Factors affecting eating, substance abuse, and personality disorders



Eating Disorders

Eating disorder refers to those psychological disorders that lead to serious anomalies in the behavior of food intake. The outward symptoms of Eating Disorder may be an alteration of feeding behavior (prolonged dieting, weight loss), but the origin of these disorders should be explained from a mental disorder in the shape of personal dissatisfaction, distorted ideas about weight or food and so on (Lock, 2004).

Biological Factors

There are studies indicating that abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain predispose some people to suffer from anxiety, perfectionism, compulsive behaviors and thoughts. These people are more vulnerable to an eating disorder.

Cognitive Factors

People with eating disorders tend to have unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. Despite being successful they feel incapable, incompetent, defective, etc. No sense of identity. So try to take control of your life and often focus on physical appearance for that control.

Emotional Factors

There are certain emotional factors encountering eating disorders, these are mostly found in people with family; they are inflexible, overprotective and inefficient to resolve problems. People in this scenario do not tend to reveal their feelings and at the same time they have high expectations of success. Children learn not to show her feelings, anxieties, doubts, etc., and take control through weight and food.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse involves the overuse of, dependency on, and/or addiction to nonfood items, natural or synthetic that changes an individual's body and/or mind because of their chemical composition. In general, the drugs of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine tend to be the most abused substances that often require regimented treatment approaches for successful cessation (Moster, 2008). Although surveys have demonstrated that substance abuse has been decreasing since the early 2000s in the United States, it still remains a problematic behavior that affects youth, families, employers, co-workers, schools, and communities.

Biological Factors

Family history, genetic predisposition

Preexisting psychiatric or personality disorder, or a medical disorder

Reinforcing effects of drugs

Withdrawal effects and craving

Biochemical factors Psychological Factors

CuriosityAs a novelty

Social rebelliousness

Early initiationPoor controlSensation seeking (Feeling high)Low self-esteem (Anomie)Poor stress managementChildhood loss or traumaAs a relief from fatigue or boredomTo escape realityNo interest in conventional goalsPsychological distress

Other Factors

Problem of dealing with drug abuse may cause of many social problems such as theft, murder, rape, family dispute. The problem of drug abuse and one of the most serious social and psychological problems facing the world in and there are many signs that reveal the multiple of ...