Eating Disorder Therapy
Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating
Do you find yourself preoccupied with thoughts of food, weight, or dieting? Do these thoughts feel overwhelming or overly intrusive? Do you see these thoughts interfering with your general functioning, your relationships, or your work? At Grace Therapy we acknowledge that disordered eating can present in many ways and our therapists are here to help you on your recovery journey.
Eating Disorders and non-clinical disordered eating can often be misunderstood or overlooked due to commonly held misconceptions.
Major Types of Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa - This is most likely the Eating Disorder that you know. It's characterized by highly rigid and usually restrictive eating patterns, excessive weight loss, and, often, distorted body image. Anorexia can present with either restrictive behaviors or cycles of binge eating followed by purging.
Bulimia Nervosa - Bulimia is characterized by cycles of binging and compensatory actions. These actions can include purging, over-exercising, or misuse of laxatives or other drugs. Common warning signs include frequent shifts in weight (both loss and gain), fixation around weight or control of food intake, evidence of purging, or discomfort eating around others.
Binge Eating Disorder - Characterized by recurrent episodes of eating to excess, this disorder often results in high levels of shame and guilt following eating without the use of compensatory behaviors to counter the eating. Signs of this disorder include hoarding or storing food, discomfort eating with others, food related rituals, and more.
"ARFID" Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder - Previously known as "Selective Eating Disorder", ARFID often presents similarly to Anorexia due to severe limitations of food intake. This disorder does not however include disturbances in body image or weight.
How can therapy help?
Eating Disorders are extremely serious and potentially life-threatening especially in the instances of severe weight-loss, malnutrition, or unseen risks of cardiac arrest. Seeking professional help can support you in navigating both the physical and mental aspects of these disorders. Treatment can often involve a multi-disciplinary team including both therapists and dietitians.
Through individual therapy and mental health services, we can support you through your eating disorder recovery. Our team is here to support you in navigating the best treatment plan for you based on your specific needs. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.