Freed’s school-based workshops in Delhi

Freed’s work operates on three verticals — awareness and education, and intervention through an ecosystem of support including resources, a helpline and a free fellowship for budding professionals for which they are currently accepting applications for its third edition from second-year students of Masters of Psychology. The third pillar, research and data-backed advocacy, is focused on understanding the prevalence of EDs in India and the unique socio-cultural factors that affect them.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.76%

AAP 43.10%

INC 24.14%

Submit

View All In Poll

What are eating disorders?

Malhotra notes, “EDs are a mental health concern which is characterised by disturbances in eating patterns. Disturbances in eating patterns are quite common in most people, but when they start to become behaviours and cause extreme physical and mental distress is when we characterise them as disordered eating, and in more severe conditions, eating disorders.” Most cases are linked to body image issues, and rise from a need to feel more in control or need for an emotional escape. Environmental factors include body shaming, cues on the beauty standard communicated across media, sociocultural aspects of Indian society as well as biological factors.

A Freed session in Delhi

Look out for warning signs

Signs and symptoms seem different for different people and can go unnoticed, making self-education all the more important. Some common signs of anorexia are characterised by extreme weight loss within really short periods of time, distress about eating certain food, strict portion control. For bulimia, characterised by bingeing and purging, a common sign could be eating large amounts of food and instantly running to the bathroom, or wanting to eat in isolation. Similarly, for binge eating, the warning signs could be complaining about feeling out of control while one is eating, or feeling physical distress and discomfort after eating.

Kamakshi Malhotra

Road to recovery

Malhotra reveals that talking to someone helped her. “It’s easy to feel an overpowering sense of isolation. But the minute you talk about it, it almost takes that ED out of your brain and turns it into something you can tackle.” Realisation, speaking about your struggles, and educating yourself are first steps to recovery, followed by one on one intervention with a therapist, psychiatrist, or nutritionist. In case of inaccessibility, Malhotra recommends seeking therapy first which plays a crucial role in helping to navigate the different things or thoughts that cause stress, or trigger the ED. Early identification and treatment are key factors in improving the likelihood of long-term recovery.

Resource list: nationaleatingdisorders.org/beateatingdisorders.org.ukt
Log on to: imfreed.org