Eating Disorders Treatment

An eating disorder is a mental health condition where you exercise your control over food to overcome your feelings and other situations. It may include unhealthy eating behaviors like eating too much or too little or worrying about your body weight or shape.

Types of Eating Disorders

Before heading for the treatments, let us take a look at the types of eating disorders:

• Anorexia – is trying to control your weight by not eating enough food, exercising too much, or doing both.
• Bulimia – losing control of how much you eat and then taking drastic steps not to put on weight.
• Binge eating disorder (BED) – eating large quantities of food until you feel uncomfortably full.

Causes of Eating Disorders

Many reasons can lead to eating disorders, like having a family history of eating disorders, alcoholism, depression, or drug abuse. You have been critiqued for your eating habits, weight, or body shamed. You are obsessed with being slim, mainly if your job demands such as athletes, models, ballet dancers, etc. You have anxiety, low self-esteem, and obsessive personality, or you are a perfectionist.

Eating Disorders Treatment

You may recover from eating disorders, but it may be time to recover fully. The time varies from individual to individual. If you are referred to an eating disorder specialist, they will take care of you and provide you the needed support.

Your treatment depends on the eating disorder you have but will usually include talking therapy. You will also need to undergo physical checkups if your eating disorder is affecting your physical health. Your treatment plan will also include working through a self-guided program if you have bulimia or binge eating disorder. Most people are offered individual therapy, but patients with binge eating disorders are offered group therapy.

How to Know If You Are Having an Eating Disorder?

If people around you are worried that you have an unnatural way with the food, you could be having an eating disorder. You worry a lot about your weight and body shape. You eat very little food and make yourself sick. You exercise too much and have strict habits or routines around food.