Eating Disorders in the Peace Corps

Woman in Peace Corps

Contributor: Courtney Howard, B.A., Director of Operations & Business Development at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope.

Joining the Peace Corps is an admirable life choice typically made by unique souls selflessly seeking to help the world. What happens when you find yourself struggling with disordered food behaviors during your service?

Before being accepted into the Peace Corps, those looking to volunteer must fill out a Health History Form that states, “Generally, for Mental Health conditions, a period of stability will be required after ending counseling/therapy, and for medication start/stop/dosage changes.” It also states that a recent eating disorder diagnosis is a disqualifying factor.

While emphasizing that these evaluations are done on a case-by-case basis, the Peace Corps understandably wants you to be well on the road to recovery before sending you halfway around the world. Unfortunately, eating disorders are commonly underreported, especially in males [1].

Potential Service-Related Triggers

Though often proving to be a highly rewarding experience, serving in the Peace Corps can also trigger disordered food behaviors, particularly in those with a history of eating disorders.

On a basic level, eating disorders are often triggered by major life changes. Joining the Peace Corps comes with many changes, including moving to a foreign country, change in schedule, possible language barriers, and close living quarters with other volunteers. Transitioning to life in the Peace Corps can be challenging for these and many other reasons.

Girl in peace corpsThough many volunteers grow close during their time in the service, they are far away from their primary support systems. This can be extremely difficult, especially when an individual’s eating disorder is triggered. Homesickness is commonly reported among Peace Corps volunteers, which alone might be a strong enough trigger for some.

Change in diet can also be challenging for volunteers. Many people in recovery from eating disorders still have their safe foods to rely on, and joining the Peace Corps often means changing quality and quantity of food entirely. For example, in some cultures, it is rude to reject food when it is offered, so volunteers in certain regions might feel pressured to accept more meals or types of food with which they are not comfortable.

On the flip side, in some countries, there is very little food available and locals in the communities being served might be struggling with starvation. This can trigger a guilt association with food in volunteers and lead to restriction despite availability of food provided by the Peace Corps.

Resources Through the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps has a medical officer located at all overseas posts and provides full health care for all volunteers while serving. There are also many many post-service benefits available.

This health care includes professional counseling. Volunteers seeking professional counseling can speak with a Peace Corps medical officer or a pre-approved local mental health professional. Depending on your post’s location, there might be quality eating disorder counseling available near you.

If you are struggling with an active eating disorder and the professional counseling through the Peace Corps is not adequate for your physical and mental health needs, it is important to be realistic about your options. Though you likely invested much of yourself into the Peace Corps process and your service, you need to take care of your own needs at this time.

“Medical separation” is the term that the Peace Corps uses for medical leave, resulting in early termination. You can be flown back to the United States for treatment and review your post-service medical and/or disability benefits for insurance coverage.

Though medical separation is primarily discussed in the context of physical health concerns on PeaceCorps.gov, this is likely the same policy for mental health conditions. Again, these are conducted on a case-by-case basis, so it is important to check with your post’s medical officer.

Making Recovery a Priority

It might feel like leaving your post and coming home for treatment is giving up, but the reality is that it is the smartest and strongest thing that you can do. Taking care of your physical and mental health is essential for you to be able to make the impact on the world that drove you to join the Peace Corps in the first place.

couple hiking-863454_640x426The Peace Corps generally attracts people who might be more sensitive to the world’s struggles than the general population. Though little research exists on the subject, it is well-known within the eating disorder community that highly sensitive individuals are at higher risk for the development of eating disorders. Compounded by the triggers mentioned above, serving in the Peace Corps can certainly lead to struggles with disordered eating.

Prioritizing the needs of others might feel like second nature, but right now you need to prioritize your recovery. You have your whole life to return back to the country you are serving in or find other rewarding ways to make a difference, but life with your eating disorder is not really living. Empower yourself to get the help you need and deserve today.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

What additional resources have you found for those struggling with eating disorders while serving in the Peace Corps?


Courtney Howard Image - 2-17-16About the Author: Courtney Howard is the Director of Operations & Business Development at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from San Diego State University, holds a paralegal certificate in Family Law, and is a Certified Domestic Violence Advocate. After obtaining her certification as a life coach, Courtney launched Lionheart Eating Disorder Recovery Coaching in 2015 and continues to be a passionate advocate for awareness and recovery.


References:

[1]:  Strother, E., Lemberg, R., Stanford, S. C., & Turberville, D. (2012). Eating Disorders in Men: Underdiagnosed, Undertreated, and Misunderstood. Eating Disorders, 20(5), 346–355. http://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2012.715512


The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on October 2, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com