Mental Health Issues and Eating Disorders

Respond to at least one of your colleagues’ postings. Respond to a colleague who selected a different keyword topic than you did. Respond in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question and provide insight into how you would answer your question and why.

Ask a probing question and provide the foundation, or rationale, for the question.

Expand on your colleague’s posting by offering a new perspective or insight.

Agree with a colleague and offer additional (new) supporting information for consideration.

Disagree with a colleague by respectfully discussing and supporting a different perspective.

Support your reply to a colleagues’ assignment post with at least one reference (textbook or other scholarly, empirical resources). You may state your opinion and/or provide personal examples; however, you must also back up your assertions with evidence (including in-text citations) from the source and provide a reference.

Colleague Post

A Hall

An eating disorder can derive from mental health issues, being autistic, or it may run in the family. There are a lot of mental health conditions that can cause an eating disorder. People with eating disorders have social skill problems as well. This is common with anorexia and autisms and all the mental health disorders I have listed. Some estimates holdLinks to an external site. that as much as 20 percent of people with enduring eating disorders have autism. Because girls with autism are frequently underdiagnosed, it’s often an eating disorder that first brings them to clinical attention — although men and boys with autism can and do develop eating disorders (Arnold, C.).

BPD (Border Line personality Disorder)- is an emotional disorder having long-term patterns of unstable or volatile emotions. These emotions can result in impulsive actions, insecurities, and disruptive relationships with others. A person with this disorder has issues with their own identity. Mood swings are up and down, happy one moment and sad the next. Feelings of emptiness, does not like being alone, can get anger for no reason, walks in depression. BPD is linked to the amygdala and limbi systems of the brain. This is the part of the brain that controls emotions and certain rage, fear and impulsive automatic reactions. Studies have shown that the hippocampus and amygdala may be as much as 16% smaller in people with BPD and have suggested that experiences of trauma may lead to these neuroanatomical changes.Positron emission tomography (PET) scans have generally shown that people with BPD show hypometabolism of glucose in their prefrontal cortex and limbic system relative to people who don't have BPD, suggesting that the disorder may result from a failure of the “rational” prefrontal cortex to regulate the “impulsive” limbic system (J Psychiatry Neurosci.Links to an external site.). Thus, those that have normal function of the hippocampus and amygdala, use a range of 40 mm to 52 mm, which is healthy. 16% of that is not healthy. Ideally, infants with BPD should receive a fluid intake of not more than 135–150 mL/kg/day and an energy intake of 120–150 kcal/kg/day (PubMed Central). Infants need these proper calories and nutrients to grow, keeping their emotions regulated, having a proper diet, preventing the extra trauma to the neuroanatomical part of the brain.

Autism or (Special Needs)- a developmental neurological disorder affecting how people interact, communicate, learn, and behave. Sometimes symptoms are not seen until later in life. It is hard to understand how those with autism feel when they act out. There is also a social imbalance, friendships are hard for them, can be rude, annoyed easily, show no interest in things unless it is what they like.

Avoiding eye contact

Delayed speech and communication skills

Reliance on rules and routines

Being upset by relatively minor changes

Unexpected reactions to sounds, tastes, sights, touch and smells

Difficulty understanding other people’s emotions

Focusing on or becoming obsessed by a narrow range of interests or objects

Engaging in repetitive behavior such as flapping hands or rocking

Children not responding to their name by 12 months

Children not pointing at distant objects by 14 months.

Changes in routine, feeling isolated, lack of support, the environment and not having the right nutrients and eating habits will increase a tantrum, attitude, speech problem, and avoid eye contact. Some children do not start speaking until later in life.

My best friends son and my close family I call sister have autistic children. Both have boys. My best friend’s son started off as my sister’s did not talk, making noises to say what they did not want, what they did what, and what they did not like. My best friend’s son talks now he is 10 goes to the same school as my daughter functions as a normal child very smart. He needs extra help with work to stay focused. He loves only chicken nuggets and chocolate milk. They make sure he drinks (Pediasure) and my sister’s son drinks it as well for the nutrients. My sister’s son has had extra meetings with the school to make sure he is receiving the proper social skills and finding ways to improve them at home. The teachers and therapist are very supporting and engaged in his growth.

Finding a therapist that makes them feel safe, supported, accepted, and supported. To keep the day-to-day functions and monitor the eating disorders, group therapy is a must. Group therapy helps with social skills, and insecurities that go along with this disorder. While in group therapy you’re able to see you are not the only one that may hate their weight or how they look. You realize the is a reason for why you feel how you feel, and you have options to help you as well as people to be there for you for social, mental, physical support. You do not have to be alone.

Topic: Obesity

Is a medical concern disease involving too much body fat. Obesity increases more concerns for unhealthy problems dealing with all parts of the body. Such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, sleep apnea, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. There are many reasons why some people have trouble losing weight. Often, obesity results from inherited, physiological, and environmental factors, combined with diet, physical activity and exercise choices (Mayo Clinic). Being obese may be hereditary, keeping a healthy diet and routine checkups to the doctor is very necessary. Keeping a work our schedule weekly is good as well. Having a therapist to talk to about certain issues dealing with weight and feeling insecure is needed as well.

In people with obesity, the striatum, the brain region associated with food acquisition, continues to seek food even after the consumption of lipids or fats. The brain also fails to promote a sense of satisfaction by releasing the hormone dopamine (Berman, Bobby). Dopamine gives off the feeling of satisfaction and pleasure. Food is satisfaction and pleasure to the body and to emotions. You will keep eating until you feel the satisfaction causes you to gain more and more weight.

I went through obesity at an early age as well. I loved myself but once I became bigger, I was frustrated on why it was hard to lose weight. I would lose weight but would gain it right back eating the wrong foods. Now in my 30’s I must keep a healthy diet which I do not always do because I stress it sometimes. But now I can cut it off when I know it is starting to become consistent. Having God in my life all day every day makes me love myself even more and I keep my work outs going at walk using the stares and taking walks every 2 hours. I feel great. My white blood count was high, and my Hematologist was not happy. I told him I know its due to my weight. So, I made a point to lose it. 6 months ago, I lost 30 pounds, and I am still going. Having no support, love, and people putting my down, telling me I will never succeed, being in an unhealthy environment as well as having someone who did not love and stole from me making me believe he was going to marry me, is what started my weight gain. I ate whatever and did not care.

Some treatments helping obesity are diet pills, exercise, healthy eating habits, and therapy. I conquered life and bad decisions. I am very proud of myself. I am also able to pray for my kids and better for them. Strength, prayer, and a therapist got me through the rough times.

Resources

22 July, 2023. Mayo Clinic. Obesity. Disease & Conditions. 
2023 March 24. Borderline Personality Disorder. AMHSA. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

2023 June 22. Berman, Bobby. Does obesity cause permanent changes in the brain? Study offers clues. Medical News Today. 

Rocha, Gustavo, Guimaraes, Hercilia, Pereir-da-Silva, Luis. Tchounwou, B. Paul, Academic Editor. 2021 Jun; 18(12): 6245.PMC. PubMed Central. Journal List. Int J Environ Res Public Health. PMC8296089. Published online 2021 Jun 9. Doi: National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. 10.3390/ijerph18126245. 

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated. (n.d.). Eating disorder statisticsLinks to an external site.Links to an external site..