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'Exercise Addiction Nearly Killed Me'

Discussion in 'Physical and Sports Medicine' started by Dr.Scorpiowoman, Apr 27, 2017.

  1. Dr.Scorpiowoman

    Dr.Scorpiowoman Golden Member

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    'Exercise addiction nearly killed me': Woman describes working out so much that her periods stopped, her bones were breaking, and her body was close to shutting down completely

    • Katherine Schreiber, 28, began her exercise addiction while in high school
    • What started as two times a week at the gym turned into three times a day
    • The addiction stopped her period, and caused stress fractures in her feet and herniated discs in her spine
    • Katherine, from New York, is now in treatment and says she's sharing her story so experts can learn to identify the disorder quicker


    Katherine Schreiber's addiction to working out began when she was a teenager.

    She had struggled with body issues since elementary school, even believing herself to be 'too ugly' to go to class.

    For her, pounding the pavements was an outlet for her feelings of self-loathing.

    At first, she started working out just twice a week, which quickly turned into three times a day.

    But exercise took its toll on her. Her period stopped, she suffered stress fractures and had herniated discs in her spine.

    Now 28, she is in therapy and rehab, and says she's sharing her story with the hope that experts can learn to identify the addiction quickly before it's too late.

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    Katherine Schreiber, 28, from New York, struggled with body issues since elementary school and began an exercise addiction when she was a teenager. She would exercise three times a day to control her feelings of self-loathing

    When Katherine's exercise habit kicked in, she also began to restrict the amount of food she was eating, which quickly spiraled into a full-blown eating disorder.

    While attending Sarah Lawrence College, she received treatment for the eating disorder, but her exercise habit wasn't addressed.

    'No one knew how to treat that back then,' Katherine told ABC News.

    Soon, the exercise started to damage her body.

    Her period stropped for two years. Her feet had stress fractures and she had herniated discs in her spine.

    Katherine said that her compulsive need to exercise left her with 'no social life'. Her personal relationships began to suffer as well.

    'I was unable to form or maintain close relationships,' she said.

    'I didn't have time to spend with friends or develop a deeper connection with my partner.

    'I wouldn't want to stay out late or do anything that would interfere with my gym schedule.'


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    The extensive workouts began to take their toll on Katherine's body. Her period stopped for two years, her feet had stress fractures and she had herniated discs in her spine. In 2015, she entered treatment and says she's sharing her story with the hope that experts can learn to identify the disorder quicker

    WHAT IS EXERCISE ADDICTION?

    Exercise addiction is a compulsive disorder in which a person feels the uncontrollable need to exercise excessively.

    Exercise addiction can occur independently from or in conjunction with other disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

    Signs and symptoms

    Based on the Exercise Dependence Scale created by Drs Heather Hausenblas and Danielle Symons Downs:

    • Tolerance: Needing more and more of the activity
    • Withdrawal: Increased agitation, fatigue, and tension when not exercising
    • 'Intention Effect': Exercising for longer than intended
    • Lack of control: Difficulty scaling back the duration and intensity
    • 'Time Spent': Funneling exorbitant chunks of the day and night towards fitness-related activities
    • Reduction: Avoiding social engagements that don’t involve exercise, canceling plans, or showing up late for work in order to exercise longer
    • Continuance Despite Injury: Not taking enough time off to heal
    Types of exercise addiction

    1) Primary exercise addiction

    These people do not have any other psychological or behavioral conditions - exercise addiction is the main problem.

    Primary exercise addiction is more common in males and usually develops in response to the pleasurable effects of endorphins that are released during and after exercise.

    2) Secondary exercise addiction

    This is a form of addiction in conjunction with another disorder, most commonly eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

    Secondary exercise addiction is more common in females and usually develops due to body image issues.

    While there’s no formal method for treating addiction, experts have found cognitive and behavioral therapies (alone or in combination) to be effective.

    Katherine said she would 'only meet someone for specific amount of time' and would get anxious if the workout had to be cut short.

    In 2015, Katherine went into treatment and decided to team up with researchers from Jacksonville University and High Point University in North Carolina to bring attention to the dangers of 'exercise addiction'.

    'People say "Wow, I wish I was addicted to exercise", but exercise can be pathological if too much.' co-author Dr Heather Hausenblas, a professor of kinesiology at Jacksonville University, told ABC News.

    Exercise addiction is not officially classified as a mental health disorder, but there are recognizable signs and symptoms, both physical and psychological.

    Overuse injuries, including stress fractures and tendon injuries, often occur.

    Exercise addicts will push through such injuries and sacrifice relationships with family and friends, along with occupational and social responsibilities, in order to maintain their habit.

    Withdrawal effects can also been seen when exercise schedules are stopped or disrupted, usually in the form of anxiety, irritability, restlessness and inability to sleep or concentrate

    The condition affects between 0.3 and 0.5 percent of the general population and as many as 1.9 to 3.2 percent of those who regularly exercise, according to the researchers.

    Dr Hausenblas and her colleagues say that because diagnosing exercise addiction is difficult, it should be based on a detailed conversation with the person that includes questions similar to those in diagnosing other addictions.

    And the goal of treatment should be not to stop exercising completely, but to help people recognize their addictive behavior and figure out a way to incorporate workouts in healthy way.

    Katherine says her treatment has taught her to be more mindful and to cut down on the time she feels is necessary to spend at the gym.

    She's since written a book on her experience.

    Katherine admits she still works out about 45 minutes a day, but she's careful not to push herself.

    '[It's] not compulsive, overwhelming activity that rules everything,' she said.


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