers: Perhaps one of the most discussed psychological causes of binge eating are 'triggers' - feelings such as acute stress, anger, fear, loneliness or other painful emotions, which the sufferer reacts to by binging or other alternative methods such as vomiting, as a coping strategy. The binging or purging acts as a release for emotional tension. HOWEVER, many state that they binge-eat regardless of their mood.
- Difficulty coping / identifying / dealing with feelings and emotions: Emotions are internalised, and again, the eating behaviour acts as a release.
- Introverted, isolated personality, lacking in expression.
- Poor assertiveness / low confidence.
- Low self-worth and low self esteem, especially if closely linked to body image and appearance, can be significant contributing factors to the causes of eating disorders.
- Perfectionist personality - often including "all or nothing thinking": This way of thinking is very common and can be hard to refrain from. An example would be when a person is wanting to lose weight, and they have even a small amount of a food that they consider "forbidden", this can immediately mean that they think they have ruined their diet (they've "blown it"), and so they go to the other extreme of binge eating instead. This can turn into a repeating pattern, a viscous cycle that ends up as an eating disorder.
- Negative thought patterns: Often linked to low self esteem. Sufferers may believe themselves not worth helping and remain trapped in the destructive behaviour. They can believe that the eating disorder defines who they are, rather than seeing it as a separate behaviour that they can free themselves from.
- Learned behaviour/ relationship
patterns: Upbringing can play an important part in a person's
relationship to food, to their sense of self and to their body image,
therefore potentially being causes of binge eating or other eating
problems.
For instance, a history of eating disorder in the parent can influence the child's beliefs and behaviour, as can a parent who continuously focuses attention on the child's appearance and weight.
- Psychological turmoil regarding body shape and development, especially in teens and early
adulthood, are often considered as potential causes of eating disorders:
This emotional turmoil can be around issues regarding change or loss
of identity, fears around maturation or sexuality, all of which equal
a feeling of a loss of control.
This issue can be especially present in disorders such as Anorexia, where using food becomes a focus for regaining a sense of control. It is something that the individual can have complete control of, and thereby can have control over their body shape.
- Reaction (long-term or short-term) to traumatic and stressful events or situations: Such as bullying, teasing, abuse, break-up, un-resolved bereavement, rejection. It was once thought that a history of sexual abuse was more prevalent in people with eating disorders, but research now suggests this is not necessarily the case.
All such psychological factors can contribute to the causes of eating disorders and binge eating problems. Many or none of the issues discussed here may be present, and if they are, will merge and interact with other factors as well. Trying to find a single cause, 'the reason WHY' can be a fruitless task; perhaps what is more important, is just to have a sense of how you got to where you are, and with a feeling of self acceptance, being prepared to move forward in your life, towards finding your way to freedom from eating distress.
Physical causes of binge eating
