Psychopathology of Eating Disorders and Alcohol Addiction - Coursework Example

Psychopathology of Eating Disorders: Comparison with Alcohol Addiction Alcoholism and eating disorders have many issues in common. Both of these problems have an element of addiction to them, depending on how deeply involved an individual is with the process. Although alcohol is not a life giving substance, food is life giving. An alcoholic and a person suffering from bulimia nervosa may feel that they are getting satisfaction from food or alcohol. However, the individual who is drinking alcohol may be drinking because they are attempting to ignore certain intense emotions while the individual who is bulimic may be attempting to satisfy some of these same emotions. Alcoholism and bulimia nervosa are processes that keep an individual from moving forward with their lives until they receive help from a health practitioner. Psychopathology of Eating Disorders: Comparison with Alcohol Addiction Overview of Eating Disorders The world is obsessed with beauty. It expects that American people will look a certain way and they promote this way of looking through the media. Many children grew up with the “Barbie doll” image thinking that a woman had to be unnaturally thin. There are many models who earn their living by making sure that they are thinner than any normal woman would be in real life. Unfortunately, many children find that they cannot meet the expectations of these ideas of beauty, but they try to do this anyway. Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia are common in man y Western societies. According to the National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders (2011) women are more likely to develop an eating disorder than men, although 5% to 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are men. Also, 47% of girls in grades 5-12 want to lose weight because of the pictures they have seen in magazines. A question that comes to mind is, “Do young people throughout the world (e.g. Japan, Australia, China, France, United States, and other countries) still strive to attain the ideal body image that the media portrays?” The answer to this question is “yes” because the media touches girls all over the world. Overview of Alcoholism According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (2011) about 17.6 % of adults have problems with alcohol addiction. The disease begins when someone starts to drink alcohol often and where the body becomes dependent on the alcohol. According to Doweiko (2009) there is a wealth of drinks that contain some alcohol that are somewhat popular with the general population. Doweiko also suggests that one of the reasons why alcohol is still one of the main drugs of choice is because it is so readily available to anyone who is old enough to go into a liquor store. Also, society is inundated with many advertising for alcohol from billboards to television programs that show it as something cool to do, something pleasurable and something that will attract people to them. Alcoholism also can create mood changes within the individual. There are many challenges that people can have when they are addicted to alcohol. There are several studies that say that it effects the brain. As an example, Oscar-Berman and Marinkovic (2003) state that people who are addicted to alcohol can have cognitive and neurobehavioral problems after long-term use. They state that about two million alcoholics develop problems that require ongoing custodial care. Those who do are usually dealing with some aspect of dementia. Some of the conditions that alcohol abuse can create include advanced aging, malnutrition, brain atrophy, and “impaired neuropsychological performance” (Oscar-Berman and Marinkovic, 2003, p. 128). When people continue their addiction to alcohol it depresses their central nervous system, and it has the ability to sedate an individual. In some situations, the individual can become comatose. Physical problems that an alcoholic can experience include lowering of inhibitions, reduced judgment, liver disease, problems with the digestion, heart problems and diabetes (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010). Waller, Corstrphine and Mountford (2007) studied the role of emotional abuse in eating disorders. They concluded that emotion can be a factor as to why an individual would begin an eating disorder. When someone has a history of emotional abuse, they are also more at risk for increasing certain behaviors that go with eating disorders such as vomiting, obsessive-compulsive behavior and a higher level of impulsiveness. Social and Cultural Causes of Eating Disorders and Alcoholism Because many societies are fixated on the idea of thin and an ideal image, the fact that there is more than enough food to eat in Western society, and because many people react negatively to obese people, most people do not want to become obese. These social and cultural causes make women feel that they are abnormal if they have even small amounts of extra weight. The challenge is that these issues can create psychological and physiological problems that add to other difficulties. Gilbert et al. (2010) studied the relationship between “self-criticism, shame, and social rank variables to self-harm, depression, and anxiety” (p. 563). The researchers gave questionnaires to 73 patients between the ages of 20 and 69 with a mean age of about 42 years old. The group was a “non-psychotic” group. In other words, there were no people in the group who had psychotic disorders, but they had other issues along with their eating disorder. These other issues included emotional issues such as depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, and bipolar disorder as well as eating disorders. The researchers wanted to use a wide group of participants because the issues of self-harm, shame and self-criticism are not significant to any one group. They were also interested in understanding how “self-criticism and put-down, and internal criticism and put-down” (p. 572) were able to activate negative feelings and making the group feel inadequate towards the others who were criticizing them. The researchers found that there were many forms of self-criticism that lead to self-harm and mood. Also, different types of societies will increase the likelihood of self-harm. As an example, in a competitive society, individuals may be more prone to treat themselves as objects and to compare themselves with others. In a society that is both competitive and materialistic, individuals may feel a need to perform and when they cannot do what they would like, they can become frustrated and turn to self-harm. These results indicate that many people are vulnerable to the way the media treats beauty and that there are many unhealthy issues that happen when someone has eating disorders. Society can create negative circumstances for those who are the most vulnerable in the way of difficulties with moods and anxiety. When alcoholism is compared to eating disorders, many people feel a sense of shame and despair when they drink too much which can lead to under reporting of the problem. Many alcoholics will attempt to hide what they are doing or deny that this is occurring (Doweiko, 2009). Many alcoholics will also react in shame, self-criticism and doubt. Nakken (1995) states that in the beginning of their alcohol abuse, shame can be shown through a general uneasiness when people are around others who do not know about their problem. This often leads to behaviors that have them acting out and creating more challenges for themselves. Phillips (2010) suggests that there are many social reasons that people become alcoholics although these are not necessarily causes in her perspective. Phillips also states that there are social situations that can be conducive to people drinking too much. Because people drink socially in many situations (including work, at home, for special occasions) these events and situations can push people to drink too much, and for some, it can be the start of problems with alcohol (Phillips, 2010). Peel (2009) adds to this discussion by pointing out that many people think that the drinking they see around them is the way that people are supposed to consume alcohol. Peel states that most people have three areas that provide information to them about alcohol consumption: 1) the people that they already know which include their friends and families; 2) “their social class and cultural group”; and 3) the historic era in which they grew up (Peel, 2009, p. 1). He suggests that many people begin to drink in the way they see others drink, and when they have someone in the family that drinks a lot, they may continue to exhibit the same behavior. It is clear that in both eating disorders and alcoholism, many people are vulnerable to the way people around them act as well as the way the media treats beauty and alcohol. When both of these areas can be seen as glamorous, people have a tendency to follow what they see. Society can create negative circumstances for both alcoholics and those people who overeat and these can be the most vulnerable people when they also have difficulty with mood swings and anxiety. Alcoholism and Eating Disorders Eating disorders are often connected to alcohol abuse. Piran and Gadalla (2006) state that many studies have been done using students to understand the relationship between eating disorders and substance abuse. For their study, they investigated the connection between “Disordered eating attitudes” and “behaviors and substance use “ (p. 106) with 36,984 Canadian women. When examining the incidences of alcohol abuse, they found that of the 20, 211 women who actually responded to the survey, 3.8% of the 15-24 year olds were at risk for alcohol abuse. The overall understanding the researchers found was that in women 15-44 years old, the risk of an eating disorder and alcohol abuse was “associated significantly with the risk for an eating disorder” (Piran and Godalla, 2006, p. 110). In this section, the connection between alcohol addiction and eating disorders has been explored as well as the similarities between them. Barry, Clarke and Petry (2009) studied the relationship between obesity and other addictions. Although their study looked at obesity it actually shed light on eating disorders. For obesity to be considered an addiction, researchers assume that the individual is obese because hey overeat. When an individual consumes alcohol, they find both a psychological and physical dependence on the alcohol, but it is not necessary for survival (Barry, Clarke, and Petry, 2009). For those who have eating disorders, food is necessary for their survival. Alcohol is also associated with the dampening of unpleasant emotions. The authors state that there is a direct correlation between both addictions in that they both have a partial hereditary link. As an example, a person who is obese may have a “genetic mutation” that reduces the amount of the hormone leptin which stops them from being able to regulate food intake (Barry, Clarke and Petry, 2009, p. 445). An increase in leptin has also been associated with the cravings that people have for alcohol. In addition, some researchers have theorized that leptin also works with “the brain reward system” when it produces problems with the intake of food (Barry, Clarke and Petry, 2009, p. 445). Carbaugh (2010) studied the affects of alcohol abuse and bulimia nervosa. The factors, according to Carbaugh, that are common to both alcohol addiction and bulimia nervosa are biological, environmental and psychological in nature. This means that some people may live in environments that are more conducive to developing one or both addictions. Some literature also states that there are risk factors for both eating disorders and alcohol abuse that show up in the individual’s life. These “shared etiologies” may include personality types, specific family histories or developmental issues that are the same for both addictions (Carbaugh, 2010, p. 126). As an example, an individual that grows up in a family where alcohol or other substances are abused, may grow up to also abuse the same substance. Carbaugh also states that “biological vulnerability can also play a part in substance abuse and eating disorders” (Carbaugh, 2010, p. 126). In other words, someone who has a predisposition to substance abuse/bulimia may also show a difference in their brain chemistry. Freimuth et al. (2008) discussed the issue of dual diagnosis in addiction. They state that addiction is rarely the result of the use of only one substance. Instead, it is often coupled with more than one addiction or mental illness and an addiction. According to these researchers about 35% of those clients with some type of substance abuse also have an eating disorder. The use of one substance such as alcohol will also use at least one other substance such as nicotine (Feimuth et al., 2008). Eating disorders satisfy both the chemical and the biological criteria for substance abuse as described by Nikken (1996). Conclusion There were several studies quoted in this research and the one issue all the research seemed to have in common was that they used questionnaires and asked young children or adults to self-report about their eating habits. This did not seem to be a very reliable way of gaining information. It would seem that using interviews with healthcare providers, psychiatrists or other medical professionals would have allowed the researchers delve deeper into why eating disorders happen and how parents and people in the community could help these children better. Addiction is a very difficult situation for many different people. Whether it is an addiction to alcohol or an eating disorder, there are challenges with both. Any type of addiction will have specific symptoms and specific ways in which people behave when they are under the influence of the drug. In eating disorders, the individual has some of the same problems like emotional mood swings, anxiety, depression, and shame. In each case, the way in which people treat the individual will prove to change the way in which they life. Research shows that both eating disorders and addiction to alcohol have genetic components. Some people who have bulimia nervosa or alcoholism in the family may see themselves experiencing the same situation. Also, the brain is involved in both challenges and hormones in the brain can exacerbate an eating disorder or alcohol addiction. There are treatments for both of these situations. Many people go to Alcoholics Anonymous or Overeaters Anonymous to deal with their References Barry, D., Clarke, M., & Petry, N. M. (2009). Obesity and its relationship to addictions: Is overeating a form of addictive behavior?. American Journal on Addictions, 18(6), 439-451. doi:10.3109/10550490903205579 Carbaugh, R. J., & Sias, S. M. (2010). Comorbidity of bulimia nervosa and substance abuse: Etiologies, treatment issues, and treatment approaches. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 32(2), 125. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Doweiko, H.E. (2009). Concepts in chemical dependency, 7th ed. CA: Brooks/Cole Cenage Learning. Engelen-Maddox, R. (2006). Buying a beauty standard or dreaming of a new life? expectations associated with media ideals. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, (3), 258-266, doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00294.x Freimuth, M., Waddell, M., Stannard, J., Kelley, S., Kipper, A., Richardson, A., & Szuromi, I. (2008). Expanding the scope of dual diagnosis and co-addictions: Behavioral addictions. Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 3(3/4), 137-160. doi:10.1080/15560350802424944 Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Irons, C., Bhundia, R., Christie, R., Broomhead, C., and Rockliff, H. (2010). Self-harm in a mixed clinical population: The roles of self-criticism, shame, and social rank. 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The role of emotional abuse in the eating disorders: implications for treatment Eating Disorders,15 (4) 317-31. Retrieved from CINAHL database. Read More