7 Personality Traits of Someone with an Eating Disorder ...

By Heather

7 Personality Traits of Someone with an Eating Disorder ...

Having an eating disorder for a large portion of my life, I have become aware that certain personality traits of someone with an eating disorder are easy to spot. Believe it or not, these very traits are what can even cause eating disorders to develop more easily in some women or men than others. It’s no surprise really. Our brains are wired to function certain ways, and from the time we are born, we display unique things about our personality that influence what we enjoy doing, how we socialize, how we feel about social conflict, how easily we get upset, how creative we are, and even how we feel about intimacy. Many, many things affect our personality, and even genetics have a large part to do with this. One reason that the personality traits of someone with an eating disorder are hard to spot, is that these traits exist naturally in so many people. Yet, for someone with an eating disorder, these traits become more evident because they usually exist together and more pronounced in disordered eaters. These traits don’t make disordered eaters weird, nor make everyone that has these traits likely to get an eating disorder automatically. They’re simply signs that seem to reappear in most every person that has an eating disorder.

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1

Perfectionism

One of the most common personality traits of someone with an eating disorder is the need for perfection in every area of their life. School, work, their cleaning routine, their appearance and even down to the way they handle situations, perfectionists want everything right all the time. In a person with an eating disorder this trait easily becomes out of hand because it is a means for control, that the person uses through their diet. They think if they can perfect their diet and body, it is a way to be “right” and be in control.

2

OCD

Even if a person with an eating disorder doesn’t have diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, they might still display signs of OCD. For instance, the need to have everything clean and in order all the time is a huge control mechanism. Many people with an eating disorder use this OCD feature as a form of control. Or, they might check several things all day, like themselves in the mirror, or anything else, just to feel under control. Eating disorders are about control, and the compulsion can set in anywhere if it makes them feel in control. Cleaning is a popular one, as well as exercising.

3

All or Nothing

Another trait that most all people with an eating disorder display is an all or nothing trait. They either do something 150% or not at all. Not everyone who acts this way has an eating disorder, but since eating disorders are about extremes, this is one area that being all or nothing can easily get out of hand. For instance, many people with an eating disorder either starve or binge, and nothing in between. They either eat junk food or perfect health food. Or, they might eat health food all day and at night eat nothing but junk. Eating disorders are everything balance is not. Just like all or nothing, they know no middle ground.

4

The Constant Need for More

Many times, a person with an eating disorder will look at the greener side of the grass on the other side of the hill. They always think that things will be better “when”, such as when they lose five pounds, when they find the right career, when they move to a certain place, etc. They are never content with where they are.

UPD:

Individuals with eating disorders often struggle with a constant need for more. This can manifest in various ways, such as a desire for a certain body weight or shape, a perfect career, or a specific location to live. This mindset is often a result of underlying insecurities and a constant comparison to others. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, individuals with eating disorders have a higher likelihood of having perfectionistic traits, which can contribute to their constant need for more. This mindset can also lead to a never-ending cycle of dissatisfaction and self-criticism, making it difficult for individuals to find contentment and acceptance in their current circumstances.

5

Low Self Esteem

One thing you’ll notice about someone with an eating disorder is how well they handle compliments, for example, if you compliment someone and they immediately negate what you say. For instance, you might tell someone that their hair looks cute, and they’ll say, “Oh, I have horrible hair!” This is a possible sign that they have a low self esteem. While not everyone who has a low self esteem has an eating disorder, everyone with an eating disorder always has a low self esteem, even if they don't act like it to others. They also don’t look people in the eye unless they have to, usually look a little sad when they’re by themselves, and almost always hide behind an identity because they don’t feel good enough in their own shell.

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6

Very Emotional

Most all people with an eating disorder are very, very emotional. They’ll usually be very sensitive, or be more prone to extreme forms of emotions. For some reason, eating disorders seem to prey on emotional vulnerability, and that’s when they strike the hardest. People who are very emotional expose themselves to more vulnerability to getting hurt, and when they do, they often take part in eating disorders as a way to stop the pain, take the focus off the pain, or give them a sense of control again.

UPD:

One study found that individuals with eating disorders tend to have higher levels of emotional sensitivity and difficulty regulating their emotions. This may be due to underlying psychological factors such as perfectionism, low self-esteem, and a desire for control. Additionally, individuals with eating disorders may use food as a coping mechanism for dealing with intense emotions, leading to a cycle of emotional distress and disordered eating behaviors. It's important for those struggling with an eating disorder to seek professional help in addressing and managing their emotions in a healthy way.

7

Fearful

I’ve been a fearful person all my life, even since childhood when I was scared of the silliest things! I’ve learned to take care of this trait as an adult because now I recognize it. I’ve also overcome so many things to help me combat fear. I learned that fear is almost always a trait in a person with an eating disorder when I realized it was one of the largest reasons behind my own. Being fearful of some things in my life, my eating disorder was a way for me to feel confident again, or at least take the focus off what I was scared of to begin with.

Remember, no matter how much eating disorders don’t make sense, they’re always about two things: control and imbalance. They’re usually not so much about food, but food or lack of food, is simply the vehicle to which control and fear are displayed. What do you think? Do you think certain traits make us more vulnerable to developing eating disorders?

Source: nationaleatingdisorders.org,

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

totaly agree i had bulimia and still struggle with it when i had hard times. Unfortunately This characterized behavior dosn\'t just vanish when you recover but still carry it on the whole life. I have to work harder because it\'s still take a lot of My time because of low selfsystem, very sensitiv & the ocd. I just don\'t wish for anybody to get it cause it\'s a very nasty disease

Same. When I had bulimia I was like this all the time. I am STILL fearful, OCD and very emotional though.

I have anorexia but whatever I\'m still fat

MarykaImagine, just hearing that you hate your body not good. I'm not a counsellor so the only advice that I can give you is to speak to a student counsellor or go to someone privately. When your whole life is consumed by food and image it is not a life. Believe me, I lived it for many years and it steals your life away. Please speak to someone to help you realize that you are beautiful inside and out regardless of size

It\'s scary when you read these things. I\'ve had bulimia for three years, and am still recovery. It\'s odd how we think no one else noticed these things....

People need to realize an eating disorder can go completely unnoticed-its a problem in a person's brain and physical appearance and weight can't show the internal struggle of the illness

I really don\'t know what to say.. I have all of these traits. I think I\'m at a healthy weight for my size, and everyone tells me I look great! But when I look in the mirror, I can\'t help but notice that little bit of fat there and that little dimple here.. I\'m 18 and these thoughts of hating my body and how I look (even though I KNOW I look fine) they consume my day. When I eat I feel guilty, even if it\'s just an apple, I feel like I should do a full 40 minute workout afterwards. I don\'t eat even when my body tells me I\'m hungry.. I wait until meal time and then eat small (but healthy!) portions of food. Then at night time I sometimes just mow down the whole snack cupboard and go to bed crying because I hate myself for it. I don\'t know if I have an eating disorder, my mother does, but I don\'t know if what I do classifies as it, because I do KNOW that being 135lbs is totally okay, and I\'m fit and have a lot of stamina when I go for runs, workout, etc. but somehow I just can\'t be happy with my body and with eating food. Any thoughts?

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