The recovery process from anything is a long and difficult process. There are going to be ups and downs in this type of process and during the downs include relapses. An eating disorder relapse is much more critical in terms of the symptoms that it can induce as just an afterthought. For that, you need to know more about an eating disorder relapse and eating disorder triggers.
Defining Eating Disorders
In order to understand why an eating disorder relapse exists, one needs to talk about eating disorders themselves initially. Eating disorders are essentially all about using food intake or the absence of it as a coping mechanism. This type of coping can lead to some dire consequences. There are several different types of eating disorders in existence. Some of these relate to decreased eating habits such as Anorexia Nervosa or can even go into the realm of overeating as it does when one is affected with Bulimia Nervosa. The spectrum of the eating disorder then goes back and forth and then is totally dependent on the different types of eating disorder symptoms one is suffering from.
Read More: Is An Eating Disorder An Addiction?
The Different Types of Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa is often characterized by extreme restriction of food intake and involves avoiding certain food items. People who are suffering from it excessively worry about weight gain and a distorted body image. There is also a subtype of anorexia that is more about binging and then getting rid of the calories excessively to restrict or stop calorie intake. Bulimia sufferers tend to overeat out of control with no end in sight. They only stop it once they feel extremely full, almost on the verge of vomiting and extreme nausea. To compensate for the extra calories they have consumed, they try to purge it in different ways, for example by vomiting deliberately, taking diuretics, using laxatives, using enemas, or even by doing excessive exercise.
Now there is one called the binge eating disorder (BED), which is characterized by the same kind of excessive eating found in bulimia but has subtle differences from it such as that sufferers are not worried about gaining weight or purging the food afterward. There is also one called Pica, where the affected ones are obsessively eating non-food items such as sand. But do all of these have an eating disorder relapse? Let’s find out.
Dealing with an Eating Disorder Relapse
Relapses are common to recovery processes and dealing with an eating disorder relapse and avoiding certain eating disorder triggers are certainly a big part of an eating disorder relapse prevention plan. They say the first year during recovery is the most important one and also the most difficult one in terms of withdrawal symptoms that make it more likely for a relapse to occur(1).
These are the common triggers of an eating disorder for relapse as an eating disorder relapse is likely to happen when:
- The period of illness has been long enough, ensuring symptoms are hardest to ignore
- There are other psychiatric comorbidities such as bipolar disorder or ADHD
- Self-defeating beliefs – Having low levels of self-acceptance, low self-compassion, and unrealistic expectations
- Traumatic and stressful life events
- You have levels of motivation, which makes it more likely to relapse when suffering from an eating disorder
- The severity of the eating disorder is high in terms of unsuspecting symptoms
- Your eating behaviors are bad and will lead to a higher likelihood of eating disorder relapse
- Did the last treatment occur
- There is a sign of a good support system such as members of your family or your friends who will support you through thick and thin problems
Read More: Anxiety and Eating Disorders: Understanding the link
Eating Disorder Relapse Signs
These are the eating disorder relapse signs and sometimes you don’t even get to know when these eating disorder relapse triggers. By looking at someone, you may never find out what’s happening inside. However, some signs will be visible if you observe them with a keen eye. This is especially truer in the case of eating disorders, which are, at their core, complex brain-based illnesses. These signs can be behavioral, psychological, social, or even physical, and can directly or combinedly lead to a relapse of an eating disorder.
Behavioral
- Changing patterns of eating behavior, or reversion to previous habits of an eating disorder relapse
- Always informing about there is a new workout plan upcoming
- There have been indicators of obsessing over body dimensions and participating in behaviors such as repeated weighing, pinching skin, looking in mirrors too often
- Participating in purging behaviors such as using laxatives or doing excessive exercise
- Changes in style of the clothing, going from baggy to skinny in no time
Psychological
- Distorted body image
- Excessive sensitivity to others’ concerns or comments about the affected individuals’ body shape, size, etc
- Moodiness that has intervals of irritability, impulsivity, and sometimes even anger
- Depression or anxiety symptoms or signs of euphoria
- Affected individuals are perfectionists, so a single step back can lead to an eating disorder relapse
Social
- Complete withdrawal from interest in any type of social activity
- No interest in activity for food items
- Being dishonest with family members and friends
- Interpersonal conflicts about food and the recovery process with family or friends
Physical
- Swollen cheeks or jaw line, corns and calluses on knuckles, and damage to teeth due to excessive vomiting
- Excessive bruising, hair thinning, dry skin, nails that are brittle, and sensitivity to the cold, are signs of poor nutrition
- Problems with vital signs and blood work
- Menstrual irregularity in women
- Stomach and digestive issues
- Weight changes; you would be sometimes gaining and sometimes losing it
- Issues in the executive functioning of the affected individuals
Read More: Types of Eating Disorders That Are More About Feelings Than Food
Wrapping Up
You can read these eating disorder relapse triggers and the eating disorder relapse signs to ensure that there is no eating disorder relapse in the near future. If these signs don’t work, you can always use treatment methods like psychotherapy, telehealth psychiatry, or psychiatric medication management from our mental health wellness center – Inland Empire Behavioral Group to treat issues like OCD, bipolar disorder, depression, or addiction. These are the ways you can also avoid an ED relapse.
