Looking at the word “addiction”, it gives us pictures of people in a thick dark place, doing a lot of bad crazy things, however, many addicts are present in the gym or on the local school track, getting an addictive solution. In fact, the positive nature of the word “healthy” makes addiction to health and fitness even more attractive.

Despite the positive means, health addicts have done as much harm to their families and lives as any other type of addict. In this article, we will look below the surface of addiction to health and fitness and find a path to recovery.

How can something so good be bad? In our modern Western culture, those who are willing to pay the price of fitness are to be commended. There are so many temptations to do the opposite. The exercise is mostly exhaustive, and painful. So those who live up with it for about an hour, 3 to 5 days a week, have attained a point of discipline with which they only dream.

The addiction to health and physical conditioning is not about health or physical condition … it is a compulsion to use healthy activities to fill a void that we see in ourselves.

How do I know that I am addicted? Addicts often do not recognize addiction because a common symptom of addiction is denial, which is even easier to have on health. That’s why it’s easier to find out about a friend or loved one if you have a problem in this area. Here are some things to keep in mind for addiction to physical exercise:

• Do you regularly spend more than 8 hours a week exercising and is the time increasing?
• Do friends or family members complain about the time or money you spend on fitness?
• Have you ever wondered if you are being too compulsive with your exercise program?
• Did you lie to your family, friends or employers about the time you spend in physical activities?
• Do you often see the physical state as a way to gain acceptance or praise from others?
• Have you ever pressed so hard in your physical exercise program that you hurt yourself?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider yourself at risk of addiction. If you answered yes to 3 or more, you are probably addicted.

Types of health and fitness addiction

These are health and fitness addiction activities, unlike addictions to television, Internet and shopping, which could involve health issues.

Addictions to health and fitness are compulsions to participate in “healthy” activities, such as exercise, diet, etc. In fact, both anorexia and bulimia nervosa have been described as serious addictions to health and fitness.

Twо mаjоr ѕуmрtоmѕ оf thеѕе mеntаl diѕоrdеrѕ are еxеrсiѕе аnd diеtаrу соntrоl tо аn еxtrеmе соmрulѕivе аnd еxсеѕѕivе. The ѕресifiс еxеrсiѕе or diеt рlаn does not mаttеr. It iѕ an аddiсtiоn when you fееl соmреllеd tо dо so.

Unveiling аnоrеxiа аnd bulimia nеrvоѕа

Anоrеxiа iѕ an еаting disorder whеn people diе оf hungеr. Uѕuаllу, аnоrеxiа begins around puberty оnѕеt. At this age, girlѕ are vеrу vulnеrаblе аnd аrе concerned аbоut the ѕhаре of thеir body. Simple sloppy word “You look fat!” It may be the reason why girls stop eating. More than saying, people who suffer from anorexia become very thin, but think they are overweight.

Bulimia is an eating disorder, when the person eats too much food in a short period of time and then tries to avoid weight gain by purging (vomiting or taking laxatives). Bulimia can be very harmful to the body: the teeth become yellow and sensitive to cold or heat, the skin becomes dry, irregular, etc.

It is important to discover that that person has anorexia or bulimia and give professional help.

First of all, it is important to recognize the symptoms of anorexia or bulimia in oneself or in others around us. It can be difficult to do, but it must be very critical if a person loses a lot of weight in a short period without any physical disorder.

Since people with eating disorders deny having a problem, it can be very difficult to convince them to seek help. It is very important to admit the problem if you really suffer from bulimia or anorexia. To recover from this, there are professional ways to help those suffering from anorexia and bulimia. All treatment methods can be classified into three groups: diet regulation; medicines; Psychotherapy: individual and family therapy.

How do I recover from addiction to health and fitness?

This is caused by a negative self-image, like any other addiction. Instead of alcohol, you use exercise to fill a void that you feel in yourself.

Since the comfort gotten from exercise is only temporary and you become physically fit, you need regular increases in the activity to produce the same comfort.  This is cause of the addiction, because when you start thinking this way, the drive of going to the gym starts increasing daily thereby leading to health and fitness addiction.

Unlike alcohol, a certain amount of physical activity is required for health, so you cannot quit alcohol. Instead, we should stay at no more than one hour a day, 3-5 days a week.

Spend the rest of the time you used to exercise going to addiction meetings and start participating in self-development activities. You could read, go back to school and join a group of volunteers. You could dedicate yourself to a hobby, such as gardening or building model aircraft. To help build up, avoid negative mental contributions, such as news, drama, negative and insulting friends. Replace those with good music or reading or other activities that prepare it. Eliminate all negative, self-destructive and limiting thoughts from your mind with positive, encouraging and uplifting thoughts.

Because there are risks that addiction to health and fitness become a full-blown anorexia, if you try and cannot control your addiction, consult a doctor. Health and fitness addiction can be as serious as any other addiction. You can imprison us in destructive and compulsive activities. We can place our families, our careers, even, ironically, our health at risk through exercise addiction and other physical conditioning activities. The good news is that there is hope for anyone willing to live and work in recovery. For more visit regularly….