An eating disorder is often something that people keep hidden from the world. The people are ashamed that they are doing what they are doing to their bodies and of what their bodies look like at the same time. Unfortunately, people who suffer from an eating disorder put their body through a lot of stress trying to reach an unattainable weight or size.
Eating disorders often start with a mental disorder called body dysmorphia. Body dysmorphia causes people to see something different when they look in the mirror than what they truly look like. They often think that they are much larger than what they truly are. Obsessive compulsive disorder often goes hand in hand with body dysmorphia because the people become so obsessed with their size and weight. Unfortunately, these mental conditions often lead to people using different drugs to try to reach their weight goals or to mask the depression that they have. The following guide walks you through a few of the drugs that are commonly abused by those suffering from an eating disorder.
Laxatives Are Commonly Used by Body Dysmorphia Sufferers
Laxatives are often used by individuals with an eating disorder because they cause them to defecate more frequently. The people think that this minimizes the amount of food that is actually absorbed by their body and helps them to lose weight or maintain a specific weight. The truth is that abuse of laxatives can cause damage to different areas of the body, including the colon, the liver and even boost the chances of cancer in the future. Abuse of laxatives also leads to dehydration and disturbance of electrolyte balance which can cause fatigue and death.
Attention Deficit Drugs Are Often Abused
People who are looking to decrease their appetite will often use drugs designed to treat attention deficit to reach their goals. Many of these medications have a side effect of appetite suppression, but they have to be taken as prescribed. They can also cause insomnia, mood changes and even cause seizures. No one should take ADD medications without being prescribed by a doctor.
Cocaine is Commonly Abused by Bulimia or Anorexia Sufferers
Cocaine is another drug that is commonly used by those trying to maintain their weight. It gives them a boost of energy so that they can work out more and it suppresses their appetite so that they eat less. The drug boosts their heart rate, which can cause them to have a heart attack. It also increases perspiration which can throw their electrolytes out of balance and cause dehydration to occur.
Marijuana Often Numbs the Pain Sufferers Have
Marijuana is a drug that often causes people to feel more relaxed and can actually soothe some physical pain. Those suffering from an eating disorder often use marijuana to self-medicate and treat the depression and anxiety their illness causes. The marijuana helps to calm the thoughts rushing through their brain, causing them to obsess over their size or weight. Unfortunately, those who use marijuana as a form of self-treatment end up turning to other drugs when marijuana no longer works for them.
Ecstasy Can Make Life Seem Perfect
Ecstasy is often abused by those with anorexia and bulimia because it makes everything seem right in the world. When they are on Ecstasy, they love themselves and everyone around them. It often causes them to see themselves the way that they want to see themselves. Unfortunately, the drug causes the production of dopamine to boost dramatically. Dopamine impacts happiness in the brain. When an abundance of dopamine is released at one time, the body must rebuild the supply over the next few days after they have taken the drug. During this time period, they often feel far worse than they did before taking the drug. This is often the period when people become massively depressed and some even take their own lives.
Nicotine Can be Abused to Lose or Maintain Weight
Nicotine is another drug that people commonly abuse when they want to lose or maintain their weight. It is an appetite suppressant that minimizes their need to eat as often as they should. Nicotine can not only cause breathing issues for someone, but it can also lead to the development of cancer in the future.
Appetite Suppressants Are Often Abused by Eating Disorder Patients
There are many different appetite suppressants on the market that claim to be safe to use because they are made from natural ingredients. The suppressants merely trick the body into thinking that it isn’t hungry when really it is. This can lead to someone eating far less than their body needs and not providing it with the nutrients it requires.
The appetite suppressants are often dangerous because if they are taken too frequently, they can cause major health issues. Some of the suppressants have been shown to cause heart attacks, dehydration, and seizures. They shouldn’t be taken if possible because the risks of taking them far outweigh the possible reward that someone could get from them.
Eating Disorder Patients Often Abuse Alcohol
Unfortunately, the depression that comes with an eating disorder can be hard to manage on your own. It is a mental illness that many people chose to hide because they are so afraid of being judged. This can cause them to try to suppress their feelings with alcohol. Alcohol has numbing effects that can calm not only their mind but also helps to keep them from becoming hungry because their stomachs are so full of the liquid.
Drinking alcohol can be very dangerous for those suffering from an eating disorder though. It hampers their ability to make recreational decisions and could lead to them being harmed one day. The alcohol is absorbed into their bodies very quickly because there is nothing in their stomach when they start to drink. This can cause them to become drunk very quickly and could cause them to pass out and have something bad happen to them.
If you are battling an eating disorder, it’s important to realize that you aren’t alone. There are treatment centers available that can help you overcome your addiction to the drugs that you are taking. There are counselors who can help treat your mental illness properly so that you live a life that doesn’t revolve around you weigh or your size.
