Teens looking to rid themselves of the depressing effects of their binge eating disorder should join an adolescent program addressing such issues. Actually. individuals, particularly adolescents, turn to consuming more food than is necessary as a way of coping with other mental health problems.
Depression, attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are examples of mental health issues that can drive young people to binge eat, as means of overcoming persistent anxious emotions.
Why a Binge Eating Disorder Calls for a Proper Mental Health Therapy
The Avery’s House in Washington,D.C. offers a teen mental health retreat facility situated in an out-of-town setting. That way, troubled adolescents can have the freedom to open up about the issues that have been driving them to carry on with unhealthy behaviors like binge eating.
Treatment of such conditions is critical because frequent and improper consumption of food and drink, even if considered nutritious, can impact a person’s overall health condition. If not immediately addressed and corrected, other health problems like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases will likely surface as additional medical issues.
Taking on changes by distancing oneself from the sources of frustrations and anxiety can help a troubled kid resist urges to indulge in food cravings. A teen mental health facility after all, is usually located in an area that is far from the mundane influences of urban communities.
Importance of Proper Nutrition and Its Impact on Mental Health
During the adolescence stage, young people have little regard over the nutritional values of the food they take in as sustenance. However, it’s important for young people to understand that food, as well as drinks, have a significant impact on their mental health.
One of the studies conducted and published by researchers of the National Institute of Health (NIH) reveals how food and eating habits can affect the disposition and mental health of a person. Captioned as “Food, Mood and Brain Health,” the study states that 20% of a person’s daily calorie intake is consumed by the brain also on a daily basis.
The findings denote that teenagers who do not eat nutritious food throughout the day, are not supplementing their brain with enough calories they need as sustenance all day long.
However, other studies show that not a few people turn to eating lots of food as a means of coping and soothing difficult emotions. Statistically, this kind of eating disorder occurs in all age groups and all kinds of demographic and socio-economic statuses. Although Binge Eating Disorder is common in adults, studies have proven that the disorder is also common among adolescents.
When is Binge Eating Diagnosed as a Disorder
Binge eating as a type of mental illness is usually characterized by a person’s tendency to discreetly consume large amounts of food while alone. That’s because the binge eater tends to experience feelings of shame and guilt while bingeing on food. As a result, they eat rapidly and seemingly helpless in controlling the urge to eat food past the point of fullness.
Adults and teenagers who have been indulging in binge eating at least once a week during a 3-month period, are diagnosed as suffering from a binge eating disorder.