After Jana’s confession – an expert with a clear warning

Jungle camp

“I almost died of anorexia when I was 19, and I want to die the body Don’t light it up that way,” Jana “Urcraft” Palask tearfully admitted to roommate and jungle chef Babys Loveday on RTL’s show “Jungle Camp.”

It was the seventh day in the camp, which means: seven days of barely eating, seven days of hunger. The result: a bad mood, tingling, and mental stress. But for Jana Palask as a former patient with anorexia, it may have been particularly difficult, because she felt it was a difficult time for her. life He recalled: “I was introduced to it myself at the time, I wanted to get out there and have this stark experience and switch: ‘I want to live! ‘” “.

Because of this, she said on the camera phone in the woods, the hunger in the camp was very hard for her. Since the brutal experience of her anorexia, she has taken care of her body, this “precious vehicle”. I’ve been with a few before Essen She lived in the woods, but she didn’t expect it to be so bad. “Alarm bells go off again when it’s noticed that things are going in the right direction again,” says Jana, as she tortures her body in the camp with food deprivation.

Should a former anorexic patient like Jana Palask be as hungry as in Jungle camp Wouldn’t it be better to let it go if it’s not good for your body and psyche? Or can it be positive to face your trauma?

Watson has dr. asked Hannes Horter. He specializes in psychiatry and psychotherapy at two clinics in Oberberg, where he also mainly treats patients with eating disorders.

Watson: What exactly is anorexia and how common is it?

Hans Horter: Eating disorders in the broad sense are common. Especially in girls and boys Thin. About 20 percent of all teens show signs of an eating disorder. Full-blown eating disorders are less common, but about 2.8 percent of women will have a binge eating disorder (an addiction to food), 2.6 percent will have bulimia, also known as bulimia or binge eating, and 2 to 3 percent will develop it at some point. Anorexia nervosa, also known as anorexia or anorexia. Despite some similarities, there are distinct differences between eating disorders, which makes it difficult to generalize.

How dangerous is it for those affected to take part in a TV show like jungle camp, where you rarely eat anything and only have one side for two weeks?

People who are currently suffering from a serious mental illness, including anorexia nervosa, should not participate in such a television programme. Because of the strong psychological pressure in front of the camera, but also because of the tasks, there is a great risk of degradation. The answer to the question of someone with a treated eating disorder and the solution is much more complex. The ultimate goal of treatment is recovery and a normal life. Blanket bans are often unhelpful. You should consider your current mental and physical health.

Many sufferers continue to show certain signs of the disease, or a susceptibility to recurrence, even after treatment for anorexia. In particular, if people are still very thin, they slip when there is a shortage feed Soon they became underweight. This can also lead to a relapse into anorexia, which is eventually sustained by emaciated self-body interactions.

How about jungle experiences where you encounter disgusting things that you have to eat?

Because he himself has anorexia the people They deal a lot with their diet, eating disgusting things is definitely a special “stress factor”. Thus, participation in such a television program is much more dangerous for people with such a disease than for others.

So, could being on the show cause anorexia to relapse?

Starving yourself again, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, can lead to a relapse. The stress of participating in such a TV show can add to this.

Could it also be a good idea, as a former person with an eating disorder, to bring up the topic of food?

Even after the attack of the disease subsides, it makes sense to continue to deal with the disease in the appropriate amount. In addition to ongoing psychotherapy or psychotherapy, self-help groups are also useful here. “Uncontrolled” coping through forced starvation is certainly not a helpful measure here. I also do not advise anyone who is a “dry” alcoholic to try alcohol.

Will you completely get rid of the eating disorder you recovered from or will food always be an issue?

It continues to be a problem for many of those affected, and after many years they suffer from mental or physical problems. In a Swedish study, 15-year-old girls with anorexia nervosa were followed for 30 years. After 30 years, 64 percent of them had made a full recovery — they’d been symptom-free for at least six months. 36 percent – more than a third – were not! On average, the women in the study experienced symptoms of an eating disorder for 10 out of 30 years.

What is the best way to deal with recovering from anorexia? Are you talking about it or not?

Whether or not to go out with a disease and under what circumstances is a very personal decision – whether a jungle camp is the right place? I’m going to be more conservative about it…because an eating disorder is a very intimate thing. It affects one’s perception of one’s body and self-esteem. In general, there is still a stigma associated with mental illness and many face the problem with a lack of understanding.

At the same time, especially in times of crisis, you need people to support you. Therefore, I recommend thinking carefully: who do I want to tell you about and what do I want to say? Who might actually know or at least think so? What is the right framework to open me up? Who should I tell to avoid further damage or to get needed help?