Depression When Dealing With an Eating Disorder Essay Example

eating disorder have a distorted body image with severe obsessive fear of gaining body weight. Therefore, the victim tends to limit the amount of food he or she takes with increased physical exercise. The results are low body weight accompanied by starvation and malnutrition (National Institute of Mental Health, 2008). Binge Eating Disorders This is a one of eating disorder where an individual takes an excessive or high amount of foods even when not hungry as a way of distracting his or her mind from other problems in the environment.

What follows is that the victims feel shame, intense guilt and self-hatred after taking the excessive foods. On rare cases, it may involve repetitive diets or sporadic fasts which lead to change in body weight and shape (National Institute of Mental Health, 2008). Bulimia Nervosa In most cases, it begins with the patient dieting to reduce his or her weight. On extreme conditions, the patient may vomit, fast, over exercise or use diuretics, laxatives as a way of purging. If uncontrolled, the condition may become uncontrollable over time (National Institute of Mental Health, 2008).

Depression Depression may be defined as a serious condition that affects individual’s mental and physical health. It negatively influences how victims relate and think about their bodies. Some of the common features of depression are that the patient may feel weak. Lack interest in some daily chores and anxiety and irritable with simple issues making it difficult to concentrate (Strumia, 2011).

Link between Depression and Eating Disorders

According to the American National Institute of Mental Health report of 2008, 85% of individuals suffering from eating disorders have depression. Depression and eating disorders are two

separate mental conditions that may negatively distress the normal body functioning of the affected patient (National Institute of Mental Health, 2008). Depression is one factor that affects how people feel about themselves, which places them at a risk of adopting the poor eating habits. On the other hand, people with eating disorders has a higher chance of developing depression if they experience intense starvation which results in weight loss or rapid increase in weight due to over eating (Walsh & Cameron, 2005). In most cases, patients suffering from eating disorders have a worthlessness feeling towards life, hence, aim at perfectionism.

Perfectionism results to anxiety and depression which makes the patient suffer from a complete emotional and psychological trauma. For example, people suffering from binge eating disorder may become obese or overweight which places a negative perception about their look and shape. The disgusting feeling predisposes them to acquire depression. Depression changes their physical behaviour worsening the whole cycle (Peacock & Casey, 2000).

Effects of having depression when dealing with an eating disorder

Hormonal Changes According to Moragne (2001), depression affects the hormonal balance of the body exposing the patient to other fatal health conditions. For example, depression affects the brain portions that influence the production of reproductive hormones.

With depression, the individual’s dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and estrogen quality and quantity are reduced. These two hormones are important in bone formation and maintenance of healthy hearts (Moragne, 2001). Therefore, adolescents with depression while still suffering from eating disorder may have weaker bodies or even experience retarded growth. In women, depression may influence low bone density, infertility, and other female related complications. Furthermore, a combination of depression and Anorexia Nervosa

may result to a heart complication referred to as bradycardia. This is a fatal condition that affects the heart resulting to lowered heart rhythms, reduced blood pressure, lowered blood flow and eventually death.

People affected by eating disorders are in complete danger if attacked by depression because the imbalances in critical minerals such as magnesium, phosphate, calcium and potassium will not be distributed in the body (Peacock & Casey, 2000). The patient has a higher likelihood of getting electrolyte imbalance that results in heart failure. Therefore, depression while dealing with eating disorders is fatal because it negatively affects critical body organs. Neurological Problems Depression partially damages the central nervous system. In combination with eating disorder such as Anorexia, the patient is more likely to face disordered thinking, numbness in the hands and legs and disordered thinking.

This means that the patient can no longer work on calculative responsibilities such as driving. . Depression alters the structural makeup of the brain affecting normal functioning; therefore, the patient is at risk of causing unethical accidents or damages if no one is present to direct them. This is also accompanied by multiple organ failures and blood-related problems. Self-Harm Individuals with eating disorders have a negative feeling about their weight and shape; Crowned with depression, the patient feels the need to punish oneself due to the emotional dislike about the shape and weight.

Some pierce themselves with metals rings or wear tights clothing that affects the normal body performance. Others purge or isolate themselves from the normal socialization process which escalates the effects the depression levels. They end up losing weight to an extent that their body mass and weight goes completely

down due to starvation. With starvation, the individual is exposed to different diseases as the body system is weak (Strumia, 2011). Suicidal Thoughts People suffering from eating disorders may embrace suicidal or self-destructive thoughts after getting depression. A patient who have completely lost their body shape and weight feel hopeless, they stop caring about their future and acquire suicidal thoughts.

They take death as the only intervention that can remove the shame and perception the society has on them (Peacock & Casey, 2000). Furthermore, due to increased tension and pressures in the central nerves system, a patient may suffer from gum problems, tooth erosion, water retention, abdominal bloating or swelling. All may be followed by acute to severe stomach distress. In women, destructive thoughts affect their menstrual periods. Basically, depression influences the patient to secure self-destructive behaviours with faith that they will help lower the weight or reshape the body. For example, young girls and women begin smoking with an assumption that it will assist in lowering weight.

Continued smoking affects the respiratory system or even result in cancer of the throat. Therefore, depression makes the patient adopt fatal behaviours that end up complicating the whole health speculum of the patient (Walsh & Cameron, 2005). Others approve impulsive behaviours that make their life more miserable than they were. Most women believe that their heavy weight makes them less sexy and non-appreciable by men.

Depression powers them to apply dangerous impulsive behaviors such as kleptomania, self-cutting or even sexual promiscuity (Peacock & Casey, 2000). They do all these as a way of finding love or appreciation by from the society. For example, most women engaging in sexual promiscuity due

to self-hate end up getting sexually transmitted diseases which complicate the stability of their health (Strumia, 2011).

Sleeping Problems

Depression changes the sleep patterns of the affected patients making it difficult for them to have enough sleep.

Therefore, these patients suffer from loss of energy, tiredness, problem concentrating or making proper decisions. Lack of enough sleep time denies the body enough time to repair some destroyed cells, therefore, affecting the overall body immune system. For example, the patients may not understand which foods are good for their health and which ones has a destructive effect. They eat anything anytime as long as it lands in their stomach. They become completely helpless and hopeless about their life (Peacock & Casey, 2000). Also, their irritability affects how they relate to and with other people who would help them cope with the initial eating disorder effects.

According to National Institute of Mental Health, depression takes control of the eating habits making the eating disorders completely severe. It gives the individual negative perception about food resulting to altered eating patterns. Without enough nutrients, the body is weak, and the immune system is unstable. Therefore, having depression while dealing with eating disorders affects the immune system exposing the body to more diseases and complications than they were before. For example, clinical depression negatively affects the central nervous system.

A patient who over eat ends up getting type 2 diabetes while others face malnutrition (Strumia, 2011). A condition that affects the overall well-being of the patient.

Family and Marital Problems

Though an individual suffering from eating disorder may face family and marital problems, the presence of depression makes the condition even worse. Victims suffer

from stomach and head pains which negatively affects their sexual performance. This comes hand in hand with isolation in community and family matters, lose of a job or even premature death while under different medical conditions (Strumia, 2011).

All these complications originate from lack of motivation, low self-esteem, memory challenges and hopelessness that are all as a result of depression. In essence, while all these conditions are combined with the eating disorders, the patient is left at the mercy of medical physicians and clinicians who are competent to treat both disorders (Walsh & Cameron, 2005). One major sign of depression is constant pessimism on different issues happening around the patient’s environment. It culminates to self-loathing and inadequacy and back pains.

Increased uptake of the medication to lower depression increases the chances or resistible eating disorder (Strumia, 2011). Patients suffer from dry mouth, dizziness, vision problems, and constipation. Therefore, the individual suffering from eating disorders while having severe problems while releasing the boil as constipation has already hit the digestive system. This may result in complications such as hemorrhoids, ulcers or even stomach related complications (Peacock & Casey, 2000).

Summary

After the analysis, it’s clear that Depression and Eating Disorders are two separate complications that may affect an individual at the same time.

They are closely linked and makes the life of the affected individual miserable, hopeless and helpless. The American National Institute of Health has stated that one in every three eating disorder patients have depression. The effects of depression make the eating disorders a fatal and risky illness to the society (Peacock & Casey, 2000). Depression influences suicidal thoughts, drug and substance abuse, poor sleeping patterns, unstable

immune system, poor decision-making patterns and relationship problems with family and society. As a mental condition, depression makes the whole condition of eating disorder severely fatal and a death trap for many patients (Strumia, 2011).

Having understood this, it would be important to evaluate different ways of treating depression at the same time with eating disorders as two separate mental conditions.

Treatment

Depression may be treated using different techniques depending on its severity. This treatment requires professional health workers who monitor and treat the symptoms of depression at eating disorders at the same time. In general, eating disorders are treated through nutritional advice (mental and physical therapy). Though, in the presence of depression, the approach should be made more holistic to include other mental and psychological therapies that help reduce the effects of depression as well as eating disorders (Peacock & Casey, 2000). Counselling on Lifestyle Changes Lifestyle change is one multipurpose technique for treating both depression and eating disorders.

It makes the individual feel better about “self” and another surrounding environment. Controlled exercise works best in treating depression (Strumia, 2011). Physical Therapies Exercise works the same way as antidepressants where it boosts production of endorphins, serotonin and other feel-good brain chemicals that make it easy for the patient to appreciate self. Numerous therapist suggests about 30 to one hour of aerobics every day for patients suffering from eating disorders and who have depression as a second disorder (Peacock & Casey, 2000).

Psychological Therapies Psychological therapies are aimed at helping individuals with adopting positive thoughts that assist in handling family, perfectionism, and self-esteem and self-control problems. This therapeutic technique involved psycho-education and family and individual. They aim at

helping the patients re-evaluate and change their thinking patterns as a way of changing their reactions on life matters (Peacock & Casey, 2000). On the other hand, interpersonal therapies empower the patients to resolve and adopt life shifts in a more human manner. Psychological treatments are very critical in helping the individual recover as well as reduce the chances of depression recurrence. After the therapy session, the patient can easily cope with stressful situations in the society without having destructive thoughts (Walsh & Cameron, 2005).

Medication In case the individual is suffering from severe depression, health professionals may opt for antidepressant drugs. They may be administered together with physical and psychological therapies for easy and efficient recovery. The decision of the best medication for a depressed eating disorder patient is determined by the health professional treating the patient. But all drugs aim at reducing the destructive and adverse mental activities in the patients mind (Strumia, 2011).

Conclusion

After the evaluation, it is now clear that depression and eating disorders are two separate disorders that are intimately linked.

One disorder may increase the risks of acquiring the other. Therefore, depression while dealing with eating disorders is fatal as it affects how the body functions including the immune, central nervous system and the circulatory system. This gives the reason the condition is considered life-threatening (Walsh & Cameron, 2005). Patients with eating disorders are therefore required to seek medical advice from physicians as a way of reducing depression attacks.

Lastly, though the conditions are life threatening, they may be treated through physical and psychological therapies with support from drugs (Peacock & Casey, 2000).

References

• Moragne, W. (2001). Depression. Brookfield, Conn:
  

Twenty-First century Books.