Girl Redefined
redefine [v]: to give a new or different definition
WELCOME
As someone who has personally dealt with mental illness [anxiety, depression, & an eating disorder], I know looking for information & resources can be OVERWHELMING. I created this page to be a one-stop-shop you need for basic education on eating disorders and access to recovery resources I have found to be helpful over the years!
Let's tackle ED recovery together!
Find more information regarding resources & community in our recovery forum
Table of Contents
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E D U C A T I O N
What is an Eating Disorder?
A disturbance in eating or weight control behavior resulting in clinically significant impairment of physical health or psychological functioning, not secondary to another medical condition [1]
There are MANY types of eating disorders specified by the DSM-5 [or psychiatry's bible] :
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder
Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Pica
Rumination Disorder
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder
Other: Muscle Dysmorphia, Orthorexia Nervosa Proposed Criteria
However, not all of these deal with disturbance in body image or alterations in weight. There are three main disorders that fall into this category, and one disorder that is a sort of "catch all:"
1
Anorexia Nervosa
[AN]
An aversion to food leading to a pattern of caloric restriction, or the ridding of calories by purging; an intense fear of weight gain and severe body image disturbance is present.
2
Bulimia Nervosa
[BN]
One eats vastly more calories than another might in the same discrete time period, and follows these binges with the use of compensatory behaviors i.e. vomiting, laxative use, or exercise; severe body image disturbance present.
3
Binge Eating Disorder
[BED]
One eats more calories than another might in the same discrete time period, but does not follow these binges with the use of compensatory behaviors.
Signs and Symptoms [2]:
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Restricted diet
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Thinness
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Brittle hair and nails
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Growth of fine hair
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Low blood pressure
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Constipation
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Organ Damage
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Amenorrhea [loss of menstruation]
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Cold Sensitivity
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Bone Thinning
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Compulsive Exercise
Signs and Symptoms [2]:
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Sore throat
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Swollen salivary glands
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Worn tooth enamel
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Scars on knuckles
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Acid reflux
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Gastrointestinal problems
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Dehydration
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Electrolyte imbalance
Signs and Symptoms [2]:
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Eating when full or not hungry
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Eating very quickly
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Eating until uncomfortable
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Eating alone to avoid embarrassment
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Guilty or ashamed of eating
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Frequent dieting without weight loss
The "catch all" diagnosis is Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified [EDNOS] and is used to diagnose those people who display definite signs of disordered eating but do not meet all the specified criteria to be diagnosed with one of the above disorders. It is no less serious and may eventually morph into another form of disordered eating.
* Please note eating disorders CANNOT be self - diagnosed. The only way to properly determine if you or a loved one has developed an eating disorder is to seek a thorough health examination from a qualified medical professional.
Eating Disorder Risk Factors
[a risk factor is something that increases a persons likelihood of developing a disease]
Those factors pertaining to the body, such as [4]:
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Genetics
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Family History of Mental Illness
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The Presence of Certain Medical Conditions
The Causes of Eating Disorders
***no, eating disorders are NOT about food or vanity***
If you think about an eating disorder in terms of a thistle, food disturbances and frustrations with body image are the prickly plant peaking through the dirt, however, there are emotions, desires, and thoughts at the heart of ED that lead to its development and are the root of the problem.
Also known as the eating disorder voice or EDV.
It is the inner voice, that berates, demeans, scolds, and belittles. The inner critic, but worse. While not everyone who experiences an eating disorder will describe an EDV, it is a commonly mentioned aspect, and is starting to gain some interest in scientific literature. Although the nature of the eating disorder voice [EDV] varies among testimonies, sometimes defined as multiple voices versus one, and differs in content by disorder, all agree it is hostile and has great influence over their view of self [6]. The origin of this great mystery is not agreed upon, however, it is generally known to be internally generated and acting in a manner that is incongruent with the mind and person it inhabits [6].
From the outside looking in, it may be obvious this "voice" is lying, but from the inside looking out the truth can get hazy due to the intense and repetitive nature of the lies. This can be related to the illusory truth effect - the idea that repeated information often becomes known as truth by the one listening. One patient describes the EDV and her attempts to escape this way, denoting the power of the eating disorder in one's life: “The voice claims me. I see therapists. These people challenge the voice, the thoughts. My intellect begins to understand the illusion. But, the moment I begin to sense the almighty damage I am doing to myself… the voice becomes angry. It warns me of a dangerous world and reassures me how much safer I am within its net” [5]
In response science has turned to research on identity and positive reframing to help those suffering from the EDV change the inner critic and find meaning outside of the eating disorder.
The Eating Disorder Noise
Eating Disorder Facts [3]
In the US 28.8 million will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives
The best known environmental influence on ED development is the sociocultural idealization of thinness
Many with ED's experience co-occurring conditions, the most common being mood disorders [i.e. depression]
Eating disorders often develop in adolescence and early adulthood
Eating disorders are linked to some of the highest levels of medical and social disability of any psych disorder
By age 6 girls begin to express concern with their body image and weight, this often endures for life
Eating disorders have the 2nd highest mortality rate amongst mental health disorders
Up to 50% of individuals with ED's abused drugs or alcohol
Nutrition 101
Food is scary for those with eating disorders. However, sometimes getting to know food and its purpose in our bodies can be helpful in overcoming our fear. Visit each box below to learn some nutrition basics as you begin your recovery journey!
CALORIE
a unit of energy equal to that needed to raise the temp of 1g of water by 1 degree celsius
CARBS
Your digestive system breaks carbohydrates down into glucose which is then used for energy for cells, tissues, and organs.
PROTEIN
This guy is in every living cell in your body. It is used to build and maintain muscle, bone, and skin. It also supplies all of the amino acids your body cannot make on its own.
FATS
These are essential in providing energy, helping with vitamin absorption, and creating necessary cholesterol in the body.
Food was not intended to be divided into good and bad. God created our bodies to use food, in its various forms, to fulfill certain biological needs. Your hunger signals are the body's way of informing you that it requires energy, and food is that necessary energy source. It is society that has labeled food good and bad based on certain idealizations. We need to trust our maker, not His creation.
Want More?
There is TONS of research that can be found on google scholar or in the resource pages linked below. For now, watch this TEDx video which was played in my intensive outpatient program to provide some education on eating disorders for the parents. It contains information on the pathophysiology, eating disorder voice [one of the best demonstrations I have heard], and some wonderful tidbits of information in between!
Sources
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Fairburn, C. G., & Harrison, P. J. (2003). Eating disorders. Lancet (London, England), 361(9355), 407–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12378-1
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“Eating Disorders.” National Institute of Mental Health, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders. Accessed 24 July 2023.
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“Statistics & Research on Eating Disorders.” National Eating Disorders Association, 14 July 2021, www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders.
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“What Is an Eating Disorder: Types, Symptoms, Risks, and Causes.” Eating Disorder Hope, 25 Mar. 2023, www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/eating-disorder.
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Ekern, Baxter. “My Abusive Eating Disorder.” Eating Disorder Hope, 18 Mar. 2023, www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/my-abusive-eating-disorder.
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Pugh, M. (2020). Understanding ‘Ed’: a theoretical and empirical review
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“Definitions of Health Terms: Nutrition.” MedlinePlus, medlineplus.gov/definitions/nutritiondefinitions.html. Accessed 25 July 2023.
R E S O U R C E S
I was always told science and faith don't mix, people taking various sides on whether it would be medicine or prayer that would save me. Having wrestled with it myself, I believe both were right and both were wrong. You need to combine the two. Being a person made mind, body, and spirit, it is only right that recovery encompasses each of these spheres. So, let's take a look at the resources available
**The following list of resources is not comprehensive, but demonstrates a small sample of what is available. While I try to thoroughly go through every resource I denote below, time does not always allow it. However, I do ensure the resources I do not personally review are well recommended by reliable sources or the general public.
My Resources
Tools for recovery warriors by a recovery warrior.
Eating disorder recovery is challenging. Going head-to-head with your biggest enemy, not just seven days a week, but up to seven times a day is not for the faint of heart. Therefore, knowing this fight personally, I felt inspired to design some basic tools and encouraging images with this in mind.
So, have a look around, take what you need, and keep fighting!
Outside Resources
Social Media
my page
Blogs & Podcasts
Books
Organizations For Education, Treatment, & More
Treatment Payment Support
Again, this is not an exhaustive list of resources, but simply a collection of organizations and individuals passionate about eating disorder recovery and support that I have come across over the last six years. If you know of any books, podcasts, social media pages, blogs. or organizations that deserve a shout out, please let me know by by connecting with me!
Top 14 Recovery Tips
Biblical Resources
Last, but certainly not least, I want to briefly cover some faith-based resources that greatly contributed to my recovery and helped me develop a deeper relationship with Christ. Applying these alongside the scientifically based treatment protocols and recommendations, I successfully engaged mind, body, and spirit in recovery, which proved vital in the final progression from quasi to full recovery. As we touched on above, our words and thoughts have tremendous influence over our behavior and beliefs, therefore, it is time to do some reframing, replacing EDs lies with God's truth.
My 911 Scriptures
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For When You Struggle To Trust God:
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Isaiah 55:8 - 9
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Jeremiah 17:7-8
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Proverbs 3:5-6
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For When You Feel Unloved:
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Romans 5:8
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John 3:16
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John 10:27-28
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Lamentations 3: 22 - 23
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Romans 8:38-39
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For Loneliness:
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Deuteronomy 31:8
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Psalm 91:4
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For Anxiety:
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Matthew 10:29-31
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Matthew 6:25-34
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2 Timothy 1:7
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Philippians 4:6-7
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Luke 12:24-34
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For Feelings of Worthlessness:
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Genesis 1:26 - 27, 2:7
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Psalm 139
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Proverbs 31:30
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Ephesians 2:10
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John 1:12
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1 Peter 2:9
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For Depression:
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Psalm 23:4
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Psalm 34:18
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Psalm 42:11
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Matthew 11:28
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2 Corinthians 1:3-4
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Revelation 21:4
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For When You Feel Weak
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Isaiah 40:31
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Joshua 1:9
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Matthew 11:28
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want more resources for diving into your faith in recovery?
"The BIGGEST lie I ever believed was that a smaller me was a better me....
A smaller you is not a better you. It is a different you. And I can confirm, it will not make you happier." - jessijeannn