Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/646116
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2016 17 News found other people's experiences inspiring and they encouraged me to pursue the process, however dif- ficult it was. Sitting opposite me on a bench at University and sipping her coffee as she told me her story, it is hard to connect Miriana's struggles with the determined girl in front of me. That, to her, is pretty much the point of raising awareness: eating disorders can affect anyone and sufferers deserve sensitivity and support because most of the time they feel like they are alone. Clinical psychologist and psycho- therapist Dorothy Scicluna in fact said that the disconnection from each other and loneliness that most teens experience might lead to self-destructive behaviours such as self-harm. Some revert to food as a means of coping and this makes them more vulnerable to eating dis- orders, with some forms of eating disorders involving self-destructive behaviours or being seen as such. "Eating disorders [EDs] are seri- ous mental illnesses and once a person is affected their life is inter- rupted until recovery is achieved. It typically starts when a person is overly concerned with weight and shape to the point that they try to alter their weight or shape through restricting their food intake or through excessive exercise." Similarly to Miriana's experience, Scicluna says eating disorders often fall along a spectrum and one diag- nosis will merge into another. Local surveys indicate that differ- ent disorders affect different age groups, with a survey presented in a paper by Anton Grech from Mount Carmel Hospital's department of psychiatry, on a randomized sam- ple of 6,000 people showing that anorexia remains the most com- mon eating disorder for the young- er age groups with a 1.3% occur- rence among 18-29year olds.* Although Malta seems to have a higher rate of binge eating disor- ders when compared to the rates of other European countries, this was probably due to the fact that the country has high obesity rates. "Although we traditionally associ- ate eating disorders with women, recent research is indicating that men seem to be affected too. It might be less apparent because they might be embarrassed to dis- cuss having such issues. The most common ED among men seem to be binge eating disorder and ano- rexia athletica (sports anorexia) also referred to as hypergymnasia, which is characterized by excessive, obsessive exercise." Scicluna points out that former sufferers have to keep their behav- iours and dieting practices in check for a good number of months af- ter treatment. "There will be little lapses and the person should not feel scared, but instead take these as further learning curves." Awareness has grown over the years, and although there are few professionals specialised in the sub- ject locally, interest in the matter was growing. "Psychologists and psychotherapists offer a range of psychotherapies that can help the person understand the root of their eating problem," Scicluna said. Nutritionists and dieticians had also been immensely helpful in recommending food intakes and preventing the development of dis- orders. "Our general hospital also offers medical care when necessary, and there is also Dar Kenn ghal Sah- htek, which offers a residential pro- gramme for eating disorders and obesity. "More should be done to nor- malise mental health issues and remove the sense of shame that of- ten shrouds them. I would be very happy to see the set-up of an eating disorders unit at Mater Dei hospital along with maybe more help being offered on a community level, per- haps at health care centres," Sci- cluna added. Eating disorders There are three main disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervo- sa and Binge Eating Disorder. Anorexia nervosa happens when a person becomes visibly and sig- nificantly underweight as a result of restricting their food intake. If these restrictions are unsuccessful, suf- ferers would typically experience a binge of eating a series of foods in a rapid way followed by a sense of shame and disgust. When the person does not com- pensate for the binges, the person is suffering from binge eating dis- order. Here the person will typically start to gain weight rapidly, but if the person throws up the food, or uses laxatives or excessive exercise to compensate for the binge then the person suffering from bulimia nervosa. Very often the person suffering from bulimia nervosa will have an average weight. "There are several consequences to these conditions, and they lead people to lose sight of their own life," Scicluna says. Very often, sufferers will lose track of their life goals and their psychologi- cal and life development is often in- terrupted. "There are also physical and psy- chological consequences, with most physical symptoms being re- versible when weight is restored and the body is being fed the right nutrients." Other symptoms, such as achiev- ing a regular menstrual cycle, may take longer. "A positive conse- quence happens when the person decides to embark on a path of recovery through psychotherapy. This offers an opportunity for growth and insight. The person will also learn a lot about the body, how it works and they will also become quite knowledgeable in the area of nutrition. Some sufferers develop careers related to nutrition or psy- chology once recovered." * (The results of a telephone based survey conducted between May and June 2012. A randomized sample of 6,000 people aged between 15 and 50 years of age. Results show that 2.9% of respondents have suf- fered from an eating disorder at some point in time, 2% had suffered an eating disorder in the past and 0.9% were suffering at the time of the study. According to the study, Binge Eat- ing was the most common eating disorder with 55.8%, followed by Anorexia with 34.3% and Bulimia with 13.3%. However, according to the study, persons aged 18-29 were more likely to suffer from Anorexia and people aged between 30-44 were more likely to suffer from binge eating.) 'At 15, at the height of her condition there were days she couldn't muster enough energy to get out of bed'