{"id":18580,"date":"2017-08-31T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T10:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=18580"},"modified":"2022-11-29T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T12:00:00","slug":"causes-eating-disorders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/causes-eating-disorders.htm","title":{"rendered":"What Causes Eating Disorders? The Role of Core Beliefs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"eating<\/a>

By: Internet Archive Book Images<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Psychology often focuses on the thoughts and behaviours connected to eating disorders.<\/strong> For example, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)<\/a> might focus on how negative thinking<\/a> about your body or food causes eating disorders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also proven by research that part of what drives you to have an eating disorder are hidden thoughts that might have nothing at all to do with your body or food <\/strong>but\u00a0more about the general way you see the world and yourself.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are what is known as<\/strong>\u00a0your core beliefs.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

What are core beliefs?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Core beliefs <\/a>develop in childhood. They are assumptions <\/a>we make about ourselves, others, and the world that we then mistake as fact.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These beliefs become entrenched in our unconscious<\/a>, where they dictate the decisions<\/a> we then make in life\u00a0<\/strong>until we make the effort to dig them out and change them.<\/p>\n

Of course some of us are lucky enough to have a childhood that leads to positive core beliefs that make adulthood easier to navigate.<\/p>\n

But many of us end up with negative or maladaptive (or negative) core beliefs.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>These can happen from a childhood where we felt unloved<\/a>, suffered criticism<\/a>, couldn’t trust the adults around us, or experienced trauma<\/a> or abuse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An example of a common negative core belief is \u2018I am unloveable\u2019. This could develop if, say, a parent went away for a long time without notice, and your childlike brain felt it was your fault. So as an adult, when someone tries to love you, you will find ways to sabotage the experience and \u2018prove\u2019 that your belief is right. Perhaps one of these ways is to overeat<\/a> so much that your body repels others.<\/em><\/p>\n

Core beliefs and eating disorders<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"eating<\/a>

By: Nicki Dobrin<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Many studies have been done on this subject, all confirming that individuals with eating disorders have more negative core beliefs than those who do not.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A well-known 2006 study<\/a> enlarged on previous research and was then the first to also include patients with a diagnoses EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified<\/a>). The study looked at 106 subjects with an eating disorder and 27 people without. It confirmed that the type and severity of eating disorder one has directly relates to core beliefs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Binge eating disorder participants were found to have many maladaptive beliefs, but the highest amount were identified in participants with anorexia<\/a> and bulimia<\/a>. In fact in those who purged or fasted, it was discovered that core beliefs were even an indicator of how frequently someone might use vomiting, laxatives, or fasting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So then what sorts of core beliefs would be connected to having an eating disorder?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Research around core beliefs and eating disorders have included the following beliefs<\/strong>\u00a0(with possiblr examples in brackets):<\/p>\n