Women’s Issues Archives | Loma Linda Christian Counseling

Different Types of Eating Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa

Different Types of Eating Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa

Melissa Plantz2024-09-28T12:00:50+00:00April 10th, 2024|Christian Counseling For Teens, Eating Disorders, Featured, Individual Counseling, Women’s Issues|

Eating disorders are varied and span from anorexia (known for starvation) to bulimia (known for purging behaviors) to binge eating (consuming enormous amounts of food in one sitting). This article will cover the dangers of bulimia nervosa, the eating disorder’s symptoms, and treatment options. The Lord created food to nourish and sustain us, and often, eating brings us pleasure. But when we turn to food to fulfill a need deep inside, it creates a problem that can lead to different types of eating disorders. When we turn to God to fulfill that spiritual need and allow Him to change our negative thoughts and behaviors, our eating habits align with what He intended. What is bulimia nervosa? Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by purging behaviors. The person with bulimia may eat average-sized meals or overeat but then purge the food to empty the stomach before the body has time to digest the food thoroughly. Purging methods can include forced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, and overexercise. Some people employ a variety of purging methods. For example, a person living with bulimia may induce vomiting after a large meal and then exercise for an hour to ensure that they have burned any calories they missed. Purging becomes an impulsive behavior. It may reach the point that the body will no longer physically tolerate food. When bulimia reaches a dangerous level, medical treatment is imperative to stabilize physical health. Symptoms of bulimia nervosa The symptoms of bulimia include: Binging behaviors. Disappearing into the bathroom after a meal. Cuts and scrapes on the fingers and knuckles from induced vomiting. Dental cavities, enamel erosion, and discoloration from vomiting. Bad breath. Constipation. Dehydration. Fatigue. Anxiety and depression. Poor body image. Absence of a menstrual period. Spending too much time exercising. Obsessed with exercise and dieting. [...]

Women’s Insecurities: Substituting Worry for Peace and Laughter

Valeria Arias, Kate Motaung2024-11-13T11:40:03+00:00August 21st, 2023|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Spiritual Development, Women’s Issues|

Many women will admit to struggling with insecurities. The ageless question of “Am I enough?” can plague a woman’s mental and emotional wellbeing. As difficult as it is to deal with these women’s insecurities, living in the age of social media only adds fuel to the fire. Women deal with a society that flaunts its successes and either hides or ridicules people’s mistakes. This adds to the pressures of living up to vague and intangible ideals. Areas of women’s insecurities. A woman may struggle with insecurities in many areas. They affect fears for her personal safety and concerns about her social status, relationships, or sense of self. She may wonder whether the people around her accept her or secretly judge her appearance or actions. This will affect the way she views herself, how she dresses, the way she behaves, what she shares on social media, and so much more. These issues aren’t only isolated to women, but many women find themselves struggling with one or several of the following insecurities. Identity issues. The question “Who am I?” is a perennial one in women’s insecurities. A woman often finds herself asking what roles she should occupy in a turbulent culture. Loud voices on one side say she should pursue radical independence coupled with sexual freedom, career and professional achievement. Other voices are urging the pursuit of more traditional roles. There is enormous pressure to do it all, and there’s no shortage of ideas about what that means. Many women juggle career and family in an impossible circus act that leaves them emotionally and mentally worn out. There is much internal and external pressure to be the perfect mom, lover, or friend, even though this is not achievable. Society sends women mixed messages, which can lead to a deep sense of [...]

Practical Ways to Combat Loneliness in Motherhood

Valeria Arias, Kate Motaung2024-11-13T11:40:21+00:00July 22nd, 2023|Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues, Spiritual Development, Women’s Issues|

Motherhood alters your identity. No longer are you an individual, only responsible for your needs, wants, and whims. As a mother, you become responsible for another person and everything he or she needs. That includes physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs as well as teaching them how to grow. That is a big responsibility, and one liable to loneliness. Handling this responsibility paired with the effects of shifting your entire identity can be challenging. Many times, it leaves moms feeling lonely. This loneliness is not necessarily indicative of being alone (although that can be part of it), but it stems from the isolation many women feel as they walk through this process. If you are a mother experiencing loneliness, you should know that you are not alone. Many women feel the same way. This loneliness is not inevitable. There are simple, practical things you can do to combat loneliness. But first, you need to understand it. Are moms really lonely? Identifying and understanding loneliness in moms is challenging because it often seems like moms are never actually alone. But we cannot equate loneliness with whether there are other people around you. Loneliness is more of a feeling than a physical presence. Loneliness stems from a gap that people feel between the connection and support they desire and what they perceive having in their actual life. It is the feelings associated with this gap that create and breed loneliness. For moms, this gap can be felt for a variety of reasons: Constant caring for children. Juggling caring for children with work. Feeling overwhelmed. Lacking time to connect with other people on a meaningful level. Exhaustion limiting ability to connect with people. Struggling to find people that they can connect with. In a Harvard study from 2020, 51% of moms with [...]

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