In a time when societal pressures and photo-shopped images of perfection increase the risk of eating disorders, there is also an increase in hope that eating disorders can be conquered.
The Wellington-Dufferin Eating Disorders Coalition is hosting its ninth annual Faces of Recovery event as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week, from Feb. 5 to 11.
This week is organized internationally by groups concerned about the high prevalence of anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, disordered eating and weight preoccupation.
Faces of Recovery features a panel of individuals recovering from eating disorders and the family members that supported them through the process.
“Everyone on the panel is in recovery,” explained April Gates of the Homewood Health Centre Eating Disorder Program.
“We know that people can be in sound recovery and we know that it is possible. But recovery is not just the end of symptoms, it is so much more than just stopping the pattern of the disorder.”
Understanding and compassion are key to helping someone dealing with an eating disorder.
“An eating disorder is a way to gain control of their lives … it’s the best way they know how,” Gates said. “It serves a purpose; it’s functional to get control in their lives, help them feel a sense of accomplishment in their life or be more in control of emotions, or to avoid them.”
Gates added, “denial is a difficult place to be,” and it often takes having the person with the disorder being confronted by their family, co-workers or friends to point out the symptoms.
“When people highlight symptoms with the diagnosis, with compassion, then the more information a person with an eating disorder is presented with helps, be it talking to doctors or finding support in the community,” she said.
Banishing myths around these disorders is also important, including the notion this is a disease that only strikes teenage girls.
“There is a stigma, so it is more difficult for men to seek medical attention,” Gates said, noting pressures to look a certain way are similar for men. A desire for a muscular build often manifests in excessive exercising and diet supplements.
“They have the same issues as women on the road to the eating disease. It is about an under-lying issue but the disease presents in the same way.”
Often overlooked are middle-aged women who begin to exhibit disordered eating patterns.
“We have about 20 percent of women in their middle age in our program,” Gates explained. “We know there is a positive relationship between the fear of aging and the disease.”
Gates explained it is harder for older women to seek help because there is shame attached to the perception that eating issues are only for younger people. This a scary reality, given that “eating disorders have the highest rate of mortality of any psychiatric disorder.”
And middle-aged women have the highest mortality rate.
“It’s possible that these women had roots in early years but were not diagnosed,” said Candy MacNeil, a Guelph family therapist specializing in eating disorders.
Gates said the issues that affects women in their mid-40s and 50s revolve around career changes, poor body image, marriages ending in divorce, or re-entering the dating scene and the empty nest identity.
“Instead of focusing on what really causes them pain, they shift their emotions,” explained MacNeil. “The urge is to control their body or to manipulate their food and it can change and even the urges can change.”
Adds Gates, “Being thin in middle age is pretty unrealistic for everyone.” She noted natural body changes occur in menopause and the aging process.
Eating disorders can be hard to spot in women at this stage of life because they are very good at hiding their struggle.
“The reality is, on the inside, they feel so inadequate, but on the outside they appear to be so together,” said MacNeil.
There are signs to look for, MacNeil points out, like drastic weight changes, refusal to eat at certain times or with other people, frequent trips to the bathroom after or during meals and increased desire to exercise, while being very frustrated if they can’t get to the gym.
“Whether it is an addiction or an eating disorder, it generally comes down to the fact that they are not happy with themselves,” MacNeil said.
Both Gates and MacNeil want people to understand an eating disorder is symptomatic of greater issues, masking an underlying problem.
“The labels or the diagnosis aren’t the important thing; it is the underlying issue,” MacNeil said. “I think that whether or not someone is all the way through it [eating disorder], they get to the point where they are over the symptoms, the under-lying issues.
“Once they resolve that they are likeable, have a sense of purpose and control, the urges to control their body or to manipulate their food lessen.”
MacNeil cautions family and friends of those struggling with an eating disorder to let a therapist make the diagnosis. She urges people to have compassion.
Gates agreed. “When people highlight symptoms with the diagnosis, with compassion, there is absolutely hope,” she said.
“We are lucky to have so many resources in the community. We have in-patient support at Homewood or out-patient support locally through Trellis or private practitioners, dieticians, etc.”
Coordinating the Faces of Recovery event is a way to make education and resources available and Gates hopes real stories by real people will encourage others to seek help.
Faces of Recovery will take place at the Best Western Hotel at 716 Gordon St. in Guelph on Feb. 8 from 7 to 9pm. The event is free of charge, with no pre-registration required. Donations to the Coalition for Faces of Recovery will be welcomed. For more information on Faces of Recovery visit www.eatingdisorderscoalition.ca. To learn more about Candy MacNeil’s resources in eating disorders, visit www.whatseatingyou.com.
