Symptoms of EDNOS (Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified)
Do you, or someone you love suffer from any of the following:
- A preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, dieting and exercise
- Refusing to eat certain foods (restriction against categories of food like no carbs, no sugar, no dairy)
- Frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight
- Denial about feeling hungry
- Fear of eating around others
- Binge eating
- Purging behaviours (frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics)
- Food rituals (such as excessive chewing or not allowing foods to touch)
- Skipping meals or eating small portions at regular meals
- Stealing or hoarding food
- Drinking excessive amounts of water or non-caloric beverages
- Using excessive amounts of mouthwash, mints, and gum
- Hiding body with baggy clothes
- Exercising excessively (despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury)
The Dangers of EDNOS and the Need for Professional Help
Just to make life more complicated, people can move from one eating disorder to another and the wrong kind of treatment can lead to other significant health problems. This is why working with a professional is so very important: each disorder carries their unique challenges and require different approaches.
If you, or someone you care about, is suffering from an EDNOS or any other eating disorder it is very distressing. It can severely impact your/their self-esteem, social life, relationships and, last but not least, health.
Eating disorders can persist for years untreated, during which time they take a stronger hold. The longer they are left untreated, the more stubborn they are to treat and the longer it takes to recover. So, early intervention will serve you better.
Recovery from EDNOS
What is most important is to work to ensure recovery, not just in the short-term but for life. This will entail changing the relationship with food, restoring weight (for anorexia), nutritional rehabilitation, psychological support, developing life skills so that the disorder is not the point of refuge in times of challenge. Maintenance and lapse-prevention are also significant factors. In addition, helping to develop a life outside of the disorder will be an important part of recovery.
In treatment you can expect to be guided and supported through the eating disorder, feeling heard and understood, so you come out the other side stronger, wiser, more confident and healthier, both mentally and physically.
Professional Help for EDNOS
As a Master Practitioner of Eating Disorders and a nutritionist, I have been working with individuals, from teenagers to adults, for many years. I use an integrative approach, empowering sufferers to have a healthy relationship with food, develop insight into the condition, what is keeping them stuck and help them move beyond it, step by step, feeling safe and supported.
Recovery requires professional help. If you want help for EDNOS or any other eating disorder, do pick up the phone for a free, no-obligation chat to find out how I can help you. I can be reached on 0345 130 0854. Or you can get in touch here.
A full list available from https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm