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Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that significantly impact a person’s physical and mental health. Overcoming an eating disorder is challenging, but recovery is possible. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, it’s important to seek professional help and start the journey to recovery.

Types of Therapies for Eating Disorders

An eating disorder is characterized by disturbed eating patterns that negatively affect physical and mental health. Eating disorders go beyond food or weight. Instead, they are a way of coping with difficult emotions or situations. 

There are several different types of eating disorders with their own set of symptoms and challenges: 

  • Anorexia Nervosa: Severe weight loss, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image (seeing themself as overweight even when underweight).
  • Bulimia Nervosa: Binge eating followed by purging (vomiting, laxatives, diuretics) to get rid of calories.
  • Binge-Eating Disorder: Uncontrolled eating episodes with shame and guilt but no purging.
  • Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED): Eating disorders not meeting the strict criteria for the above but still causing problems (atypical anorexia, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder).

Fortunately, there are several effective types of therapy that can help people with eating disorders: 

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Rewires unhelpful thinking about food and weight for better eating habits. This can be an effective therapy for both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. 
  • Family-Based Therapy (FBT): FBT is most commonly used to treat eating disorders in adolescents. The family plays a central and active role in the process. 
  • Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT): Improves relationships and emotional management to reduce unhealthy eating triggers.
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT focuses on teaching emotional regulation and communication skills to manage challenges.
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Helps accept thoughts and commit to living a meaningful life beyond the eating disorder.
  • Group Therapy: Offers a supportive space for sharing experiences.

Common Causes of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are very complex mental illnesses with multiple contributing factors. There is no one single cause, but rather a complex combination of risk factors, such as: 

  • Genetics: Family history can increase the risk. 
  • Brain chemistry: Imbalances in brain chemicals might play a role.
  • Mental health conditions: Low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression can contribute.
  • Social pressures: Emphasis on thinness and unrealistic beauty standards can be harmful.
  • Life experiences: Trauma, stress, and dieting can all be risk factors.
  • Personality traits: Obsessive-compulsiveness, perfectionism, impulsivity, and difficulty managing emotions can increase risk

How Does Eating Disorder Therapy Help?

A comprehensive approach, including various treatments and support services, is often essential for overcoming eating disorders. This can include nutritional counseling, medical monitoring, support groups, intensive outpatient treatment, therapy, and medications for co-occurring conditions if necessary. 

Several health professionals play an important role in supporting individuals with eating disorders by addressing their physical, emotional, and psychological needs. These include dietitians, physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, and therapists. 

Therapy is a core component of eating disorder treatment and recovery as it aims to address the underlying causes and distorted thinking patterns behind unhealthy eating patterns. Here’s how eating disorder therapy can help: 

  • Challenge negative thoughts: Therapies like CBT help individuals identify and challenge unhealthy thoughts about food, body image, and weight.
  • Develop healthy coping mechanisms: Therapists teach skills for managing difficult emotions and stress in healthy ways, reducing the urge to use food as a coping mechanism.
  • Improve relationships: Some therapies, like IPT, focus on improving communication and resolving conflicts in relationships, which can trigger unhealthy eating behaviors.
  • Emotional regulation: Therapies like DBT equip individuals with skills to manage strong emotions, tolerate distress, and improve communication, fostering healthier ways to deal with challenges.
  • Acceptance and commitment: ACT helps individuals accept their thoughts and feelings about food rather than judging them.

 Co-Occurring Symptoms and Disorders

Individuals with eating disorders often struggle with other mental health issues at the same time. Mental health conditions that commonly occur with eating disorders include: 

  • Anxiety disorders 
  • Mood disorders 
  • Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder 
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 
  • Substance use disorders 

The high rate of comorbidity in eating disorders highlights just how important it is to receive comprehensive mental health assessments and treatment plans when addressing these problems. 

People with eating disorders are at a higher risk of suicide. If you or someone you love is struggling, know that recovery is possible. Eating disorder recovery is a complex journey with ups and downs, setbacks and progress.

How a Therapist Can Help With Eating Disorders

Recovery is a continuous process. Therapy can provide crucial help for maintaining long-term health and well-being. Mental health professionals can also provide essential support in initiating the recovery process through assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.

Here’s how therapists can help with eating disorders: 

  • Assessment and Diagnosis: Therapists can identify the specific eating disorder and underlying issues.
  • Treatment Plan Development: They collaborate with individuals to create personalized treatment plans. 
  • Preventing Relapse: Therapists help identify triggers and develop coping mechanisms to avoid relapse and manage stress and difficult emotions that might trigger unhealthy behaviors.
  • Maintaining Healthy Habits: Therapy provides ongoing support for healthy eating, body image, and exercise habits.
  • Addressing Underlying Issues: Therapy can help address deeper emotional or psychological issues that contribute to eating disorders.
  • Managing Stress and Life Changes: Therapists help individuals learn skills to manage stress and navigate life changes in a healthy way.
  • Building Self-Esteem: Therapy helps individuals build positive self-esteem and a healthy body image.
  • Providing a Safe Space: Therapy offers a confidential space to express concerns and receive ongoing support.

When to Contact a Qualified Therapist

Many people struggle with eating disorders; you’re not alone. If you’re experiencing unusual eating patterns, weight fluctuations, negative body image, or emotional distress linked to food, a qualified therapist can provide support and guidance. Early intervention is critical. 

Contacting Thriving Center of Psych might be a good first step. Our eating disorder therapists specialize in using evidence-based treatments to assess your situation, help you develop healthy coping mechanisms, and empower you on the road to recovery. Book an appointment online or in-person to get started today.