Eating Disorder Therapy Services
What is an Eating Disorder?
An eating disorder is a mental health condition that features a significant and ongoing struggle with negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors surrounding food. Eating disorders can impact all ages and genders, but is most commonly found in women between the ages of 12 and 35. Not every eating disorder looks the same, but they all can cause a negative impact physically, mentally and beyond. It can be difficult to pinpoint the precise cause of an eating disorder, but many coexist alongside other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, OCD, and substance abuse disorders. Someone with an eating disorder may exhibit obsessive thoughts around food consumption while engaging in behaviors such as restrictive eating, binge eating, purging, and more. Without proper treatment, an eating disorder can cause significant health concerns and even death. However, appropriate treatment that focuses on not just the nutritional and medical concerns, but also on the behavioral and psychological aspects can pave the path towards recovery and a healthier life.
Source: American Psychiatric Association
What are the Different Types of Eating Disorders?
- Anorexia Nervosa: Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most common – or at least well known – eating disorders. Anorexia is characterized by extreme food restriction to the point of starvation, although some people may alternate between starvation and binge eating with purging.
- Bulimia Nervosa: With Bulimia Nervosa, it is typical for individuals to interrupt their own dieting by binge eating what they consider “forbidden” foods. Binging is usually kept secret, and involves consuming a large amount of food in a short period of time, often leading to discomfort. To cope with the shame they feel after binging, along with the fear of weight gain, those with Bulimia will engage in behaviors aimed to compensate for their perceived “slip-up.” This may include vomiting, fasting, extreme exercise or laxative misuse.
- Binge Eating Disorder: Similar to Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder is also characterized by episodes of excessive eating while feeling a total lack of control. The difference here is that those with Binge Eating Disorder do not participate in compensatory behaviors to rid themselves of the food they ate.
- Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED): Not every pattern of disordered eating checks the boxes needed to fit one of the more commonly known categorizations. Individuals who are overly preoccupied with their weight or appearance who engage in thoughts, patterns or behaviors that impact their health may fall under the umbrella of a Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder, or OSFED.
- Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (AFRID): Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (AFRID) is a newer diagnosis for individuals who struggle with eating due to reasons beyond concern with their weight. These reasons may include low appetite, low interest and sensory sensitivities. Sometimes, a fear of the consequences of eating are the issue, such as anxiety over choking, allergies or other perceived threats.
- Pica: Pica is an eating disorder where individuals consume non-food items that have no nutritional value for an extended period of time. Items vary from person to person, but include things like paper, soap, hair, pebbles, charcoal, clay, chalk, paint and more. Oftentimes, this can be a sign of malnutrition or a nutritional deficiency.
- Rumination Disorder: With Rumination Disorder, individuals regularly regurgitate food they have already eaten. Once food is brought back up after swallowing, it will be chewed up again and then either re-swallowed or spat out. To be considered an eating disorder, gastrointestinal or other medical problems must be ruled out.
- Orthorexia: While not an official diagnosis, Orthorexia features obsessive thoughts and behaviors revolving around the need to eat healthy. Individuals with Orthorexia check ingredients and labels compulsively, often cutting out a significant amount of foods unless deemed “safe” or “healthy” by their standards.
What are Symptoms of an Eating Disorder?
Signs and symptoms of an eating disorder can vary across the different types, but there are certainly common telltale signs to watch for:
Emotional/Behavioral Signs
- Excessive concern over weight, calories, dieting or food in general
- Refusal to eat certain foods
- Frequent avoidance of meals
- Development of food rituals
- Self-Isolation
- Preoccupation or concern with appearance, including comparison with others
- Extreme mood swings
- Poor self-esteem
- Excessive exercise routines
- Food hoarding or hiding
- Lifestyle rituals revolving food or binging
- Feelings of a lack of control
Physical Signs
- Noticeable change in weight, whether lost or gained
- Frequent gastrointestinal complaints
- Menstrual irregularities, if applicable
- Trouble with focus or concentration
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Dizziness / Fainting
- Feeling Cold
- Sleep disturbances
- Dental issues
- Cuts or calluses across fingers (signs of self-induced vomiting)
- Dry skin
- Dry or thinning hair
- Brittle fingernails
- Skin discoloration
- Frequent illness (sign of impaired immune system functioning)
- Misuse of laxatives or diuretic
Symptoms of an eating disorder can look different for each person, and can often be difficult to spot. If you’re concerned for yourself or a loved one, don’t hesitate to learn more or seek professional involvement even if you can’t currently check off every symptom listed.
How Is An Eating Disorder Diagnosed?
An eating disorder can be diagnosed through multiple avenues. It’s possible that a doctor will raise concerns due to abnormal lab work, a concerning weight fluctuation or various other medical signs. However, some cases fly under the radar until the individual is ready to seek help. This can be a difficult step to take, but finding a professional well-versed in the psychology of eating disorders can help ease the burden. At Sillon Wellness Services, we have multiple therapists who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. The process toward a diagnosis may be multi-faceted, but we’re here to help navigate that path.
- Comprehensive Patient Evaluation: To begin, a simple conversation with a therapist will take place. During this time, information will be gathered regarding patient history, family history, eating habits, body image, and overall well-being. This will be a safe, judgement free appointment to determine not only the potential diagnosis of an eating disorder, but also of any co-occurring conditions that commonly exist alongside it, such as anxiety, OCD, trauma or depression and appropriate level of care.
- Medical Evaluation: It may be recommended to visit a primary care physician as part of the diagnostic process. Since eating disorders typically cause a variety of related health issues – malnutrition, deficiencies, and more – it’s important to be evaluated in a medical setting. A physical exam along with lab testing can help determine the type of eating disorder and appropriate treatment options.
Often, both medical and mental health professionals are involved in both diagnosis and treatment to coordinate the most healthy and effective path toward recovery. To match with a therapist best suited for you, reach out to us for a free 15-minute phone consultation.
Treatment of Eating Disorders
The treatment for an eating disorder can vary from person to person. The specific kind of disorder, risk factors, patient history, and severity can all come into play when determining the optimal path to success. Treatment typically involves a collaborative approach, involving a therapist, medical doctor and potentially a nutritionist. While working with a medical team to remedy health concerns and learn more about proper nutrition, a physiological approach is imperative toward long-term success. Specialists like those at Sillon will work to uncover psychological triggers and potential coexisting conditions while utilizing evidence-based therapies to reframe thinking and provide tools to work through any underlying behavioral causes.
Sillon Wellness care offers the following therapy modalities often used to successfully treat eating disorders:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT focuses on changing automatic negative thoughts into more realistic ones through identifying and challenging those destructive thought patterns.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Emphasizes acceptance as a way to cope with negative feelings, thoughts, symptoms or circumstances while encouraging commitment to healthier, constructive activities. The goal of ACT is to reduce the struggle to control or avoid situations that are found to be upsetting, working towards acceptance versus avoidance.
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): DBT is a form of CBT that aims to teach mindfulness and emotional regulation to teach people how to live in the moment while developing healthy ways to cope and change negative behaviors.
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): ERP is a highly structured treatment often used with those diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In the realm of eating disorders, it can be used to recognize anxiety-inducing food specific challenges and then explore those fears to develop new and healthier reactions.
- Family Based Treatment (FBT): FBT is a gold standard intervention for younger patients struggling with an eating disorder. Focusing on food management, impact of the eating disorder to the family dynamic, communication, and other variables can be an essential part of the recovery process while helping family members understand their role moving forward.
Eating Disorder Treatment in Texas
Eating disorders are complex and vary greatly from person to person. One thing they all have in common, though, is a negative disruption to the health, happiness and future of those struggling. If you’re interested in learning more about how to diagnose or manage an eating disorder, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with one of our on-staff therapists.
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