If you think an eating disorder is all about food (or not enough), you have yet to understand the concept. There is so much more to eating disorders that the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has to mention as a health condition. An eating disorder is a mental health illness…

What is Emetophobia Emetophobia is a morbid fear or phobia of vomiting. Emetophobia’s meaning is derived from the Greek word “emetikos” which means “to vomit” and “phobia” which means fear. It is an extremely intense aversion to watching or hearing other people vomit or the fear of you vomiting. It can manifest itself as the…

Human beings come in different colors, body shapes and sizes and everybody deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin. A positive body image is essential to self esteem and self confidence and this post will show you how to improve body image. First, let’s define body image. Body image is the composition of a…

Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as an emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is a disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts the way you think and feels about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday life. It is characterized by a long-term pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships, a distorted sense of self,…

Compulsive Overeating and Binge Eating are the most common eating disorders.  These are food addictions that are similar yet distinct in character.  Compulsive overeating is characterised by persistent fantasies about food. Food has an irresistible allure to the compulsive overeater because it is associated with a happy or psychologically satisfying experience, either in the past or…

How many times have you heard a slender person saying that achieving the ideal weight is nothing more than calories in vs. calories out? Rather than being a disorder or disease, people think of overweight as simply a problem of having a weak will or eating too much. But the problem is far more complicated…

Making a strong commitment to consume only the healthiest food cannot possibly be bad, right? After all, you’re doing your body good and you’re manifesting great resolve to be in the best health of your life. However, if this strong commitment becomes an obsession, your physical health will certainly not make up for the downgrade…

Australia Counselling member Deborah Jackson is a psychologist practicing on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Deborah provides counselling services to help individuals heal through trauma, mood disorders and life crisis, to embody more of their essential self and make their true contribution to life. In particular, she is passionate about supporting her clients in achieving mind-body wellness…

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by self-starvation, an obsessive fear of weight gain, excessive and compulsive exercise, and a glaring distortion of body image that views an emaciated physique as attractive and desirable.  The term originates from two Latin words that translate into a nervous inability to eat.  Anorectics often have an accompanying anxiety…

Eating disorders are serious abnormalities or impairments in eating behaviour that are excessive and compulsive in nature.  These range from severe overeating up to the point of extreme obesity to unhealthy reduction of food intake up to the point of starvation and emaciation.  These eating disturbances are serious enough to be considered mental illnesses requiring…