Urgent care providers see a spike in eating disorders during the pandemic

Thrive Wellness • Mar 02, 2022

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Eating disorders are becoming more common with the pandemic now nearly two years old.

Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, who is one of Saint Mary’s medical directors says some urgent care providers have seen a spike in eating disorders across all age groups, including teenage girls ages 12 to 17.

“The pandemic has really provided challenges because of the lack of control,” says Dr. Curry-Winchell. “You know, a piece I think people forget is the food shortage that was happening, which could cause a huge amount of anxiety, especially for someone who is having an eating disorder, if they have a specific type of food that they rely on.”

She says many teens are not showing up saying they have an eating disorder, but with symptoms caused by it.

“As you take time to really connect with the patient, you find out it’s not something such as a cough or cold,” said Dr. Curry-Winchell. “They’re actually seeking help for something else, such as an eating disorder or anxiety, or depression.”

The spike among this age group is no surprise for Amanda Elliot who struggled with anorexia when she was 17.

“A series of events spiraled this need for control,” said Elliot.

She says eating disorders thrive on comparison, which social media platforms have made easier.

“My coping mechanism was to focus on this idea of ‘healthy eating,’” said Elliot. “Oh, ‘I’ll get healthy,’ lots of exercise, lots of good eating and that developed almost overnight in an eating disorder.”

Elliot was discharged from treatment seven years ago and for a long time, including part of treatment, she didn’t know there was a problem.

“The really terrible part is that a lot of people agreed with me. There were people around me that were like, ‘Oh you’re so good with food, so healthy, look how thin you look, I wish I could be like you’, and inside I was literally and figuratively dying.”

Certified eating disorder specialist and founder of Thrive Wellness , Kat Geiger says this is very common.

“You can’t know that someone has an eating disorder by just looking at them,” said Geiger. “Only in a small percentage of cases, can you actually look at someone and know they’re struggling with an eating disorder.”

Losing and gaining significant amounts of weight are not the only signs of an eating disorder.

Others include disappearing shortly after eating or completely cutting out certain food groups like carbs.

“When the average person thinks about bulimia, they think of someone who loses calories through vomiting,” said Geiger. “But the reality is bulimia can be exercise bulimia, can be bulimia through laxatives, there are many different forms bulimia can take.”

Binge eating is one of the most common eating disorders. It is when you can eat large amounts of food in a short period of time.

“Typically these are foods that are considered “forbidden fruits,” said Geiger. “So binging on a chocolate cake in private. If you notice that large quantities of food are disappearing frequently from your pantry at night. You may have someone who’s struggling with an eating disorder.”

Geiger says one thing people can do to help prevent eating disorders is to stop moralizing food.

“Try to not think of food as good food, bad food, try to just talk about food very neutrally,” said Geiger. “Food is fuel, food is energy that I put in my body.”

Some of the most common disorders are anorexia , bulimia , and binge eating.

Geiger says typically when you ask someone why it is so important to change their image, the answer is usually to be loved and to feel like they belong.

“Treating people for eating disorders is about treating them on that deep level, not just the surface,” said Geiger.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with an eating disorder, you can say, “I love and I see you’re in pain, let’s find you help together or I’m here to help you when you’re ready.”

Thrive Wellness specializes in eating disorders. You can contact them by calling (775) 525-8103 or emailing Reno@thrivehere.com.

https://www.kolotv.com/2022/02/25/urgent-care-providers-see-spike-eating-disorders-during-pandemic/

The post Urgent care providers see a spike in eating disorders during the pandemic first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

< Older Post Newer Post >

Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

26 Mar, 2024

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family.