Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening mental disorders that can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Eating disorders can affect all areas of a person’s life, including their intimate relationships and sex life. Increased communication is important to maintain a healthy relationship with someone who is suffering from an…
Tag: disorder
Orthorexia
According to the NEDA, or the National Eating Disorders Association, orthorexia is an obsession with healthy eating. The term originated in 1998 and has become increasingly prevalent as societal pressure to diet rises. Orthorexia has become more common as the expansion of social media has given people access to a variety of information on dieting,…
Eating Disorder Statistics
Eating disorders are serious, potentially life threatening mental disorders that affect people of all ages, genders, races, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic groups. Eating disorders are caused by a combination of biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors. Certain groups and types of people are more at risk than others for developing an eating disorder. There has…
An Overview of Disability and Sexuality
One of the most important aspects to remember when discussing the topic of sex and disability is that people with disabilities are sexual beings. Oftentimes, people assume that those with disabilities have no sexual desires or needs and tend to treat them as children or victims in need of protection. In reality, the majority of…
Bulimia
What is Bulimia? Bulimia is an eating disorder categorized by a cycle of binge eating an abnormally large amount of food in a short period of time, followed by a compensatory behavior.1 Compensatory behaviors may consist of self-induced vomiting, excessive exercising, fasting, or laxative use to avoid gaining weight from binge eating.1 Individuals with bulimia…
Anorexia
Anorexia, or anorexia nervosa, is a life-threatening eating disorder characterized by significant weight loss due to the restriction of calorie intake.1 This extreme weight loss is accompanied by an intense fear of gaining weight, denial of the seriousness of the weight loss, and perceiving one’s own body differently than reality.1 Anorexia affects all people regardless of class,…
Sex and Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder impacting the lives of approximately 51 million people worldwide every year.1 Schizophrenia is defined primarily as a loss of touch with reality, causing a person to be uncertain of what is real and what is occurring only in their mind.1 In addition to affecting a person’s thoughts, feelings, and…
Rumination Disorder
What Is Rumination Disorder? Rumination disorder is a gastro-intestinal disorder that causes a person to unintentionally regurgitate their undigested food shortly after ingestion.1 In most cases, the person expels or vomits up the food up to a half hour after eating. The patient could also regurgitate their food, rechew, then reswallow it. It is important…
Sex And Depression
Depression is a very common mental disorder impacting the lives of millions of Americans every year.1 In addition to affecting a person’s mood, energy, and physical health, depression can also impact an individual’s sex life, both in terms of desire and function.2 Fortunately, depression can be treated and there are resources available to ease the…