Mental Health Issues

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Mental Health Issues

• Eating Disorders

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Eating Disorders

• What are eating disorders?
• A person is said to have an eating disorder when
  their eating becomes a problem for themselves and
  for the people round them. A person with an
  eating disorder has an excessive desire to
  control their body shape and weight. This morbid
  fear of being overweight is associated with
  anxiety, obsession, guilt, fear and depression.
  Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are the
  most common eating disorders with Bulimia being
  the most common.

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Eating Disorders

• Who is most likely to experience eating disorders
  ?
• Eating disorders are more common in females than
  in males although the number of males
  experiencing these conditions is increasing. They
  are more common among students following courses
  that emphasise body shape and weight such as
  sport and dance. People with eating disorders
  usually deny that they have a problem.

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Eating Disorders

• What causes eating disorders?
• Eating disorders are often associated with
  painful emotions, bullying, teasing about size,
  abuse, feeling a lack of control in life,
  depression, anxiety , anger, loneliness, a fear
  of growing up, low self esteem, desire to look
  like a star or a role model or a need to do well
  in sport. These feelings may be exacerbated by
  media representations of beauty which often
  associate thinness with attractiveness.

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Eating Disorders

• What are the effects of eating disorders?
• There is a high incidence of self injurious
  behaviour among people with eating disorders.
  They may start taking laxatives, feel guilty if
  they do not exercise excessively, focus single
  mindedly on appearance, experience depression and
  have obvious low self esteem. They may show a
  sudden and obsessive interest in calorie
  counting, healthy foods or vitamin supplements.

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Eating Disorders

• People with Anorexia may restrict their intake of
  food to a few controlled calories a day. They may
  drink water but not eat. Those with Bulimia have
  erratic eating patterns they may starve
  themselves and then binge by eating huge amounts
  in a short space of time. After the binge comes
  the guilt. They may vomit or take laxatives to
  get rid of the food inside them.
• A very low weight and extreme dieting habits can
  ultimately be fatal.

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Student Voices

• I would rather be this thin than eat
• I dont have a problem with my eating but
  everybody else does
• I eat to please people, not because I want to
• I eat tissue paper to stop me getting hungry
  enough to eat food
• Ill never be thin enough
• I feel guilty if I eat

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Eating Disorders

• How can teachers help?
• Watch out for possible indicators of eating
  disorders such as rapid weight loss, change of
  dress style, wearing clothes that divert
  attention from the body, social isolation by
  choice, lack of interest in normal everyday
  activities or college work.

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Eating Disorders

• How can teachers help cont.
• Make it clear you care. Express your concerns.
  Listen to what the student says and maintain an
  open dialogue. Accept initial rejection trust
  takes time to develop. Seek the views of other
  colleagues who know the student. Give the student
  information about sources of help. Try to
  persuade them to share information with people
  who can help.

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Eating Disorders

• Further information and support
• Starting points
• Eating Disorders Association www.edauk.com
• The Mental Health Foundation www.mentalhealth.org
  .uk
• Mind www.mind.org.uk
• Samaritans www.samaritans.org.uk
• Young Minds www.youngminds.org.uk
• 4Health www.channel4.com/health