Eating Disorders

Not just eating too little....

Eating disorders, although often seen as something linked to "attention seeking" or "just in the head", are conditions that can affect someone physically, psychologically and socially. They are serious mental illnesses and include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. 

"Over 725,000 men and women in the UK are affected by eating disorders."

Although serious, eating disorders are treatable conditions and full recovery is possible. The sooner someone gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full recovery.

Eating disorder fast facts;

-Anyone can develop an eating disorder, regardless of their age, sex or cultural background.

-Eating disorders claim more lives than any other mental illness – one in five of the most seriously affected will die prematurely from the physical consequences or suicide.

-Eating disorders are complex and there is no one single reason why someone develops an eating disorder.

-The causes of eating disorders still baffle health professionals Which has lead to extensive research over the years...we'll get there!

-Eating disorders are complex and not everyone will experience the same symptoms. People will respond differently to treatment and can take different amounts of time to recover.

- Some people can be affected by more than one type of eating disorder or find their symptoms changing type as they recover.

My story 

I've suffered with eating Problems from a very young age. Starting with extreme confidence issues at just 5 years old, I began a dangerous spiral of eating issues. Health professionals constantly worried over my weight which in fact only increased my obsession in how "fat" I was. 

No one wants to believe that a little child has eating issues (especially me) and so they went undiagnosed for several years, until the age of 16. Eating only a handful of mouthfuls of food a day for over a year lead to being unable to go more than down the street before nearly passing out. I was wearing children's clothes and crying my way through every day and night. The Anorexia destroyed my relationships between my friends and family until I had no one that I felt I could turn to. I considered suicide, self harmed daily and fell into a deep rut of Depression and Anxiety. 

Finally I had scared myself enough to seek treatment. I can honestly say that it is one of the most terrifying things that I have ever done, but do you know what? It's one of the best things that I have ever done. I am no longer over exercising and struggling with my daily activities. Life is so much better that it was two years ago. Moral of the story? Things are different for everyone, but that doesn't mean anything negative. It means that we are all unique and have a different path to follow than everyone else. You will get to your place of peace with work, determination and self love. 

Advice

Her Campus is just one of the many online communities that blog about mental health awareness and have even created The Loving Me Project. The online community has countless numbers of blogs, websites, and social media accounts that can provide support from the comfort of your own home.

B-eat 
Helpline: 0345 634 1414
Youth Line: 0345 634 7650
http://www.b-eat.co.uk/support-services/helpline 

All you need to do is have the courage to try.

Stay strong
- Louise xoxo

Fear and Anxiety

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions. It affects the mind and the body. 

I am not an expert about these things but I have gathered some research and I know what its like because I've experienced it. If you want to read into it some more I'll leave some link at the bottom :)

Fear and Anxiety is an odd thing because for different people it can have different outcomes. For some people it can last a short amount of time and can pass quite quickly but for others it can last a long time and can progress into something more. In some cases they can take over your whole life which can seriously hold you back from doing the things you love. It's hard to break the cycle of being overwhelmed by fear or anxiety but it is not impossible. You can learn to cope with it so you can get some of your life back.

Things that happen when you are feeling seriously anxious: 

- Heart beats become very fast - It feels like they are irregular.
- Breathing exhilarates
- Dizziness
- Nagging sense of fear
- Irritable
- Headaches/Migraines
- Loss of self confidence

12 Things to start doing for yourself
1. Start spending time with the right people. Spend your time with someone who loves you, helps you smile when it feels impossible to and who understands you.
2. Start facing problems head on.
3. Start being honest with yourself about everything.
4.start making your own happiness your priority.
5. Start giving your dreams and ideas a chance.
6. Start believing that you are ready for that next step.
7. Start forgiving others and yourself.
8. Start finding the beauty in the small things.
9. Start being open about how you really feel.
10. Make goals for everyday and start completing them.
11.Start accepting things that seem less than perfect.
12. Be your genuine self. BE YOU!

I believe in anyone who wants overcome anxiety because they wake up, get out of bed even when it feels like hell. That makes them STRONG. They do things even when it makes them anxious. That makes them BRAVE. They hold on t life even when it feels like its slipping away. That makes them AMAZING. 

I am so proud of anxiety fighters and they should be proud of themselves. 

Love, 

           Emily xxx

Mind

http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/#.VfAB6yVViko

Time-to-Change

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/category/blog/anxiety

My trip to Dublin

Last week I went on a weekend trip to Dublin, Ireland for my 18th birthday. I Loved every minute (well almost every minute the turbulence wasn't kind). I have also found a new love for Jameson Irish Whisky mixed with ginger ale and lime. If you are 18 or over I highly recommend it but please remember to drink responsibly).

If you ever find yourself in Dublin I highly recommend visiting the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Old Distillery.

The Guinness Storehouse has a wonderful building and has a lot to explore. The highlight for me was the option to pull your own pint of Guinness. There are a lot of things to look at such as the advertisements from over the years, the history of Guinness, the stories linked to the founder Arthur Guinness and much more. Personally I think this should be on the things to do list if its their first time in Dublin. Pulling the pint and taster sessions must only be done for people who are 18 or over.

Jameson Distillery had a wonderful tour which did have a tour guide but he was so kind and his personality shone through to let you see the fun in learning of how Jameson whisky is distilled. At the end of the tour for over 18s there was a 3 whisky shot taster where you got to taste different whisky's and how they are all different. The first shot was Jameson whisky, Second was an American whisky (Not Jack Daniels) and the final one was a smoky Scottish whisky. Personally out of the three I only liked the Jameson one.


Tripadvisor links:
The Guinness Store house:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186605-d189694-Reviews-Guinness_Storehouse-Dublin_County_Dublin.html

The Old Jameson Distillery:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186605-d216616-Reviews-The_Old_Jameson_Distillery-Dublin_County_Dublin.html