The Halloween mental health scandal, negative attitudes are rife in society.

Imagine this: you're at a Halloween party, everybody has made an effort and dressed up. You see someone dressed in a straight jacket that's spattered with blood, they're holding a meat cleaver and wearing a scary mask. "What've you come as?" you ask "a mental patient" is the response. Would you be offended? Or would you not be bothered by it, it's ok because it's Halloween, it's just a costume?

If you've been paying any attention to the news in recent weeks you are likely to have heard about the Tesco and asda Halloween costume scandal. It started with Asda advertising their 'mental patient costume'. It attracted many complaints from customers and they soon took it down and apologised. Soon after, Tesco faced criticism for their 'psycho ward' outfit. Both companies made donations to Mind. This also prompted Ebay to take action to remove similar things from sale.
Thorpe Park also faced backlash recently over their planned Fright Night 'asylum' event promising ' a chaotic environment of noise, light and action.' It's a horror maze depicting a psychiatric hospital, there's actors running round with chainsaws trying to scare people. You get the idea. It's prompted a large amount of anger on social networks including the hashtag #asylumNO and a petition to shut down the 'stigmatising asylum maze'.
Is this a genuine concern, or just political correctness gone mad?

The costume for sale on the George website

To me, these kind of products and events just shows that there is still a poor attitude towards mental health in general,a lack of understanding, a lack of sensitivity; stigmas that we hoped we would not still be seeing in 2013.

"It's just inconsiderate, it seems like they're making a joke out of people that are ill." 

Although, I do feel at times that there is often a fine line between this being insulting and it being part of horror fiction and not applicable to real life and real people. For example, Tesco's 'psycho ward' costume seems to mimic Antony Hopkins' character in Silence of the Lambs. There's a ton of horror films around that depict psychiatric wards or depicting psychiatric patients as dangerous and frightening. That's not real life, and no one is saying it is real life. It's not meant to mock people that are ill, so why is that Halloween costume or a Halloween event at a theme park any different?
The 'mental patient' costume however, is different. I do see an issue with that, by giving it that name they've made it real. Depicting a mental patient as a knife wielding murderer, really? How in any way is that acceptable? That, in my opinion, crosses the line. That's not horror fiction, it's not 'all part of the Halloween spirit' it's just plain insulting and thoughtless.

All of these things show that offensive stereotypes towards mental health still run deep in our society. Some people won't have thought twice about it, it wouldn't insult them at all. But they may think differently if they were that mental patient, and something that they have suffered with is being presented and mocked in such an insensitive way.

So, horror fiction? That's fine, but make the line between fiction and real people's lives clear. Mocking an issue that affects so many is wrong on every level. The stigma towards mental health needs to end, and things like this do not help and just send us backwards.

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Theatre as Therapy

I recently talked about how the arts are used as therapy, and I thought that I would look into drama therapy in a bit more detail. I feel that drama therapy is a really fresh and interesting approach to mental health treatment.
The purpose of drama therapy is to help people find the right medium for them to take part in group or individual therapy to address and resolve some of their issues or make their troubles more bearable. Using drama in it's different forms helps people to explore painful and difficult life experiences through an indirect approach.
Drama therapy is used in several different settings, thus helping people with varying needs such as those suffering with mental illness and elderly people with dementia, to children that have been abused.

This video demonstrates methods of drama therapy and how it is used to explore feelings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsPtNbNymi4

Twitter: @psych_discuss

Being Sectioned: What does it mean?

The term "sectioned" is used a lot when talking about mental health issues, but it seems many people don't know much about what sectioning actually is. Well fear not! Psych Discuss is here to help. This should make it a bit clearer:

What does 'being sectioned' mean?
Most people that are on a psychiatric ward or in a psychiatric unit are there completely voluntarily, and have agreed to come into hospital and get some help and treatment. But sometimes, it is necessary to admit a person into hospital without their agreement. This happens when someone has been 'sectioned' or 'detained' under the Mental Health Act 1983. When a person is sectioned it means that they cannot leave hospital freely and they will lose some of the rights that patients that are not under a section have.

Why and when would a person be sectioned?
In part 2 of the Mental Health Act, there are a number of different sections, a person would be detained under one of these. These sections are 2-5 When a person is taken to hospital, the relevant professionals will examine them. There are certain criteria that need to met in order for a person to be sectioned legally. In a nutshell, a person is sectioned under section 2 when it is felt that their mental disorder is of a nature or severity that requires hospital treatment for at least a limited period (maximum 28 days) and also that it is necessary for the person to be detained for their own safety or with a view to the safety of others. Section 3 is a slightly more serious level, it is used when appropriate treatment cannot be provided without the section as well as being necessary to ensure safety of the person and others, this section can last longer (up to 6 months at a time).  Section 4 is only used in emergency cases when treatment cannot be delayed and it is urgent that a person is admitted into hospital. Section 5 can apply if a person is already in hospital as a voluntary patient and is then sectioned.

Who makes the decisions about sectioning?
Any approved mental health professional can put forward an application for a person to be sectioned if the deem it to be the best way of making sure they get the appropriate help. Before making the application the professional will interview the person to establish whether sectioning is the right path to take. A person's nearest relative also has the right to make an application, but generally they would go through a mental health professional as this is more practical.

PS: There are other parts to the Mental Health Act that refer to court orders and criminal cases etc, but we're just focusing on part 2 of the act for now.


Twitter: @psych_discuss

The arts as therapy

There are a variety of therapy types that are used to help people with mental health issues,treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy are used commonly; but there is another form of therapy , arts therapies, that combine the art forms and use them to treat the mentally ill.

What is art therapy?
Art therapies combine all forms of art and use them in a therapeutic environment with a fully qualified therapist. Using the arts as therapy can have many benefits. It helps people to find a way of expressing themselves in a comfortable and safe environment. Often, people with mental health problems find opening up about how they feel and exploring their emotions difficult and overwhelming, but through art therapy people have the freedom to create something. Them, with the help and support of the therapist, they can explore their creation and what it says about them and how they feel. They can then get to grips with their state of mind and get on the road to recovery. These types of therapy can provide a powerful method of expression and a release from trauma.

What types of art therapy are available?
The therapy forms that are recognised and regulated are:

• Music therapy
• Art therapy
• Dance Movement therapy
• Voice Movement therapy
• Drama therapy

If you watched "Don't call me Crazy" on BBC3 recently, you may have noticed art therapy being used on the unit. It's used commonly and seems to be a really effective way of helping those suffering with mental health problems. In addition to this, Channel 4, a few weeks ago, aired a programme called "notes from the inside with James Rhodes". This explored the concept of music and mental illness. James Rhodes is a concert pianist, and once a psychiatric patient under a section himself. He went into a psychiatric hospital to see if music could help the patients in the same way it helped him. It shows how much people can relate and express their feelings through art, in all it's forms. - It's a very interesting insight and emotional viewing, worth a watch! It's available on 4OD.

I'll be exploring some of these therapies in more detail throughout next week, so check back soon for more!

Twitter: @psych_discuss

Mental health help dogs: support for 'Psych Dogs'

Following on from my previous post on the effect that pet ownership can have on mental health, I decided to look more specifically at assistance dogs for people that suffer from mental health issues.
Dogs can help people cope and manage with their mental illness, such as people with severe depression, agoraphobia, social anxiety among other conditions. Mental health campaigner Marion Janner spoke to The Guardian newspaper about her experience with her assistance dog, Buddy. She suffers with severe depression and says that Buddy plays a massive part in helping her learn to cope with her issues. She reports that Buddy helps her want to keep going, gives her something to focus on, gives her a sense of purpose and responsibility.

Marion with Buddy (The Guardian)

Marion's case is just one example of how dogs can play a role in helping people with mental health problems. As I've previously mentioned, interaction with pets and animals can have a health advantage, such as lower blood pressure and stress levels. In terms of mental health, dogs provide non judgmental social contact to help overcome loneliness, they also promote regular exercise and getting out in the fresh air as well as providing unconditional love to their owner which can be very healing.

Currently, in the UK, mental health assistance dogs do not have any official rights or recognition as service dogs.  There are campaigns surrounding this issue saying that 'psych dogs' should have the same rights as other service  dogs such as guide dogs for the blind and hearing dogs for the deaf. Having these rights would mean that the dogs can accompany their owners to work, into shops and restaurants etc.

In the USA mental health assistance dogs are fully recognised as service dogs. They are trained to help their owner with a number of day to day tasks such as, reminding them to take medication, waking them up in the morning and helping them cope in a crowded place by creating a physical boundary, among other things.

These help dogs can provide an extremely valuable service to their owners, they can help them to become part of the world again, regain control of their lives and get them out of the darkness and isolation their mental illness can bring. To me, it makes a lot of sense that these dogs get the rights and recognition of any other service dog.

A recent development in this area is the introduction of the UK's first 'dementia dogs'. Two dogs have been specially trained for 18 months to help people that have been diagnosed with early stage Dementia. The dogs have been taught to respond to alarms and bring medicine pouches as well as encourage their owners to get out of bed in the morning. The dogs provide their owners with a new sense of confidence that has been lost since their diagnosis. They also keep their owners company to prevent them becoming frightened when alone. These dogs have been placed with two families, they've been working with their owners for four months and are doing well.

A dementia dog at work (bbc news)

Twitter: @psych_discuss

Can pets help mental health?

I, like many others, am an animal lover and I am interested in the thought that owning a pet could help people improve their mental health or help them cope with mental illness.

There seems to be a lack of reliable and well funded evidence into whether pets and animals generally can improve both mental and physical health. There is research that suggests that older people who are pet owners are more active and less likely to be depressed than their peers that don't own a pet. Furthermore, research suggests that pet owners tend to be less stressed and also have lower blood pressure.

When it comes to the practice of animal assisted therapy, it is difficult to know how effective it is in improving health; a lot of the research is poor and fails to consider the long term effects. In terms of pet ownership, there is a huge amount of anecdotal evidence that supports the idea that having a pet improves mental health and particularly helps people cope with their mental illness.

I genuinely believe that owning a pet can have a real positive impact on a person's mental health. A pet provides companionship, a friend that is often desperately needed by people that are troubled with mental health issues. In addition, there is a known correlation between regular exercise and improved mental health, it can help reduce symptoms of depression. Walking a dog every day provides that regular exercise and fresh air that can really help people that are suffering.

Anxiety sufferer Sally agrees that pets can help with mental health issues:
"When I feel the anxiety rising , stroking my cat and listening to her purr relaxes me and calms me down. Although they can never replace human contact, they don't judge like people do." 

Whether it's a cat, a dog or anything else a pet can provide a sense of purpose  to sufferers, a reason to get out of bed in the morning, something to focus on.

"I strongly believe that without my dog and cat I would not still be here today, they love me unconditionally and that gives me a great deal of comfort." Says Diane.

So it seems that owning a pet really could be good for your health!

Twitter: @psych_discuss

The truth about Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is the most misunderstood mental disorder, it seems to conjure fear and prejudice and sufferers have to deal with a great amount of prejudice. The condition is often criminalised, mostly because of media portrayal and a general lack of understanding about what Schizophrenia is and how it effects it's sufferers. Educating people about the condition is vital to tackling the stigma associated with it.

Schizophrenia is a long term mental health condition that can cause a range of different psychological symptoms. These include:
Hallucinations: This is when people see or hear things that don't exist. The most common hallucinations are auditory (hearing voices) these voices are usually critical of the sufferer.
Delusions: These are unusual beliefs or ideas that are not based on reality and would seem impossible to anybody else as they often contradict the evidence. These can include delusions of grandeur, such as believing they are famous and delusions of persecution which is the belief that people are 'out to get them.'

Doctors often classify Schizophrenia as a psychotic illness, this means that a person cannot distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.
The onset of Schizophrenia is usually earlier in men, being most common in the late teens and early twenty's. It tends to occur later in women, being most frequent in the late twenty's and early thirty's.

There are a number of misconceptions surrounding Schizophrenia and it seems that there is a general lack of understanding creating a sense of fear. These are a few of the misconceptions:

People with Schizophrenia are violent.
Sufferers of Schizophrenia are no more violent than anyone else. The only reason they may be is if they forget to take their medication, they are under the influence of drugs and use them regularly or, they have a history of violence and are generally violent people. This misconception has often been portrayed by the media, but the fact is, people with Schizophrenia tend to be anxious, passive and fearful of people and the outside world.

Schizophrenia means that people have multiple personalities.
This is not true. This is a separate disorder that is not the same as Schizophrenia. Split personality is known as Dissociative Disorder. The word 'Schizophrenia' derives from the Greek word meaning  'split mind' with reference to the split in personality that Schizophrenics often experience.

You can't recover from Schizophrenia.
Not necessarily. Although Schizophrenia is what is known as a chronic mental health condition, with the right treatment people are often able to improve and recover over time.

This is an interesting video showing what it's like for a sufferer of Schizophrenia, it highlights the voices that they hear and what they say. Imagine hearing such things all the time, it easy to see how people would struggle to cope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYHVbLLO2bU

Looking after your mind

Our minds are just as important as our bodies, they need to be looked after or we could become ill. Our mental well being describes our mental state, it's all about how we feel and how we cope with life.  Everybody will experience periods of low mental well being, when we find it difficult to cope in stressful and difficult times. When mental well being is low over a long period of time, there is a higher risk of a mental health problem. Whether you have a mental health problem or not, there are several things that can help you to stay mentally well, even during difficult times.

Being able to talk about our feelings with friends and family can really help to keep a healthy mind. They may be able to offer advice and support when you're going through a difficult time. But, even if they can't specifically help with problems, often, talking about issues and problems can really help and make you feel much better.
Looking after yourself physically will help with your mental health too. Diet is a huge part of this, eating well will have a largely positive impact on both physical and mental health. Ensuring you get plenty of water and a good balanced diet with lots of vitamins and minerals will improve your overall health. Cutting out the things that are bad for you like tobacco and drugs and reducing alcohol intake will all benefit. Keeping active and fit is also important. It has been proven that regular exercise can alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms. It can boost confidence and improve your mood because of the release of endorphins. Along with diet and exercise, making sure you get enough sleep is really important. Having trouble sleeping can have a really negative impact on your mental well being so it's important that you have a regular sleeping pattern and ensure your mind gets enough rest.

Another important factor in keeping a healthy mind is learning to relax. It is important to be able to take time away and escape from the stresses of life so that they don't get you down. This can be as simple as taking a five minute fresh air break or more extravagant ideas like learning to meditate.

A hugely important step in having a healthy mind is being able to accept yourself for who you are. Learning to be happy with yourself will make it easier to cope through difficult times. Try and think more positively  and acknowledge your qualities and things that you're good at. Don't try and compare yourself to other people and spend your time with positive, supportive people and not negative people that will bring you down.

Using all these steps, you will hopefully find yourself feeling good inside and out!

The Student Struggle

It has been said time an time again "your student years are the best years of your life." But for some, it is also a stressful, daunting and troublesome time. And many students face mental health issues at some point during their university experience.

In recent years, the issue of depression in students has become an increasing concern. For young people in general, depression and suicide is a huge issue. Suicide is the main cause of death in 18-24 year old men in the UK and every year around 1,400 young people under the age of 35 take their own lives.
Students face a lot of pressure in their lives, the pressure of potentially huge amounts of debt on their shoulders, pressure to perform well in assignments and exams pressure of living away from home and keeping up with rent and bills are just a few of the problems.

In 2011, The Royal College of Psychiatrists revealed that an increasing number of students in Britain were seeking help from mental health support services. This is all at a time of increasing amounts of student debt and more limited employment options after graduation. Many students in Britain are now paying £9000 a year in tuition fees and will leave university with an average debt of around £40,000. Along with that debt, there is the daunting task of trying to find good and suitable employment in an incredibly competitive environment. Taking this into consideration, it seems understandable that there is an increase of students facing mental health worries.
In addition to financial troubles, students also face having to move away from home and live with strangers, having to make friends from scratch when they don't know anyone at all. This can be daunting, what if you don't get on with your housemates, what if you find yourself struggling to make friends? This can add to feelings of depression and anxiety. As well as this there is the academic pressure to get good grades, coping with the stress of exams and assignments, dealing with poor results and failures.

It is worrying that these pressures and worries could be ruining the ambition of some of this country's brightest young people. More help need to be provided to ensure that students can get help to cope with the pressures of university and that when they graduate, they are not left feeling helpless and frightened by what could and should be a bright future.

Talking about your problems is a huge step in dealing with depression. Universities have counselling services for students, problems can be discussed confidentially with a impartial person. Keeping quiet and trying to deal with depression alone is not being strong, and opening up and talking does not make you weak.

Raising awareness of this issue is important, people need to know the kinds of pressure that young people face in order to be able to provide more help and support.

Here are some fantastic sites that provide information and support to anyone that is struggling or worried about someone:
http://www.thecalmzone.net/
http://www.studentsagainstdepression.org/

Common Depression Misconceptions

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, it is estimated that 1 in 5 people will become depressed at some point in their lives. The misconceptions that people have contribute towards the stigma associated with depression and this may discourage people from seeking help when they may really need it. Here are some of the common misconceptions related to depression:

"Depression is just feeling sad"
Depression is much more than this. Feeling sad is part of depression, these feelings are more persistent than a normal mood state and can be a lot more intense. There are other symptoms of depression too such as, change is appetite, feeling worthless, loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed or that form part of an everyday routine to name but a few. When people are depressed these symptoms often last for more than two weeks.

"Depression goes away on it's own"
Depression is a medical condition that needs treatment and it is often the case that symptoms will worsen if they are not treated. It is important to get help and get treatment.

"Depression is a sign of weakness"
Not at all. Depression is a serious medical condition that could affect anyone regardless of their character. No one should feel weak because they are suffering with depression.

"Depression is treated by drugs with serious side effects"
Medication is not the only treatment for depression. There are several psychological treatments available too, like counselling. Some anti depressants do have side effects, like many other drugs, but not everybody will be effected and they are not serious. Mostly, they will improve over time as your body gets used to the medication. The benefits of the treatments will outweigh any of the problems related to side effects.

"Talking about depression will just make it worse"
Being alone with your thoughts is much more harmful than sharing them. Having someone to listen that is supportive and non judgmental is a highly crucial step in the treatment of depression.

 "If I tell people about how I feel, they'll judge me."
The whole world does not need to know about your depression, seeking the right help, from the right people is very important. No health professional will ever judge you, because they understand. Don't be frightened to speak to loved ones about how you feel, it may be the best thing you ever do.

Anti Anorexia Campaigns

There are a number of controversial anti anorexia campaigns that have been produced across the world. Their aim is to raise awareness of the issues or to shock people into realising the extent of the dangers associated with eating disorders, namely Anorexia.
One of the most shocking and controversial campaigns to date featured the French actress and model, Isabelle Caro who had suffered from Anorexia since she was thirteen years old. In 2007, she took part in a campaign for an Italian fashion house in which shocking naked pictures of her severely emaciated body were used on billboards and magazines. It was an attempt to raise awareness of the disorders within the fashion industry. Sadly, Isabelle passed away at the age of 28.

One of the billboards of the Isabelle Caro Campaign

Her campaign was most certainly shocking, and the images most certainly caught people's attention, but were they more damaging than helpful?
It would seem that the campaign was successful in making people realise the extent to which the fashion industry promote being skinny, urging already thin girls to lose drastic weight if they want to work in modelling. It highlighted the changes that need to take place in the industry to protect vulnerable young women from being pushed into dangerous eating habits and weight loss. And Isabelle fought for these changes right up until her death.
However concern has been raised with these type of campaigns campaign when it emerged that images from them were being used on pro anorexia websites as so called "thinspiration". One particularly chilling message appeared on one site shortly after Isabelle's death, reading "die young, stay pretty."

It seems that these shock anti anorexia campaigns are great for raising awareness among non sufferers, and help in pushing corporations and agencies etc to change their ways. However, for the vulnerable people that actually suffer from such disorders, they seem to do more harm than good. It is thought that more effective campaigns, to be aimed at people that suffer, would not be shocking and would not use images like that of Isabelle Caro. Instead, campaigns encouraging people to reach out for help and promoting methods of getting help and treatment should be used.

Here is the link to a feature on Isabelle Caro and her anti anorexia campaign:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTIjRxT_Y9g

Pro Anorexia Websites: Dangers and How to Help

Currently, there are hundreds of "pro-ana" websites creating an online community where fellow sufferers encourage each other to starve themselves further as dissuade each other from getting help. These pages are largely dominated by disturbing images of underweight women some of whom are emaciated. The images show protruding bones with captions such as "I want to be her" and "please let me have this body, she is perfection." There are also images of obese people warning others what would happen if they didn't stick to their dangerous routines.
Many website providers oppose this pro anorexia material and have quickly acted to shut them down. This has caused some to go underground, many are protected with passwords so that only members can enter. However, despite a lot of websites banning this material, there is still a worrying amount of pro anorexia material on some of the biggest social networking sites on the web; some of the biggest being Twitter and Instagram. Some of the worrying content is found thorough hashtags such as #thinspo and #ana in which sufferers post images to each other and motivate and inspire each other to carry on losing weight. Neither Twitter nor Instagram have banned this content. Instagram have issued a graphic content warning that appears before the images load, this also contains a link to an eating disorder help site. They have made attempts to ban content that promotes self harm, however this has led to the creation of "code word" hashtags that contain pro anorexia material but are very difficult to track and shut down.  On Twitter, the pro anorexia material is available for all to see and there are no warnings or attempts to shut it down. It seems that in terms of the social network policies on this issue, there is a long road ahead when it comes to eliminating this harmful content.

The most important thing to consider in relation to this issue, is how big a risk to these sites pose? And what can be done to help the people that use them and counteract their effects? Eating disorder experts are concerned with the effect that these websites have on vulnerable people, The director of the UK National Centre for Eating Disorders, Dr Davies, has expressed serious concern over the messages that these websites give out. "There are people out there who not only dissuade people from getting help but promote false and dangerous practices on how to lose weight."
Although the content on these sites is very worrying and disturbing to see, it is important that we understand why people that suffer with eating disorders, especially young women and girls, turn to them. For many sufferers of anorexia these sites provide an element of support that they feel they are unlikely to get any where else.
Research conducted by Dr Emma Bond looked extensively at the risks of the increasing number of pro anorexia sites. She reported that the risk posed by these sites vary according to the type of content and the frequency of visits. Young people that have low self esteem and low self confidence are most at risk and particularly vulnerable to the dangerous influence of pro anorexia websites. Dr Bond suggests that the reason girls fall into the trap of these sites is that often, when suffering with an eating disorder, the relationship between family and friends become difficult and people can feel isolated. These online "communities" can become a method of support and a place where they feel understood and accepted.
People that suffer with anorexia seek and strive for "perfection", based on an idea of thinness. This idea becomes normalised through these websites. Other members will reassure a sufferer that what they are doing is good and the right thing to do. This is extremely damaging and could have a serious impact on any attempt at recovery. It is the feeling of belonging and identification with a group that reinforces eating disorder behaviours. This sense of belonging can also prevent sufferers from seeking help and these sites also share tips on how to deceive parents and doctors into believing that they are eating when they're not, which is extremely worrying.
Dr Bond set out a number of recommendations for ways of dealing with the issues of pro eating disorder websites. These are as follows:

Education and awareness raising:
- It is important to make people aware of the content of these sites so they can realise what young vulnerable people are being exposed to.(e.g parents and teachers). However, it is also important not to inadvertently advertise these harmful websites to young people.

Understanding risk and harm in relation to young people:
- Mental health professionals and other relevant people need to be kept up to date on harmful online content.

Media responsibilty:
- The charity Beat has discussed that media coverage of eating disorders either glamourises or trivialises the illness. The media need to provide balanced and sensitive reporting of such issues.

Finding positive and helpful support:
-Helping young people to find positive help and support to aid recovery and still feel a sense of belonging that they often turn to pro ana sites for. An example of this support is the online help provided by Beat.

Warnings:
-Because pro eating disorder sites are mostly set up by people that suffer themselves, making them illegal would criminalise a young and vulnerable group of people. Using moderation and providing links to support services is a better way of dealing with the issue.


These sites are not used or run by bad people, they are people that are suffering with a serious illness and they do not need to be targeted and criminalised they need to be helped and supported.

This blog is on twitter too! Follow for facts about mental illness and up to date research and news content linked with the issues discussed. Find us: @Discuss_Psych

Demi Lovato's eating disorder story

Pop star and US X Factor judge Demi Lovato has openly talked about her battle with an eating disorder and has become a role model for young girls and women to be healthy and happy with their weight and body image. Here is a very personal interview she did on a US chat show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCTXV15mKQ4

Enjoy!

The influence of the media on eating disorders in women and girls

The media is often criticised for promoting unhealthy body images and "glamourising" eating disorders, this seems to be the case in particular in the media that is aimed at women and girls.The eating disorder section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists has expressed particular concern with the role that the media plays in the development of eating disorder symptoms. They have called on the media to take greater responsibility for the body image and weight related material that they produce. One particular concern that has been voiced by the RCP is the prevalence of unbalanced magazine articles, often giving dieting advice without reporting information about the dangers of extreme dieting. Along with glorifying a slim physique, there is a large amount of emphasis on appearances in general. Researcher Naomi Wolf argues that our modern day culture "disempowers women by holding them prisoner to an unattainable beauty ideal".

 What does the research say?

There is a plethora of scientific research that has been published exploring the role that the media has in influencing the development of eating disorders. The media has been accused of providing a social context for eating disorders. Some of the research into this has focused on the differences over time in what has been portrayed as a "body ideal"; for example, the decreasing weight in models and beauty pageant contestants between the 1950's and the 90's and 2000's. These people are often portrayed as beauty ideals by media publications. There are a number of studies that document a trend in increasing thinness in these types of people over the decades, clearly showing a shift in what is considered to be the ideal body image. 

Beauty Pageant Contestant in the 1950's

A Miss Universe Contestant from 2009

It is also interesting to note that during this period of time, there has been a significant increase, statistically, in the weight of western women, most notably in the UK and the USA. Therefore, the portrayed media ideal and the realistic weight and size of the women this media is aimed at is very different. This could add pressure on women and girls who may already be vulnerable to eating disorders due to other reasons, and push them to take drastic measures to lose weight. 

In addition to this, research suggests that, in the period between the 70's and the 90's there was a huge increase in the amount of advertisements involving diet related products and foods. This also creates pressure  for women to lose weight and it is thought that this could contribute to triggering an eating disorder.

There is clearly a large amount of media focus on weight and beauty, but how strong of an influence does this really have on females? 

In 1996, Levine and Smolak reported that 83% of adolescent girls read fashion magazines for an average of 4.3 hours a week, meaning that a young girls exposure to body image related material and advertisements is huge. This is worrying because anyone who is at risk or vulnerable to an eating disorder or is already suffering, this kind of media output could be a hugely negative influence on them and may be detrimental to their recovery. In one survey, girls aged between 11 and 17 were asked to choose three wishes for anything that they wanted. The number one wish was to "lose weight and keep it off". In a separate survey, more than half of the middle aged women that were asked stated  that the one thing they wanted to change about their lives was their weight. 

It is clear to see that the media does have a lot of influence over people's lives and their attitudes. This can be a dangerous thing when already vulnerable people are exposed to it. A key to fighting this, it seems, is more balanced reporting when it comes to stories about dieting and weight loss to ensure that only completely healthy methods are promoted as well as reporting on the dangers of extreme dieting and weight loss. Another way to control this issue, is to promote a healthy body image within the media, particularly with models. Some progress does seem to be being made here, as there are more healthy female beauty idols being seen within the media such as Beyonce and Kelly Brook. However, some companies and advertisers are still not doing all they can to promote a healthy body image. An example of this is H&M's recent swimwear line being modelled by Beyonce. H&M were criticised when reports emerged that the images had been doctored to shrink Beyonce's hips and make her look thinner. They have recently released a statement to apologise and say that the images now being used are ones that both H&M and Beyonce are happy with. 

Hopefully as time goes on we will see more and more positive media influence on female body image. 

What causes an eating disorder?

There is no simple answer to this question, as the potential causes for an eating disorder are quite complex. Eating disorder are often blamed on modern day social pressure for people to look a certain way. Although our social and cultural environment is an important factor to be considered, the cause are usually more complex than this and there are several other factors and influences that need to be taken into account.

Genetics:

It has been found that most of the eating disorders run in families. For example, Anorexia is eight times more common in people who have relatives who have suffered or are suffering from the disorder. Twin studies have also suggested that twins have a tendency to share the same eating disorders. Some studies also imply that genes have an impact on the way serotonin works. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that is involved with a person's appetite and general well being. Also, there have been reported links between regions on chromosome 10 and Bulimia.

Family Influences:

It is considered that negative influences within a family can both start off and maintain an eating disorder. Poor parenting attitudes seem to be a big factor as poor parenting from both the mother and the father have been implicated in eating disorders. Abuse has also been associated with eating disorders. Bulimia seems to have a positive correlation with childhood sexual abuse. Also, a history of weight related bullying is considered to be an important trigger.
Emotional disorders and addictions within the family have an influence on children as well. It has been reported that children whose parents suffer with alcoholism and substance abuse are more prone to anorexia and bulimia when compared with the general population. Bulimia can also be linked to children whose parents suffer with a psychiatric disorder.

Cultural Factors:

Media influences and pressure on being thin are likely to play a role in triggering eating disorders. For example, models advertising clothing are often very slim and this is the example that young people are set  and may feel pressured to follow. Another example is the constant criticism in magazines over celebrity's body images and their weight.

Psychological Factors:

There are several personality traits that have been linked to eating disorders. People with eating disorders often tend to be perfectionists and often have unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. Low self esteem and feelings of inadequacy as well as feeling a lack of control in life are all associated with eating disorders. Certain personality types are also more at risk of eating disorders, examples are obsessive -compulsive personalities and sensitive-avoidant personalities.



Obviously, there is an extensive amount of research that has and is being conducted into the causes of eating disorders. But hopefully this gives you a concise understanding of some of the factors involved. Usually, it is too simplistic to say that one thing can cause a person to have an eating disorder. Often, several factors interplay with each other to make someone at risk of a eating disorder.  

Charity Shout Out!

B-eat is a fabulous charity that is dedicated to helping people with eating disorders as well as supporting carers, family and friends.
The charity offers helplines, online support and a network of self help groups to aid people in the UK to beat their eating disorder. Nobody should have to suffer in silence or alone. So, if you need help or you're worried about someone, then B-eat is somewhere you can turn.
The Helpline number is: 08456341414 - They'll talk to sufferers, carers, family, friends, anyone! You can contact them via e-mail too: help@b-eat.co.uk.
Also, on their website (www.b-eat.co.uk) they have self help and support groups for over 18's - so do get involved!
And of course, as they are a charity, they rely on the public's kindness in order to continue doing their great work. If you would like to make a donation or get involved in fundraising or volunteering then take a look at their website: www.b-eat.co.uk.

Common misconceptions

When looking through some of the media on eating disorders and reading some people's thoughts and attitudes on the subject; I felt that it was necessary to try and dispel some of the myths surrounding eating disorders. There are also some important facts, that it seems a lot of people do not know and have not considered.

"Anorexia is the most common eating disorder"
No. 1.6 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder, 10% of theses people suffer from anorexia making it the rarest eating disorder.

"Only women suffer from eating disorders"
This is a common misconception that is not at all true. The condition can affect anyone, including men. Around 15-20% of cases involve boys and men. Figures suggest that out of the 1.6 million sufferers, 1.4 million are female and 180,000 are male. So, although females are at the highest risk, males suffer too.

"Eating disorders are just an extreme fad diet."
Not at all. An eating disorder is a serious mental illness that can take over and claim lives. They have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and 20% of sufferers die prematurely.

"It's obvious when you look at someone if they have an eating disorder"
A mental illness means that it is a persons thoughts and feelings that are involved. Not everybody suffering from an eating disorder will be obviously underweight or will look ill. Often they can go undetected, particularly bulimia.

"You can never recover from an eating disorder."
Eating disorders are treatable and you can make a full recovery. Early treatment is important, the sooner a person gets the help they need, the more likely they are to make a full recovery.

"Eating disorders are caused by the modern day pressure on body image."
There are several factors that interact that play a role in the onset of an eating disorder and although our social and cultural environment plays a part in this, it is not the only factor. Also, eating disorders are not a modern phenomena, they were first observed and recorded in the 15th century.

"An eating disorder is just attention seeking."
Someone with an eating disorder does not choose to be ill, they can find it very difficult to accept that they are ill and seeking help can be a huge challenge.

Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge eating.

This time, I'm going to go into a bit more detail about the signs and symptoms of the three main eating disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge eating disorder.

Anorexia

When a person has anorexia, they lower the amount of food that they eat as well as cutting down on the types of food that they eat. Some people also over exercise. It can often be the case that people believe if they lose weight, they will feel happier, people will like them more or it will lead to more success. A person with anorexia might punish themselves for eating "bad foods" or not losing enough weight. 

Physical symptoms:

• Severe weight loss 
• Stomach cramps
• Dizziness
• Feeling cold
• Constipation
• Mood swings and irritability
• The growth of a fine layer of hair all over the body (it's called lanugo)
• Being underweight but feeling fat
• Hair loss
• Being a perfectionist and setting high standards
• Shutting oneself off from the world and being reclusive
• In girls, periods may stop or not start
• Finding it difficult to concentrate 

How a person thinks and feels is hugely affected when suffering from anorexia. People can often feel tired, depressed and worthless. Anorexia can take over a person's life and their emotions. The way a person behaves can also change and they may not even realise that they are behaving in such ways. Often, if they are aware of it, they may feel a lack of control. 

Behavioural Symptoms:

• Exercising excessively 
• Lying about eating
• Avoiding eating with others
• Being secretive
• Obsessive behaviors and rituals
• Wearing baggy clothes

Bulimia

Bulimia involves a person eating excessive amounts and then making themselves sick or starving themselves for a few days to make up for it.It is actually more common than anorexia but it is more of a hidden illness as it does not always involve any dramatic weight loss and sufferers are not always visibly thin or ill looking. 

Physical symptoms:

• Dehydration
• Sore throat
• Poor or dry skin
• Mouth Infections
• Bad Breath
• Difficulty sleeping
• Puffy cheeks
• Fainting
• Irregular periods in women
• Bowel problems
• Kidney Problems
• Stomach pains

People that suffer with bulimia often feel out of control and can become obsessed with dieting. They can feel emotional and depressed  and experience mood swings. Some examples of the behaviour of bulimics include taking laxatives and diet pills, eat large quantities of food, be sick after meals or binges and they can be secretive and lie. 

Binge eating disorder

This disorder involves constant thought about food and picking at food all day. People can feel a lack of control towards their eating habits and can eat until they are uncomfortably full. This overeating can cause feelings of depression and inadequacy which can fuel further overeating. In this case, food and eating are often a way for people to cope with difficult feelings.  

Eating Disorders

The first issue I'm going to focus on is eating disorders. And this post is all about what eating disorders are and the different types of eating disorders that we know about.

It may seem that an eating disorder is all to do with a desire to lose weight and look skinny. But it's not that simple. Eating disorders are a serious illness that can take over a person's life and in the worst case scenario, take a person's life.
The first step to helping, is understanding what an eating disorder is. Eating disorders are characterised by "abnormal or disturbed eating habits". There are three main types of eating disorder: Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder. There is also a category called EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise classified).

Anorexia

This involves a person lowering their food intake by skipping meals and cutting down on or cutting out some foods, eg, carbohydrates. Sometimes it can involve over exercising as well.

Bulimia

People that suffer with bulimia get caught in a cycle of eating excessive amounts of food and then making themselves sick or starving themselves for a few days in order to make up for the food they've eaten. Some people will use laxatives instead of vomiting. Bulimia does not often cause the extreme weight loss that anorexia does and this can make it difficult to spot. However, it is a very serious illness.

Binge Eating Disorder

This involves eating excessive amounts of food in a short period of time. But, unlike bulimia, sufferers do not try to get rid of the food they have eaten. People that suffer from this disorder often feel a lack of control towards eating and eat until they are uncomfortably full. This uncontrolled eating can lead to weight gain.

EDNOS

The category EDNOS explains the variations in typical signs and symptoms. I.E If a persons symptoms do not quite match the criteria for an anorexia diagnosis, but it is still and eating disorder, then it would fall into the EDNOS category.

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So, that's a quick introduction into eating disorders; what they are and the different types. Check back soon for information on how to spot an eating disorder and what to do if you need help or you are worried about someone.

Comments are appreciated, if you have something you can contribute or if there's something you would like me to write about then please do let me know. Thanks!

Welcome!

Hi everyone!

Just a quick introduction into what i'm trying to do through this blog.

 It's basically a discussion of issues related to Psychology. At the moment I'm focusing on mental health issues in the hope of raising awareness of the problems so many people face.
I want to do what I can to reiterate the importance of helping those with mental issues and educate people on what they are and how we can help. I feel that developing an understanding of mental health issues is an important step to take in the process of helping those that suffer.