How do you know if you have an eating disorder?

Are you overly: self-critical about your weight, your body shape or size? Do you diet often? Use laxatives or diuretics to maintain weight. Are you significantly over or under weight. Eat until you feel over-full? Scared to eat? Eat in secret? Do you over-exercise? Make yourself vomit to handle your weight? If any of things apply - encourage medical and psychiatric evaluation. Take care.

Not a simple answer: This is a challenging question. Sometimes eating disorders are very obvious, such as binging and then purging or using laxatives to prevent gaining weight. At times, one can be addicted to exercise, and there never seems to be a point where you want to stop. This requires seeing a doctor and psychiatrist. Eating disorders often share a distorted body image, believing one is fat though underweight.

If you're thinking .: about food,and eating more than you "should" be, and it has become obsessive, and it takes away from enjoyment from other aspects of your life, you might have an eating disorder. An eating disorder is similar to an addiction in that way. If you have a preoccupation with what your body looks like, or what you believe it should look like you may need counseling. Call an eating disorder specialist.

The fact that you: are asking this question you are concerned there is a problem. See you doctor or a counselor to be evaluated.

Document them: Keep a diet diary and show your doctor after you have more than two weeks recorded. Record what foods and how much you ate as well as the time and date. Also record behavior such as vomiting, skipping meals or taking laxatives.

Worth exploring!: I say if you think you might have an eating disorder, that's reason enough to visit with a specialist/psychologist and explore your eating behavior and related concerns; if not a full fledge disorder, eating does get disturbed, at times, as a symptom or an indicator of other psychological dynamics or issues worth addressing and resolving. Exploring can do no harm, and likely lots of good!

See below: Obtain an evaluation from a psychiatrist with experience in the latest advances in eating disorders to understand the nature and extent of the problem. As you are local, please use the contact information in my profile to determine how we can be of help.

Expert consultation : The best way to decide it you have an eating disorder is to see an eating disorder specialist for a complete evaluation. Could be a psychiatrist , counselor or psychologist.If you are preoccupied with your wt and eating you might."the diet cure" is a book you also might find useful.

Questions... : Are you underweight for your height, but think you are fat? Do you obsess about gaining weight ; think you are fat, although others tell you you are too thin. Have you stopped menstruating? Do you nibble at your food ; throw most of it away? If you are worried, it is probably worth consulting with a therapist who specializes in anorexia. It is hard to treat ; very important to take care of !

Call NEDA, Ask Q's: Speak w/someone re ur specific concerns @nat'l assn of anorexia nervosa ; related disorders (neda) helpline: (630) 577-1330. 4 educat'l info re eating disorders: neda website (http://bit.Ly/16crmyh) ; website of eating disorders info network (http://myedin.Org). Signs include: poor body image; probs enjoying food; eating/exercise habits; trouble expressing emotions; moodiness; self-harming.

Questions...: Are you underweight for your height, but think you are fat? Do you obsess about gaining weight ; think you are fat, although others tell you you are too thin. Have you stopped menstruating? Do you nibble at your food ; throw most of it away? If you are worried, it is probably worth consulting with a therapist who specializes in anorexia. It is hard to treat and very important to treat.