Mental Health and Eating Disorders in the News: June, 2018

Eating disorders and mental health disorders are recognized by psychologists and psychiatrists around the world and can result in severe co-morbidities and even death if left untreated. With the continued social stigma attached to eating disorders and mental health disorders; often times it can be challenging to discern the truth from fiction. New innovations in treatment and new insights on recovery are continuously being published however the mainstream media often does not shed light on these important findings. Below are the most recent trending topics in the news on eating disorders and mental health disorders.

The World Health Organization Has Finally Stopped Classifying Gender Dysphoria As a Mental Illness

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that they had removed gender dysphoria’s classification as a mental disorder in the latest edition of their International Classification of Diseases. ICD-11 and renamed gender dysphoria to gender incongruence, and now classifies it as a sexual health condition as opposed to a mental health condition. ICD-11 is based upon the International Classification of Diseases, which is published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and uses unique alphanumeric codes to identify known diseases and other health problems. According to WHO, physicians, coders, health information managers, nurses and other healthcare professionals also use ICD-11 to assist them in the storage and retrieval of diagnostic information. Gender dysphoria, now referred to as gender incongruence, involves a conflict between a person’s physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify. People with gender incongruence may be very uncomfortable with the gender they were assigned, sometimes described as being uncomfortable with their body (particularly developments during puberty) or being uncomfortable with the expected roles of their assigned gender. While many believe gender incongruence shouldn’t be classified in the ICD at all, others argue that it’s easier for transgender individuals to seek hormonal or surgical treatment if gender incongruence is included.

“For the WHO, the hope is that this change will decrease stigma against seeking treatment for gender incongruence. ‘It was taken out from the mental health disorders because we had a better understanding that this wasn’t actually a mental health condition, and leaving it there was causing stigma,’ Dr. Lale Say, the Coordinator of WHO’s Adolescents and At-Risk Populations team.

Video Game Addiction Officially Classified as a Mental Health Disorder

Internet gaming disorder has been studied for years and was not classified in the most recent version of the DSM but was classified as a “condition for further study”. Internet Gaming Disorder is most common in male adolescents 12 to 20 years of age. According to studies it is thought that Internet Gaming Disorder is more prevalent in Asian countries than in North America and Europe. Just recently the World Health Organization has classified video game addiction as a mental health disorder under ICD-11. International Classification of Diseases or ICD-11 as a pattern of gaming behavior that involves the excessive or compulsive use of computer games or video games that interferes with a person’s daily life and normal activities. According to Vladimir Poznyak, a member of the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, the main characteristics of the disorder are very similar to those of addictive disorders including gambling disorders and substance use disorders. It is believed that excessive video game use can rewire the brain leading to a surge of dopamine and compulsive behaviors.

Internet gaming disorder is described as “impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences” The signs and symptoms are not as clear cut as other mental health disorders however this disorder mainly applies to gamers with fractured connections to friends and family who exhibit impaired academics and an indifference towards areas of life outside of gaming for at least 12 months in duration.

“Get Shredded in Six Weeks” The Problem with Extreme Male Body Transformations

As eating disorder services tend to be designed for women, male sufferers can be overlooked. Only one in 10 individuals who seek help for eating disorders are men, despite the fact that men are as likely as women to suffer. Clinicians are trained to look for emaciation, despite the fact that many sufferers are not underweight, particularly if they are packing on muscle at the gym. Men are the holders of masculinity meaning that they are conditioned from a young age to display a physical image associated with strength, power and success. Men are generally much bigger and taller than women and exert more power. Instead of the Barbie doll toy for girls, men are accustomed to playing with the muscular and bulky action figures and therefore this mindset of strength and masculinity is taught early on in childhood. Additionally the masculinity mindset is more geared towards being independent and not asking for help, even in the context of professional help for an eating disorder. Men are more likely to engage in eating disorder in order to have a stronger, bigger and larger figure and therefore the tell tale signs of eating disorders in men may not be as obvious as they are in women.

For example, “bigorexia,” or muscle dysmorphia, is a type of body dysmorphia that is becoming increasingly common among boys and young men, influencing an obsession with muscle definition and body shape.

“Another complication is that these guys are coming from gyms where there is a ‘no pain, no gain’ ethos, which means they’re socialised into thinking it’s OK to forgo important parts of their lives in the service of this muscularity,” says Murray. “They don’t see it as a problem.”

“My mental state became a complete mess,” says Sikdar. “The gym and my body seemed to be one place I had some control and was succeeding.”

Murray says that men work out to elevate their standing among other men, not women. “A compliment from a man is worth more than a compliment from a woman, because males have more credibility in affirming other males.”