In the US today, eating disorders affect 20 million women and 10 million men. The most common among eating disorders is Binge Eating Disorder, or BED, affecting 1 in 35 adults, making it even more common than anorexia nervosa. Although overeating from time to time is common for most people, there is a distinct difference for those suffering from BED. Symptoms include eating unusually large portions of food in a small amount of time. Those suffering often rapidly eat to the point of feeling uncomfortably full, even if they are not hungry. Due to embarrassment, people often eat in secret by themselves to avoid judgment, however soon after a binge, they feel depressed, guilty, and even disgusted with themselves due to their eating.

Oppositional defiant disorder, or ODD, is a behavioral disorder in children that can be difficult to identify for many parents. Children may be strong-willed or emotional without actually having ODD because it can be normal for children to behave in ways that oppose their parental figures. Though signs typically develop during preschool, there are times when ODD may develop later and cause significant issues related to family, school, work, and socialization.

To be diagnosed with ODD, at least four symptoms must occur from the following categories:

Depression affects an estimated 350 million people in the world today. Caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, depression can majorly affect someone’s day to day life. Identifying depression in one’s own life can be challenging. People who know the affected person may recognize symptoms first, noticing changes in a person’s mood, behavior, activities, and more.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder caused by experiencing a life threatening, terrifying, or traumatic event. Examples of events that may cause PTSD includes physical or sexual assault, catastrophic accidents, military combat experiences, unexpected deaths, and natural disasters. The person who develops PTSD either experienced the event first hand or witnessed another person experience harm. When a person is in danger, the brain naturally creates a “fight or flight” response in order to help protect people from potential harm. However, if a person has PTSD, their “fight or flight” response has been damaged, causing unnecessary feelings of stress and/or fright despite not being in danger. PTSD can occur at any age for both men and women, although women are more likely to develop the condition. 

Psychological disorders that are characterized by abnormal, unhealthy eating habits are considered eating disorders. In the United States, currently 20 million women and 10 million men are suffering from eating disorders. While this number is exceptionally high, this statistic only counts cases considered clinically significant, indicating there are likely many more undocumented cases. Neurofeedback works to improve brain function to help those struggling in recovery.