Like many essential employees, Jessica, a grocery worker and graduate student in Atlanta, was “extremely overworked” during the coronavirus pandemic. Overwhelmed by tension, she again fell into bad habits to face.
Jessica, identified only by her first name to maintain her anonymity, has been struggling with bulimia for more than a decade.
“I just hold that I do not snap like a disabled rubber band. I know I can not purify because it is unhealthy,” Jessica said. “So I find myself halfway through this cycle that I’ve been trying to break for years.”
The pandemic has heightened tensions among many Americans, exacerbated only by isolation and the lack of regular social contact. It was the perfect storm of negative factors for individuals with eating disorders, or those recovering.
“I think it was disastrous in many ways,” said Cynthia Bulik, founder of the UNC Center for Excellence in Eating Disorders, about the pandemic. Bulik co-authored a study published in July to analyze the early effects of the pandemic on people with eating disorders in the US and the Netherlands. The study found that the side effects that occur through life during imprisonment, including a lack of structure, increased time spent in an engaging environment, “lack of social support”, have led to an exacerbation of the symptoms for individuals with eating disorders and a higher risk of relapse. for those who recover.
“This is just one of the tragedies that follow on the heels of the COVID crisis,” Bulik said of the increase in cases of eating disorder, which can affect anyone regardless of race, gender, age or weight.
Chelsea Kronengold, communications manager of the National Eating Disorders Association, said the NEDA helpline had increased by 40% since March 2020.
“During the pandemic, NEDA saw an increase in calls focusing on suicide, self-harm and even the need for child protection services,” Kronengold said in an email to CBS News. Kronengold explained that ‘eating disorders thrive in isolation’, and the isolation imposed by working from home, social distance measures and a break in the routine can make people suffering from eating disorders extremely stressful. ‘
Many people who work from home have lost the structure since their days helping them establish better eating patterns, Bulik said.
“Time has lost its significance in the pandemic and everything is just as amorphous, so it’s much harder to put the recovery structure on an amorphous life,” Bulik said.
Increased isolation also allows more time to control social media, which can incredibly lead to individuals with eating disorders. Meredith, who lives in Washington, DC and works in marketing, told CBS News that she was overwhelmed by ads for fixed apps.
“January and February are particularly difficult months to get caught up in at home because every social media user is inundated with fitness and diet ads,” she said. Meredith, who is in her mid-twenties, explained that the “boredom” of the pandemic era ‘leaves more time to browse aimlessly on Instagram and TikTok, which is crawling with influencers with certain body types.
Marita Cooper, a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, said social media can be a serious trigger for individuals with eating disorders, especially given the prevalence of memes to gain weight during the pandemic era. Cooper was the lead author of a July study that found that the potential impact of the pandemic on individuals with EDs was staggering and that it was contributing to actual intervention.
“The COVID weight gain discussion was really problematic,” Cooper said, referring to the so-called “COVID 15” or “quarantine 15”, a play about the often mocking phrase the “first-years 15”, which refers to 15 pounds. colleagues freshmen to.
Food insecurity levels also rose in the US during the pandemic, as millions of people lost their income, which could lead to individuals tending to struggle and purify. Bulik noted that the cheapest foods available are also unhealthy, which can lead to a greater risk of eating or feeling guilty about what they eat.
“It’s finally becoming a terribly continuous cycle,” Bulik said, where people constantly eat unhealthy foods and then react to maladaptations.
Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, many Americans accumulated food and believed that they would be quarantined for a few weeks or months. This was problematic for individuals who relied on eating certain foods as a way of dealing with their eating disorders, and who now had more difficult access to these foods.
“A lot of people with eating disorders feel safe with a specific variety of foods, and they have the foods on their meal plan,” Cooper said. “If there is less access to such foods, it can really give rise.”
Storing food can also create an unsafe environment for individuals with bulimia or eating disorder, who are now trapped in a place where the temptation to overeat is too much. People who are unsure about food can often rape them because they do not know when they will be able to eat their next meal, said Erin Parks, a clinical psychologist, researcher and co-founder and clinical head of Equip, a virtual person. . eating disorder program.
“It becomes kind of survival behavior when you are food safe,” Parks said.
However, the news is not entirely dark for individuals struggling with eating disorders. The study, co-authored with Bulik, found that a positive consequence of the pandemic was ‘perceived increase in social support that challenged their eating disorder behaviors and increased motivation to recover’. ‘
Thy Vo, a 29-year-old journalist living in Colorado, said her disordered eating habits are “much better” in light of the pandemic. She has been struggling for seven years with fiery and especially purifying behavior.
At the beginning of the pandemic, she struggled to eat in front of her boyfriend as she could not hide her behavior when they were both sitting at home the whole time. Although it initially hurt her relationship, the conditions forced by the pandemic eventually helped her, including joining an online group for individuals with eating disorders.
“Eventually, all the time at home I was helping to normalize my eating habits, which caused all my ED thoughts to subside significantly,” Thy Vo said. “Sitting down with my mom three times a day and eating all my meals was torturous, but ultimately helped.”
The increased time at home also helped hold some adolescents with eating disorders, who could receive support from their families, accountable. It is more difficult for young people to abandon disordered eating habits when they are constantly surrounded by family members.
Parks said children and teens are more likely to recover if they have adults in their lives. She added that a greater reliance on telehealth made it easier for family members to attend more sessions per week instead of having to physically travel to different appointments.
“The benefit of telehealth is that everyone can come,” Parks said, urging people to “truly bring their entire town in” to address an eating disorder. Equip offers virtual family-based treatment, using what Parks described as the “radical idea that families are best equipped to help their loved one recover from an eating disorder.”
Even with the greater use of telehealth and the possibility of family support, there is likely to be long-term damage to the pandemic for individuals with eating disorders. Bulik said she was looking forward to conducting a one-year follow-up study on how respondents dealt with the pandemic in a few months, and see if people still have a stronger intention to restore ties with their families or be closer .
“I think the exhaustion of pandemics could erode the positive aspects,” Bulik said.
People can recover from eating disorders, with support and treatment. But the road to recovery for many has been derailed by the pandemic, and it may be difficult to get back on track.
“There is the assumption that EDs can disappear after life is normal,” Cooper said. “But it’s not something that will magically go away.”
Resources:
National Association for Eating Disorders
If you or someone you know is struggling with body image or eating problems, the NEDA toll-free and confidential helpline is available by phone or by text at 1-800-931-2237 or by click-and-chat message at nationaleatingdisorders.org/ helpline. For 24/7 crisis support, send a message to NEDA at 741-741.
The NEDA has also compiled a list of free or inexpensive COVID-19 resources: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/covid-19-resources-page.
National Institute of Mental Health
FESTIVAL
FEAST is a non-profit organization that provides free support to caregivers with loved ones suffering from eating disorders.