Eating disorders can frequently impact one’s judgment. Electrolyte imbalances can cause the neurotransmitters of the brain to be altered, leaving the perception affected. Besides having impaired judgment, people struggling with eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia are more likely to have other mental and emotional issues, including:
- Mood is very unstable, with many low periods of tearfulness and pessimism
- Levels of anxiety increase
- Irritability increases
- Unable to concentrate
An anorexic suffering from hypothermia has a slow reaction time, is clumsy, lethargic, has blurred thinking, and hallucinations. In addition, sleep disturbances—either not being able to sleep at all or frequent awakening will affect judgment as well.
As an eating disorder progresses, work and school are inevitably affected as concentration becomes impaired, memory disturbed and judgment and decision-making seem like impossible tasks, explains Anita Sinicrope Maier, MSW, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Educational Network for Eating Disorders.