The symptoms on this list can all indicate Anorexia, Bulimia, or a compulsive disorder.

• Feelings of shame; isolation; loneliness
  
  
• A belief that the problem is unique, and that it is therefore something that must be hidden
  
  
• Drive for perfection
  
  
• Depression
  
  
• Placing the needs of others first
  
  
• Lack of emotional reaction
  
  
• Hesitance to talk about emotional problems (but an ability to listen sympathetically to other people's problems)
  
  
• Fear of growing up
  
  
• Apparent maturity and sense of responsibility
  
  
• Need for control
  
  
• Trouble relaxing and playing
  
  
• Existential questioning
  
  
• Suicide attempts
  
  
• Past sexual abuse
  
  
• Preoccupation with weight and/or appearance
  
  
• Avoidance of having pictures taken or of looking in mirrors
  
  
• A need to exercise and feelings of failure should it not be done to satisfaction
  
  
• Ritualized behaviors when dealing with food (i.e. cutting food into tiny pieces, hiding food under other foods)
  
  
• Other addictive or compulsive behaviors (i.e. alcoholism, workaholic, neatness)
  
  
• Thoughts of food, weight, or body image disrupt daily activities
  
  
• Secretive about food, weight and/or exercise
  
  
• Use of food to gain emotional comfort
  
  
• Avoidance of eating in front of other people and stress when this situation cannot be avoided
  
  
• Denial of hunger
  
  
• Inability to recognize hunger or confusion of feelings of hunger with feelings of nausea

While many of these symptoms may be more characteristic of one type of eating disorder than of others, they have been presented in one list to emphasize the degree to which any one person may manifest a variety of symptoms. Every person will have her or his own way of expressing her or his own emotional conflicts. When trying to help someone who has an eating disorder it is important to know the characteristics of her or his disorder, but it is more important to react to the individual and her or his specific variety of conflicts and needs.

These are the technical definitions of Anorexia and Bulimia. While they may be useful in trying to understand the disorders, as already mentioned, it is not necessary for people to fit these definitions exactly to have a problem that can be considered an eating disorder. The effects listed under Anorexia may be applicable to either disorder, while the effects under Bulimia are generally more specific to that disorder.

Anorexia

• Loss of 5-15% of normal body weight coupled with a refusal to maintain normal body weight
  
• Extreme fear of gaining weight
  
• Distorted body image (feeling fat even when very thin)
  
• Absence of three or more consecutive menses/periods (amenorrhea)

Bulimia

• Recurrent episodes of binge eating (rapid consumption of a large amount of food in a discrete period of time, usually less than two hours)
  
• Feeling a lack of control during binges
  
• Regular episodes of self-induced vomiting, use of diuretics or laxatives, strict dieting or fasting, or vigorous exercise
  
• Minimum of two binges per week for at least three months
  
• Persistent over-concern with body shape and weight