TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT NOW – APPROXIMATELY 24 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES SUFFER FROM AN EATING DISORDER. IT IS AMONG THE DEADLIEST MENTAL ILLNESSES, SECOND ONLY TO OPIOID ADDICTION, RESULTING IN APPROXIMATELY 10,200 DEATHS EACH YEAR. HERE TO DISCUSS IS LINDSAY SUSI, THE CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR SWEETSER’S NEW ENGLAND EATING DISORDERS PROGRAM. LINDSAY – THANK YOU FOR COMING IN TODAY. SOME MIGHT FIND IT SURPRISING TO LEARN THAT EATING DISORDERS ARE A FORM OF MENTAL ILLNESS. WHAT MAKES IT A MENTAL ILLNESS? THOUGH EATING DISORDERS DO HAVE A MEDICAL COMPONENT, ULTIMATELY WHAT IS CREATING THE BEHAVIOR IS A DISTORTED THINKING PATTERN. WHEN INDIVIDUALS ENGAGE IN DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIORS, THIS IS DUE TO A THOUGHT PATTERN THAT CONVINCES THE PERSON TO ENGAGE IN THE BEHAVIORS. THINKING PATTERNS START TO RESEMBLE BELIEF SYSTEMS. BELIEFS LIKE, “I NEED TO EXERCISE MULTIPLE TIMES EACH DAY IN ORDER TO BE OKAY” OR “I CAN’T EAT THIS SPECIFIC FOOD IF I AM GOING TO BE OKAY” OR “MY WEIGHT MUST BE UNDER X POUNDS,” TAKE ROOT AND PERSIST IN BEHAVIOR. THESE BEHAVIORS THEN WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EATING DISORDERS? ANOREXIA NERVOSA RESTRICTION OF FOOD INTAKE LEADING TO LOW BODY WEIGHT, TYPICALLY ACCOMPANIED BY INTENSE FEAR OF GAINING WEIGHT AND DISTURBED PERCEPTION OF BODY WEIGHT AND IMAGE. BULIMIA NERVOSA: REGULAR, OFTEN SECRETIVE BOUTS OF OVEREATING FOLLOWED BY SELF-INDUCED VOMITING OR PURGING, STRICT DIETING, OR EXTREME EXERCISE, ASSOCIATED WITH PERSISTENT AND EXCESSIVE CONCERN WITH BODY WEIGHT. BINGE EATING DISORDER: CONSUMING LARGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD WHILE FEELING OUT OF CONTROL WITH EATING ATYPICAL ANOREXIA NERVOSA: HAVING ALL ARE THERE CERTAIN AGES IMPACTED BY EATING DISORDERS? LIKE OTHER MENTAL ILLNESSES, NO AGE IS IMMUNE. WE’VE HAD CLIENTS AS YOUNG AS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE THROUGH SENIOR CITIZENS. IT CAN IMPACT ANYONE. WHAT CAN PEOPLE TURN TO FOR HELP? THERE ARE IN-PERSON AND TELEHEALTH TREATMENT OPTIONS. THE MAIN GOAL FOR TREATING EATING DISORDERS IS TO CHALLENGE UNHEALTHY THINKING PATTERNS IN A CONTROLLED, SAFE ENVIRONMENT UNTIL THEY ARE ULTIMATELY DISTINGUISHED. CONFIDENTIAL EATING DISORDERS LINE AT 207-294-4522 SWEETSER.ORG/ NEED LINDSAY SUSI, THE CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR SWEETSER’S NEW ENGLAND EATING DISORDERS PROGRAM. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMI
Why eating disorders are a mental illness and how you can get help in Maine
Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid addiction,
Updated: 12:33 PM EDT Oct 13, 2023
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, approximately 24 million people in the United States have an eating disorder. Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid addiction, resulting in approximately 10,200 deaths each year.Lindsay Susi, the Clinical Director for Sweetser’s New England Eating Disorders Program, joined Maine’s Total Coverage on Friday to talk about eating disorders for our weekly Mental Health Moment, in partnership with Sweetser. She explained why eating disorders are a form of mental illness.Susi said that while eating disorders do have a medical component, ultimately, what is creating the behavior is a distorted thinking pattern. When people engage in disordered eating behaviors, it is due to a thought pattern that convinces the person to engage in the behaviors. She said thinking patterns start to resemble belief systems. Beliefs like, “I need to exercise multiple times each day in order to be okay,” or “I can’t eat this specific food if I am going to be okay,” or “My weight must be under X pounds,” take root and persist in behavior. These behaviors then become the outward manifestation of the mental illness.Susi explained the different kinds of eating disorders:Anorexia nervosa: restriction of food intake leading to low body weight, typically accompanied by intense fear of gaining weight and disturbed perception of body weight and imageBulimia nervosa: regular, often secretive bouts of overeating followed by self-induced vomiting or purging, strict dieting, or extreme exercise, associated with persistent and excessive concern with body weightBinge eating disorder: consuming large amounts of food while feeling out of control with eatingAtypical anorexia nervosa: having all the symptoms of anorexia without being underweightSusi said, like other mental illnesses, no age is immune to eating disorders and that she has seen it affect everyone from elementary school age through senior citizens.She said there is help available, including in-person and telehealth treatment options. Susi said the main goal for treating eating disorders is to challenge unhealthy thinking patterns in a controlled, safe environment until they are ultimately distinguished.You can call the Confidential Eating Disorders Line at 207-294-4522 or click here for more resources and help.
WESTBROOK, Maine —
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, approximately 24 million people in the United States have an eating disorder. Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid addiction, resulting in approximately 10,200 deaths each year.
Lindsay Susi, the Clinical Director for Sweetser’s New England Eating Disorders Program, joined Maine’s Total Coverage on Friday to talk about eating disorders for our weekly Mental Health Moment, in partnership with Sweetser. She explained why eating disorders are a form of mental illness.
Susi said that while eating disorders do have a medical component, ultimately, what is creating the behavior is a distorted thinking pattern. When people engage in disordered eating behaviors, it is due to a thought pattern that convinces the person to engage in the behaviors. She said thinking patterns start to resemble belief systems. Beliefs like, “I need to exercise multiple times each day in order to be okay,” or “I can’t eat this specific food if I am going to be okay,” or “My weight must be under X pounds,” take root and persist in behavior. These behaviors then become the outward manifestation of the mental illness.
Susi explained the different kinds of eating disorders:
Anorexia nervosa: restriction of food intake leading to low body weight, typically accompanied by intense fear of gaining weight and disturbed perception of body weight and imageBulimia nervosa: regular, often secretive bouts of overeating followed by self-induced vomiting or purging, strict dieting, or extreme exercise, associated with persistent and excessive concern with body weightBinge eating disorder: consuming large amounts of food while feeling out of control with eatingAtypical anorexia nervosa: having all the symptoms of anorexia without being underweight
Susi said, like other mental illnesses, no age is immune to eating disorders and that she has seen it affect everyone from elementary school age through senior citizens.
She said there is help available, including in-person and telehealth treatment options. Susi said the main goal for treating eating disorders is to challenge unhealthy thinking patterns in a controlled, safe environment until they are ultimately distinguished.
You can call the Confidential Eating Disorders Line at 207-294-4522 or click here for more resources and help.
