Food disorders throughout recorded history and even before mankind has suffered from a variety of illnesses and ailments. Whether it be from viruses, bacterium, or from the person himself, diseases and other disorders continue to take their toll, both physically and mentally. Among these disorders, one might find it unusual to find that even the very act of eating can sometimes be harmful to oneself. Compulsive overeating, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa are disorders that do not receive much of the media spotlight: nevertheless, these are serious enough

Probable causes of the disorder are being linked to biological causes, such as the absence of serotonin and norepinephrine, both neurotransmitters. Antidepressant drugs often benefit these patients so they are prescribed. As for social factors, there seems to be that bulimic patients tend to have more outward conflicts with parents. These patients also seem to be suffering from depression. Psychological factors also play a role here, with patients usually not adjusting well to adolescence. Bulimic patients tend to be more outgoing, angry and impulsive, so self-destructive behavior is also indicative of the disorder.

Compulsive overeating is another of the food disorders many people suffer from. It is generally characterized by uncontrollable eating and weight gain (http://www.mirror-mirror.org/phymed.num). The main goal of compulsive eaters is to escape from problems, or to cope with emotions or stress. The people suffering from this disorder do realize they have a problem. Usually the problem starts in a person’s early years as a result of never learning how to handle stressful situations(http://www.mirror-mirror.org/def.htm). Dieting does not help, since they usually fail, and in doing so, often bring on another eating binge. As of today, this problem is not taken as seriously as anorexia and bulimia. Therapy and counseling could be effective in dealing with this problem. Of course, not every person that completes the treatment will go on and be cured of it forever. Every so often a person will fall into the cycle again, but that person does not have to continue in it. Discussion of the relapse with the therapist is recommended. Punishing oneself after a relapse is discouraged. When one does relapse, think about how it happened and the steps that led to it. The underlying issues of the disorder must be dealt with even if one is already eating normally (http://www.mirror-miror.org/symptoms.htm).

Often, treatment is started or recognized when the patient has already lost a considerable amount of weight. For effective treatment, the patient must be a willing participant in the treatment plan. Hospitalization is usually the first step in treating this disorder, followed by psychotherapy sessions and pharmacotherapy. Patients do resist hospitalization, but after several weeks they do realize they need help. Cognitive behavioral approaches are used to address the disorder as is family therapy. No one has come up with any type of medication yet to cure the core symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Some drugs have been used, such as Periactin and Elavil, but they in no way cure the disorder (http://ndmda.org/eating.htm).

Some of the wa

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