16
Years of
experience
Eating Disorders Recovery
Eating Disorders are a unique and challenging set of thoughts and behaviors that can make it difficult to be present and fully engaged in life. In America, it is estimated that 20 million women and 10 million men will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Eating Disorders are serious yet treatable and can affect people of any gender, sex, age, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Eating disorders are insidious and often impact people’s every day lives by making it difficult to engage in work, school, or socializing. The three most common types of eating disorders are:
Anorexia Nervosa Is defined by the following criteria:
- – Restriction of energy intake (calories/food) that can lead to low body weight
- – Intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat
- – Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced and possibly lack of recognition of the seriousness of current low body weight.
Bulimia Nervosa Is defined by the following criteria:
- – Eating In a discrete period of time, larger amounts of food than what most individuals would eat in a similar time period
- – Feel a lack of control during the binge episode
- – Engaging in compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain such as:
- – Vomiting
- – Laxative Abuse
- – Excessive Exercise
- – Binge eating and compensatory behaviors both occur on average at least once a week for 3 months
Binge Eating Disorder Is defined by the following:
- – Eating In a discrete period of time, larger amounts of food than what most individuals would eat in a similar time period
- – Feel a lack of control during the binge episode e.g. feeling like you cannot stop
- – People who experience binge eating might also notice:
- – Eating until uncomfortably full
- – Eating large amounts of food when not hungry
- – Feeling disgusted, depressed, shame, or guilt
- – Eating along or in secret due to feeling embarrassed by eating
- – Feeling distressed that binge eating is present
In addition, there are many symptoms that people may be experiencing due to engaging in eating disorder behaviors:
- – Shortness Of Breath
- – Hair Loss
- – Enlarged parotid glands
- – Amenorrhea (loss of menses)
- – Cold Intolerance
- – Lack of Energy
- – Dizziness
- – Difficulty concentrating
- – Tachycardia (high resting heart rate)
- – Bradycardia (low resting heart rate)
- – Abnormal blood work
It is not uncommon for people to struggle with more than one type of eating disorder throughout their lives. And not everyone that struggles with eating disordered behaviors meets the criteria for an eating disorder. Many of my clients have struggled for years with yo-yo dieting, have a preoccupation with their body shape and size, and/or are tired of thinking about food.
How Does Therapy Work For Eating Disorders?
Often people seek a therapist (outpatient provider) after they have been in a higher level of care for eating disorders such as partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient levels of care. However, for many people seeking help, I am the first person they have talked to about these issues. If I am the first person you have reached out to, I will ask you questions about the frequency and severity of behaviors so that I can assess how I can best support you. If you have other outpatient providers such as a registered dietitian, I will often work collaboratively with them on your behalf. Many people delay seeking support for eating disorders for several reasons that might include: feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment or perhaps you don’t think you are sick enough because you’re not underweight or you only throw up sometimes – whatever the reason is that you ended up here on my page, you are in the right place and the time is now to seek support and guidance. Call or send me an email so that we can chat about how I can best serve you.
