Exercise Addiction
"Working Out Can Wear You Out"
Exercise Addiction Information
Symptoms
• feeling an obligation to exercise, and you feel guilty when you can’t.
• working out with an injury, or suffer from overuse injuries, because you don’t want to take time off.
• exercising when you are sick, fatigued or don’t take rest days.
• experiencing irregular or absent menstrual periods.
• putting exercise before work, family, friends or previous engagements.
• family and friends express concern over your exercise habit.
Risk Factors
Exercise addiction can lead to extreme weight loss. Also people who suffer from exercise addiction are known to also suffer from another addiction like cigarettes, alcohol, or illicit drugs.
Causes
when you exercise your body releases endorphins and dopamine. These are the same things released when using drugs. When exercising the person feels joy and reward. But when you stop exercising the dopamine and endorphins leave and so does the joy and reward. Making the person want to exercise more to feel that feeling.
Diagnosis
Exercise addiction is hard to catch. Most of the people don't see anything wrong with their behavior so they don't seek for help.Increased fitness and decreased social activity usual point to exercise addiction. To determine if you truly are addicted a doctor may ask you to keep a journal of your fitness routines and social activity.
Treatments
Self-control is needed to stop exercise addiction. Other treatments are medication and home care.
Interesting facts
Exercise is not recognized by the american psychiatric association as a primary disorder.
Excessive exercise is known to be a symptom of bulimia nervosa.
Excessive exercise may also be a symptom of anorexia nervosa.
Help:
Resources:
http://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-addiction
http://www.active.com/articles/know-the-signs-of-unhealthy-exercise-addiction