Seeking Treatment for Eating Disorders in College

I am a recovering anorexic and bulimic. My eating disorder started when I was a young teenager, it was greatly exacerbated by my later high school and college years. Most eating disorders are not simply as cut and dried as someone refusing to eat or someone choosing to "binge and purge." Most eating disorders are extremely complex, and are a combination of physical and emotional issues.

It's important to stress the fact up front, that eating disorders are not a behavioral or rebellion issue. Eating disorders are extremely real diseases, and can have deadly consequences if not diagnosed quickly and treated properly.

It isn't uncommon for eating disorders to begin during the middle teen years or the first year of college. This is a period of time for most people that includes a tremendous amount of stress and feeling "pressured" from all sides. The teen years and early twenties are some of the most stressful years of a person's life. Usually an eating disorder will also come along with other mental health issues- panic disorders, depression, and even alcohol or substance addiction.

The two primary eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa (which includes intense and unreasonable fear of gaining weight or being "fat", refusal to eat, and often times over-exercising) and Bulimia Nervosa (which includes "binges"- eating a huge amount of food and then "purging", either through self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, enemas, taking diuretics or even excessive exercise.). Binge Eating disorder is the third most common eating disorder, and it is characterized by over-eating, or "binging", without compensating in some way the amount of food eaten or calories consumed.

College students who develop eating disorders are a huge concern in the mental health field. Sufferers from these disorders often try very hard to hide their behavior, and it can be extremely difficult to gage whether there is a problem or not until serious health problems- or even death- occur. Eating disorders are commonly developed during times of extreme stress or upheaval, which is why it tends to first show up during the college years.

If you are a college student suffering from an eating disorder, there is help out there- please be open to seeking help. An eating disorder is a dangerous disease that can kill you very quickly. Talk to your local campus mental health office, call a crisis hot-line, or confide in a family member or friend who can help you find the help you need.

If you are a friend or family member of someone whom you suspect has an eating disorder, it's important to speak up. Make sure to tell your loved one how concerned you are about them, offer to help them take the necessary steps to get help. Don't try to "fix" them, or dismiss their feelings, but do urge them to seek professional help. Recovery from an eating disorder requires professional help and intervention. If your loved one refuses to seek help, talk to someone else who may be able to help you help your loved one get the help he or she needs. Do not give up!

Eating disorders are very dangerous to those suffering from them, but they are very treatable. Don't give up hope, and seek help! It's important for all college campuses and high school campuses to realize just how rampant eating disorders are among their students, and to make sure to have the resources available to students and families of students with eating disorders. The more we educate students and families, the less tragic consequences will occur.

Eating disorders are nothing to play around with or to ignore. They aren't healthy- they can kill.