Eating Disorder and Addiction Specialist Woking Surrey

Eating Disorder and Addiction Specialist

Addiction

Drug Addiction
Have you experienced any of the following in relation to drug use?

• An increasing need to use drugs to relax
• Mood swings, anxiety and growing dependence on a drug to stabilise your moods
• Reduced periods of abstinence from using drugs
• Obsessive thoughts and cravings based around a drug
• Taking time off work due to tiredness from increased drug use
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Growing debt from increased drug use
• Growing dependence on prescription drugs

Loss of relationships or growing distance in relationships If you have not had any experience of drug addiciton it can seem hard to understand that lives can be controlled by such damaging sunstances. The main feature of drug addiction is the loss of control which leads to devaststing results for the userand their family and friends.

Alcohol  
Have you noticed any of the following around your alcohol use?

• Obsessive thoughts and patterns of behaviour based around alcohol use
• The feeling that one drink is never enough
• The secretive use of alcohol, hiding it from others
• Loss of concentration and control, shaking hands or blackouts
• Defensiveness when challenged about the amount you drink
• Struggling to function effectively at work
• Constantly thinking about the time and place of your next drink
• Spending more time in a bar or with a drink in your hand than at home or at leisure
• Needing a drink to relax, or to feel a sense of confidence and belonging
• Drinking alone

It’s when enjoying a drink simply becomes a way of life, using it to deal with stress, to relax and to get through the day that problems occur. This is the start of a slow descent becoming dependent on alcohol; it has catastrophic effects on finances, family and relationships. It becomes a necessity in order to operate.


Eating Disorders

Bulimia
Have you noticed any of the following?

• Poor body image
• Irregular or nonexistent menstrual periods
• Low moods and feelings of depression
• Tooth and mouth problems
• Eating unusually large amounts of food with no apparent change in weight
• An excessive, rigid exercise regimen
• Craving binge foods (especially sugar and white flour products)
• Purging (throwing up)
• Losing weight through laxatives or over-exercising

Bulimia suffers typically comsume large quantities of food in a very short space of time, followed by laxatives which induces viomiting and prevents weight gain.

Anorexia  
Have you experienced any of the following in relation to your food?

• Restricting certain foods or drastically reducing how much you eat
• Pretending to eat or lying about eating
• Excessive trips to the bathroom or the regular use of laxatives
• Frequent weigh-ins and over-attention to tiny fluctuations in weight
• A compulsion to check in the mirror for body flaws and complaints about being fat
• Excessive and/or compulsive exercising
• Apathy, moodiness, low energy and withdrawal from social life
• Feeling cold all the time
• Dry, lifeless hair, brittle nails or poor skin tone
• In women, missing three consecutive menstrual periods

The feelings of deprivation and hunger all contribute to fill avoid for the anorexia suffer. Foods become feared and they become obsessed
with calories and nutrition.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

I also practice form the London Harley Street Clinic