Eating Disorders
"And I said to my body softly 'I want to be your friend.'
It took a long breath and replied 'I have been waiting my whole life for this.'
Signs of an Eating Disorder
Dramatic weight loss
Dresses in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm or wears baggy clothes
Preoccupied with weight, food, calories, carbohydrates, fat grams, and dieting
Refuses to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g., no carbohydrates, etc.)
Makes frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss
Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time or lots of empty wrappers and containers indicating consumption of large amounts of food
Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics
Appears uncomfortable eating around others
Develops food rituals (e.g. eats only a particular food or food group [e.g. condiments], excessive chewing, doesn’t allow foods to touch)
Skips meals or takes small portions of food at regular meals
Disappears after eating, often to the bathroom
Maintains excessive, rigid exercise regimen — despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury — due to the need to “burn off ” calories
Withdraws from usual friends and activities
Shows extreme concern with body weight and shape
Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws in appearance
Extreme mood swings
Eating disorders do not discriminate.
They can affect people of every age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic group.
If gone untreated, Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder.
Recovery from eating disorders can take a long time, a lot of dedication and hard work but
RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE.
I will work in collaboration with your treatment team, or help you to develop a treatment team to best support you during this time. Wether you are struggling with food, exercise, and/or body image, I am here to help you through this journey.