Which eating disorders did Jaiden animations have?

In this blog post, we shall answer the question, “which eating disorders did Jaiden animations have?” and look ‌at what are eating disorders and their symptoms. We shall also look at the lyrics of Jaiden’s song that talk about eating disorders. Finally, we shall look at the importance of opening up about eating disorders.

Which eating disorders did Jaiden animations have?

Jaiden animations had the following eating disorders:

• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa
• Body dysmorphia

Who is Jaiden animations?

Jaiden animations is a pseudonym for an American YouTuber and animator, who is popular for her storytelling videos and animations on YouTube. Her real name is Jaiden Dittfach. Her videos talk about many things including personal life and experiences. Her videos are also centred on video games.

Her Jaiden Animation channel has over 11.2 million subscribers. In 2018, she came out and opened up about her struggles with eating disorders and her road to recovery. She recorded a song with a fellow YouTuber, Boyinaband, who had also been struggling with an eating disorder.

In the interview, she says that her body dysmorphia came first and then anorexia and bulimia nervosa followed. She explained the negative perceptions she had about her body and how they made her sink into depression and anxiety. 

She started starving herself and just taking water to ‘lie to her body’ that she was full. She also used to chew gum when she felt hungry. Despite this, she still felt that the gum had too many calories and had to cut it into pieces before chewing.

This was then followed by episodes of binge eating and then purging. The cycle continued, and people around her raised concerns about her health. After college, she felt that her impulsive behaviour was causing problems in her life and decided to seek treatment.

She is now doing better and able to talk openly about her struggles without triggering a relapse. We shall look at the lyrics of the song later but let us first educate ourselves on the eating disorders that she was suffering from and their symptoms.

Body dysmorphia

It is a mental disorder where one spends a lot of time focusing on flaws in their appearance. Like Jaiden, most of these flaws are perceived or too tiny that other people cannot recognize. People of all ages can get body dysmorphic disorder, but it is most common among teenagers and young adults.

Common features people with BDD focus on:

• Facial features like the nose or lips
• Size and shape of genitalia and breasts
• Body hairs and facial hairs
• Skin, i.e. moles, freckles, acne or scars
• Muscle size or tone

Signs and symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Jaiden started being obsessed with how she looked, started starving herself and counted calories obsessively. Other signs and symptoms of BDD include:

• Hiding so that others cannot see the offending body part
• Repeatedly spending a lot of time on the mirror or avoiding mirrors altogether
• Avoiding your picture from being taken
• You avoid gatherings where photos will be taken or police pictures to make sure people don’t post your flaws for the world to see
• Undergoing plastic surgery to correct the perceived imperfection
• Spending a lot of time camouflaging or hiding the perceived ugly body part
• Picking your skin compulsively, leading to injury
• Comparing yourself negatively to others
• Overspending on personal grooming
• You spend most of your income on products that will enhance your look and after a while, you get delusions about these products and therefore look for other, better treatment options.
• Using steroids or body-enhancing pills

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia is a psychological eating disorder characterized by episodes of binge eating and afterwards, you try to lose weight inappropriately. Binge eating episodes are characterized by consuming large amounts of food uncontrollably in one sitting.

Jaiden opened up about having bulimia that was triggered by body issues hence tried methods of losing weight after binge eating. The methods include:

• Use of laxatives and diuretics. Laxatives are medications used to loosen up stool passage and decrease constipation. They are also used for weight loss. Diuretics are used to reduce fluids from the body which can lead to weight loss.
• Fasting
• Enemas
• Compulsive exercising

Signs and symptoms of bulimia nervosa

The signs and symptoms of bulimia nervosa can be categorized into physical, behavioural and mental symptoms and they include:

Physical symptoms

The physical symptoms of bulimia include:

• Food aversion
• Dehydration
• Fatigue
• Water-electrolyte imbalance
• Bad breath
• Dental cavities
• Constipation
• Heartburn
• Inflamed oesophagus
• Weight loss
• Using laxatives and diuretics
• Irregular or absence of menstruation
• Sore throat

Behavioural symptoms

The behavioural symptoms of bulimia include:

• Self-harm
• Vomiting after over-eating
• Impulsivity
• Compulsive behaviour
• Lack of restraint
• Mood swings

Psychological symptoms

The psychological symptoms of bulimia include:

• Anxiety
• General discontent
• Guilt
• Low self-esteem
• Depression
• Fear of gaining weight

Bulimia nervosa tends to start in early adulthood or late childhood. Most cases are realized when the illness is already full-blown as they hide and feel ashamed of their disordered eating and purging methods. Many also feel ashamed when they binge and feel relieved after purging.

Anorexia Nervosa

Jaiden also opened up about having anorexia which is characterised by abnormal body weight, distorted body image, and unwarranted fear of gaining weight. In order to prevent weight gain, anorexic people try to control their body weight by vomiting food, using laxatives, diet aids, and excessive exercise.

The symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:

• Thin appearance 
• Extremely low body weight
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• dry skin
• hair that easily falls off
• preoccupation with food
• skipping meals
• refusing to eat
• denying hunger
• complaints of being overweight
• measuring weight often
• lying about the quantity of food taken.
• Excessive exercising
• Social withdrawal
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Reduced interest in sex
• Dehydration
• Swelling of arms and legs
• Dry or yellowish skin
• Low blood pressure
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Abnormal blood count
• Absence of menstruation
• Bluish colouring on finger 
• Constipation
• Eroded teeth

Causes include; biological factors such as genes, psychological factors such as temperaments and environmental factors such as societal demands.

It usually begins during the teenage and early adulthood years. It is more common in women than in men.

Anorexia is the most deadly mental illness. One study found that people with anorexia are 56 times more likely to commit suicide than people without an eating disorder. (Eating Disorders Coalition, 2016).

Empty by Jaiden and Boyinaband

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

Tunnel vision on the flaws

In the scale of things, it’s unimportant

So no talking, but it’s still an intrusive thought

Tried hard to correct it, 

But nothing was effective,

No one else seemed so obsessed with it

Things were desperate until the voice crept in

“I can help you, trust me, you’re ready”

It seemed dangerous, but it said to have faith in it

“The secret is to just be empty”

Didn’t know if it was wise to listen

But what could it hurt to try?

And at first, it was working

But then things were emerging

Cracked lips and tired eyes

I’m hungry with no appetite

I’m shivering and shaking

And I tell myself it’s fine

But you can’t fool your body

You can only fool your mind, yeah

Empty, I just need to be empty

Hide from anybody who’ll prevent me

Just fill up on water and shame

No, I’m not hungry, I just ate

I’ve developed a taste for this

Endure the never-ending ache

Convince myself I’m in control

And it’s not all that voice that makes me sick

Inside, it’s em-em-em-empty

I know, I know it’s wrong

I’m looking, but I can’t see myself

Inside, it’s em-em-em-empty

I know, I know it’s wrong

But it’s so hard to stop it alone

Been getting even worse,

All the days begin to merge,

Just a blurry haze and now it’s almost second nature to ignore the urges

Can’t trust my own nature,

Every calorie a failure,

Gotta push the intake down every day

‘Cause the voice comes back to say

“You want to eat? Bite your tongue”

Don’t wanna stay an embarrassment, just have to stomach it

“They don’t know what you want”

A tug of war against common sense

Don’t wanna believe that I’ve overstepped

But it’s so overwhelming

And I hope no one can tell

‘Cause the numbers keep decreasing

This ordeal is becoming routine, check

Arms, back, neck, thighs

Suck it in and pinch my sides

The scales are betraying me

The mirror is a lie

Numbers, it all comes down to numbers

I know it’s wrong, but

Just because you know you’re colorblind

Doesn’t mean you can see the colors

Fine, I admit I’m addicted

But the hunger feels good, how do I quit this?

I know I could die, I’ve seen the statistics

But the voice is with me through thick and thin

Chorus x2

I can reach out

To someone not like me

If you ask for help, it doesn’t make you weak

I can reach out

To someone not like me

I can help my mind to learn to trust my body

I can reach out

To someone not like me

If you ask for help, it doesn’t make you weak

I can reach out

Ignore what the voice tells me

I can help my mind to learn to trust my body

Chorus

In her interview with Boyinaband, Jaiden received positive comments from people going through the same. They applauded her for opening up and said that it helped them in their recovery journey as well.

Importance of education about eating disorders

Jaiden is doing a great job in educating people about eating disorders and this includes:

•  Educating people about why eating disorders develop
• Educating people about the effects of eating disorders on their general health
• Helping people suffering from eating disorders develop positive coping mechanisms and skills
• Helping people understand nutrition
• Eliminates stigmatization of eating disorders
• Help people struggling with eating disorders and their loved ones identify signs of a relapse
• Help loved ones support people with eating disorders the right way

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have looked at who Jaiden animations is, and her struggle with anorexia, bulimia and body dysmorphic disorder. We have then looked at each type of eating disorder she had, with the symptoms and risk factors. We have also looked at her song regarding her eating disorders.

Finally, we have highlighted the importance of education about eating disorders. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know in the comment section below.

Frequently asked questions: Which eating disorders did Jaiden animations have?

Is Jaiden still vegan?

Due to her concern about how animals are treated on farms, Jaiden is vegan.

What nationality is Jaiden?

She is American.

What does Jaiden mean?

It is a unisex name that means, “thankful, God will judge.”

Citations

Jaidens Animation Wiki, Jaiden animations. Retrieved from https://jaiden-animations.fandom.com/wiki/Jaiden_Animations#:~:text=Jaiden%20suffered%20from%20eating%20disorders,(aka%20Boyinaband)%20called%20Empty.

Boyinaband, (June 18, 2018). Making the Song about Jaiden’s Anorexia (Empty – BTS). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR3hrZS2c0A