How does one develope an eating disorder

[dpressedone89]

i think i have an eating disorder, i go days without eating like 3-5 days at a time, its not a conscious decicion though, how did this happen? how does someone get an eating disorder. i know its a serious problem and i should handle it but im not worried about that right now i'd just like to know what causes it. thank you
-stitches

[koolaidnovel]

A person with an eating disorder will deliberately skip meals and not eat when they need to...or do something else unhealthy to control their weight.

If you are skipping meals ON PURPOSE, you may very well have an eating disorder. However, if it's unconscious, then I don't see why you can't catch yourself and begin eating when you are hungry... Then again, you could be sick, and that could be causing your lack of appetite.

If this continues, you should probably see a doctor and find out what's going on.

As for what causes eating disorders, it could be that a person feels they can't control their environment, and that their weight is the only thing they CAN control. So, they get carried away with it. There are a multitude of causes...I'm sure there's some site about it somewhere.

[lifeiscash]

Eating disorders are serious business. People don't often realize the emotional illness that it can cause the person. The previous post is right about how eating disorders are influence by control in a person's life. The addiction of not eating, or throwing up is what begins to really harm the individual because the person really doesn't have control (they think they do), but the addiction has started to control them. Most cases, if you develop an eating disorder you will most likely usually be self conscious about yourself and your weight always; most times triggering relapses where you continue to cause harm to yourself.

As for your situation, if you are trying to CONTROL your weight and you are using means of "not eating" to do so.. then you developed an eating disorder. Some people can correct them, and some people have a harder time because the addiction that develops. I just don't believe that going 3-5 days without eating is not a conscious decision. You know you need to eat, even if you don't feel hungry.. a normal person would make themselves eat to stay healthy. When a person develops an eating disorder, most cases they will deny the problem and downgrade the seriousness of the situation. They think they have control of themselves but yet they keep going days and days without eating. They don't want to believe that they don't have control.. so they block it out of their minds in extreme cases. Admiting you have a problem is the first step to solving one.

i know its a serious problem and i should handle it but im not worried about that right now i'd just like to know what causes it.

As for your comment, it is a very serious problem and you should be thinking of ways to handle it because its only going to get worse if you continue to allow yourself to do it. It can be caused by your environment (people influence or socail influence to stay thin and healthy). It also can be caused by past events in your life where you feel like your not as good as everyone else. There are many possiblities, and so many people have eating disorders. Eating a proper diet each day is treating yourself with respect. How can you respect yourself if you continiously starve yourself?? My advice to you is to evaluate your problem and see how severe it is. Don't underestimate it.. but understand why you don't eat. Then I suggest seeing a doctor. You are the only one that can fix yourself, no one else can do it for you.