Eating Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (ED-NOS)

This category is for disorders of eating that do not meet the criteria for any specific eating disorder. Examples include:
• For women, all symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa are present except that the individual has regular periods.
• All of the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa are met except that, despite significant weight loss, the individual's current weight is still in the normal range.
• All of the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa are met except that the binge-eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors occur at a frequency of less than twice a week or for a duration of less than three months.
• The regular use of inappropriate compensatory behavior by an individual of normal body weight after eating small amounts of food (i.e. self-induced vomiting after the consumption of two cookies).
• Repeatedly chewing and spitting out, not swallowing, large amounts of food.

The most important thing to remember is that Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia, Compulsive Overeating, Binge-Eating Disorder, any combination of them, (or any that fall into the clinical category of EDNOS), are ALL psychological illnesses, none less or more serious than the next. They all have their physical dangers and complications, they all present themselves through an array of disordered eating patterns in one way or another, and they all stem from emotional turmoil such as a low self-esteem, a need to forget feelings and/or stress, a need to block pain, anger and/or people out, and most of all, a need to cope. The bottom line is that we are ALL suffering.