• Abuse Recovery

• Addiction

• Anxiety

• Athletics

• Caregiving

• Depression

• Eating Disorders

• Foster Care/Adoption

• Grief & Bereavement

• Life Transitions

• Parenting

• Pregnancy & Postpartum

• Stress & Overwhelm

• Trauma

Eating disorders can be complex to understand and challenging to treat. Eating disorders are dangerous and are associated with high mortality rates with anorexia nervosa being the deadliest. Individuals struggling with eating disorders exhibit higher rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders. Eating disorders such as binging and purging could be a way to manage emotions and give the individual a sense of control. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, it is imperative that you seek out treatment immediately. Eating disorders affect both males and females.

Symptoms of disordered eating:

• The loss of an individual’s healthy relationship with food

• The loss of connection to significant others due to social withdrawal.

• Experiencing disconnection from feelings and sensation

• Binging/purging

• Feeling obsessive about food, eating, or weight

• Struggling to eat in front of others

• Rigid rituals or rules around food

• Body dissatisfaction

• Fixating on exercise

• Eliminating certain foods and constant dieting

• Preoccupied with body image (shape, size, number on a scale)

• Changes in menstrual regularity, including stopped or missed periods

How can therapy help with disordered eating?

Eating disorders can disrupt the entire family system as they show up everywhere within the context of daily living. Parents who are active in their child’s treatment can directly impact the recovery process. Parents who become knowledgeable about eating disorders, the nature of their treatment and recovery, and their role in their child’s recovery could likely serve as the most important players on their child’s treatment team. Disordered eating can reappear in adulthood as an individual may find solace in early coping strategies. Finding a therapist who is experienced in treating trauma and eating disorders and the role that it plays in disordered eating can be an important part of sustainable, long-term recovery. Disordered eating often works best when receiving help from a combination of medical professionals such as doctors and therapists.