Hey everybody!
Now today's video is something you've been asking for over and over and over!
And that is: Kati, what is the difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating?
So stay tuned and I'll tell you all about it.
So like I said, today we're going to talk about the difference between an eating disorder
and a disordered eater.
I know we use the words a lot and people get confused.
And to be honest I think it's cause they sound a lot alike.
But the real difference, the core difference is that an eating disorder is a coping skill
and we utilize our eating disorder when we're feeling stressed or overworked or overwhelmed or whatever.
We use the eating disorder as a way to cope with any negative emotion, right?
We've talked about that.
And that's why we work to replace the eating disorder with healthy coping skills.
So that's what an eating disorder is.
Now, disordered eating is not a diagnosis.
It's not something that people use as a way to cope,
it's not the same.
See the difference?
Eating disorder's a coping skill, disordered eating is an unintuitive eater.
Now, this person can be really triggering to someone who struggles with an eating disorder.
Because we know, our eating disorders can be competitive.
Now, this person has no idea that what they're doing can worry you or bother you
because they don't utilize their eating in that way.
It's not a coping skill, they're just not intuitive.
So this person, a "disordered eater" is not someone who checks in with their hunger/fullness cues,
who makes sure their body gets nutrition that it needs.
If they crave something they oftentimes don't give it to themselves.
Or they may, what we would consider binge, but they're not really binging, they're just not intuitive.
Does that make sense?
So an eating disorder's a coping skill, and a disordered eater is someone who's not intuitive.
They don't utilize their eating for any other reason, they're just not healthy eaters.
And it's really hard for us to be around them.
And so oftentimes we will talk to parents who maybe are disordered eaters because they are triggering to
our clients.
And so, I will sit with my client and I'll talk to their mother or father and say, "You know, when you guys go long periods
of time with out eating because you're busy, it's really triggering to my client. And we're going to have to get
you on more of a schedule."
Are you seeing the difference?
I know that many people, I would honestly venture to say 70% of the population are "disordered eaters" because
they're not intuitive, they're not noticing, "Hey I'm hungry, I should plan on where I'm going to eat next. I should
probably have a snack."
We don't think about it like that because the thing that's different is when we have an eating disorder all we think
about, all we worry about is all around food and eating.
And for a lot of other people it's not like that.
And so they won't eat when their body actually needs them to, or they may overeat and it can be really difficult for us.
And so when I talk to parents a lot of times, we will talk about a mother, let's say a mother who is really restrictive
on what she allows herself to eat, we'll call that "disordered eating".
Now, she's not using that as a way to cope, but she's not eating properly.
So my main message is, the difference is an eating disorder person uses it as a coping skill and it's actually
a disorder in the DSM.
And it's something that we get help on and we go to treatment for.
Someone who has disordered eating can live their whole lives like that.
It's just very triggering to those of us who work in the eating disorder world.
And so, something that I would encourage people with an eating disorder, or people with disordered eating,
get a nutritionist, see a dietitian, because getting on a meal plan and knowing what your body needs,
because they'll work with you, because everybody's body is different, right?
Sean eats very differently than I have to eat, and our bodies are different sizes and different shapes and our bodies
need different things for different reasons, right?
And we need to know what that is.
And so working with someone to get a meal plan and to have them put it together and work with you can be
really beneficial.
And it will actually get us out of this potential disordered eating plan
where we're not checking in with our body, we're not noticing when we're hungry and when we're full.
So please, if you're worried whether you have one or the other, the best thing to do is to see a therapist
and to see a dietitian.
So I hope that clears up the difference, because I know it can be confusing.
And don't forget to add me on Google+ because as you know, that's the way I can respond to your comments
and comment back.
And also, make sure you ask your question using the hashtag #KatiFAQ
You can find me on Tumblr, Twitter, my website KatiMorton.com, obviously on YouTube and Pinterest.
I'm all over the place.
So find me, and let's break through the stigma of mental health.
Subtitles by the Amara.org community